Life — August 31, 1916 — page 27: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

**"Those Little Figures of Speech"** satirizes colorful insults through two cartoons. The top cartoon shows two men observing a literal ass (donkey) and lobster, with one saying "He's an ass and a lobster!" — mocking how people use animal-based insults metaphorically in speech. **"Man, the Mourner"** shows a man at a grave while three women in fashionable dress stand nearby, seemingly indifferent or gossiping. This appears to satirize superficial mourning practices or how society women treat grief casually. The accompanying text (discussing Ireland and reputation) seems unrelated to these cartoons — likely overflow text from another article. The satire critiques human language and social behavior: how we use crude animal comparisons, and how people performatively engage with serious matters like death.