Life, 1919-02-27 · page 38 of 38
Life — February 27, 1919 — page 38: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This poem mocks American soldiers stationed in France during World War I by presenting hilariously garbled "French" phrases. The humor relies on intentional malapropisms and nonsense—claiming French words sound nothing like their actual pronunciation. For example, the doughboy claims "bed" is "lee," "yes" is "wee," and "water" is "O"—none of which are remotely accurate French. The joke satirizes the soldiers' complete linguistic incompetence and their comical attempts to communicate in a foreign language they don't understand. The poem's framing as a letter home ("My dear mother, adieu") adds pathos to the comedy: despite being stationed in France as "Freedom's shield," these American soldiers are hilariously lost linguistically. It's gentle satire of military life abroad, playing on period anxieties about American doughboys struggling to adapt to European conditions during the war.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Evans’s Depilatory —an effective hair remover removes hair derarm, face or arm, fortably—and then wearing the sheer George B Evans 1108 ChestnutSt Phila Aiso makers of *Murm’ An American Anagram ATE took a HOER from the field, Taught him the tools of war to wield, Sent him to France as Freedom's shield, To do, to dare, and not to yield— And Io: a HERO stood revealed! “DOP, what is a gossip?” “A. gossip, my son, is a person who tells things before we have a chance to tell them ourselves.” WHITING-ADAMS BRUSHES ALWAYS SUIT — NEVER FAIL “ALL KINDS EVERY WHERE Paint Brushes Varnish Crushes Toilet Brushes Artists’ Brushes Railroad Brushes VULCAN Rubber Cemented Brushes ‘Send for Illustrated Literature SOHN L. WHITINGJ. J. ADAMS CO. BOSTON, U.S. A. Brush Manufacturers for Over 108 Yearsand the Largest in the World The Doughboy’s French EAR mother, when not in a trench, My time goes not to waste; I'm learning how to speak some French— inguage to my’ taste. A “hed” out here is called a “lee,” And “back in French is “dough”; For “ yes" the word out here is “ wee,” And “water” they call “0.” “Non” when you would be sayi “no.” And “under” is called “soo” A “skin” in French is called a“ Then “we” is always “ The German soldier is a “bosh”; Instead of “all,” say “t00”; A “pocket” they tell me is “ posh, And then a “street” is “roo.” “Without is “san, and “dan”; Of running they say “coor”; Before” they have made on — avin,” And “for” is always “ poor.” “Laugh.” when translated, sounds like ree”; “False” here is changed to “ fo For “who” they substituted “k And then for “word” say “me A “daughter here is called a “ fee”; it means “au liew” just now heard called My dear mother, adieu | i Books Received The Paper Cap, by Amelia E. Barr. (D. Appleton & Co.. s The People’s Part in Pe Tead. (Henry Holt & Co.) Behind the Wheel of a Wor Ambulance, by Robert Whitney Imbrie. (Robert M McBride. $1.50.) Jackie Jingles, by LeRoy Hennessey and Manus MeFadden, U. SN. (A.C McClurg & Co.. Chicago. ML, $1.) The Marne, by Edith Wharton. (D. Appleton & Co., $1.25.) Abraham Lincoln the Practical Mystic, by Francis Grierson. (John Lane Com- pany ) Forward March! by Angela Morgan. (John Lane Company, $1.25.) Pushing Water, by Eric Dawson, Lt. RN. V.R. (John Lane Company, $1.) Jova Head, by Joseph Hergesheimer. (Alired A. Knopf, $1.50.) The Faith That Makes Faithful, by Wm. Channing Gannett and Jenkin Lloyd Jones atford Company, Bos ton, Mass., $1.25 Joining the Colors, by Capt. Chas. A. Botsford, C. E. F. (Penn Publishing Company, Philadelphia, Pa.. $1.35.) by Ordway ¥ EY, PRINTER 180 Filth venue 181 Broadway New York: 22.5aMichigan Ave icago THE CONSERVATION OF FAT THE DESERT OF WHEAT By ZANE GREY MTHERE is bigness to the novels « that makes them impressive. ax well as poet of the West. He sve _mountains, it deep canons, J its free thougnt as no other novel: ing has done. ‘The Desert will add another splendid novel to bis of bis already long list."—The Philadel Illustrated, Pe HARPER & BROTHERS NEW (Est. 1817) YORK Hot water Sure Relief ELL-ANS FOR INDIGESTION