Life — March 27, 1919 — page 7: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# "Life's Dictionary of Modern Words and Phrases" This page presents satirical definitions of contemporary terms, likely from the early 20th century. The definitions mock modern concepts: - **Self-Determination**: Ignoring everyone else (attributed to "See Wilson")—a jab at President Woodrow Wilson's famous political principle - **Freedom of the Seas**: Britain's claimed right to use any ocean as a highway - **The Quantitative Standard**: Measuring progress by congressional output The illustration labeled "SEDANS" shows a street scene with automobiles and pedestrians, likely satirizing how sedans (then-new enclosed cars) had become status symbols or were changing modern urban life. The overall page mocks contemporary political rhetoric and social pretensions through humorous redefinitions.