Life, 1920-05-27 · page 28 of 44
Life — May 27, 1920 — page 28: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
**"Langwidge" Poem (top left):** A humorous dialect piece using exaggerated Cockney English ("blinkin'," "gaw blimy," "bloomin'") to depict working-class British speech. The joke satirizes both the difficulty of understanding heavy accents and the class divide—the speaker complains about incomprehensible slang while eventually bonding with the other person over beer. The accompanying illustration shows figures floating in clouds with harps, suggesting a jazz-influenced heavenly apotheosis. **"There's Always a Way" (middle):** A brief exchange between a shoe dealer and automobile dealer, satirizing Depression-era bartering and economic desperation—unable to afford shoes with cash, one trades in a used car. **"According to Hoyle" (bottom left):** Short observational commentary on contemporary issues: rising production costs, women as puzzles to men, labor disputes, and political candidates. References to New York City Police Department and Germany's "Verboten" (forbidden) suggest 1920s-early 1930s dating. **"Up-to-date Mother" (right photo):** Captioned image mocking modern parenting values—the "progressive" mother teaches her child that card-cheating is acceptable under certain circumstances, satirizing moral relativism.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Langwidge O#: [ likes “im—but ‘Is langwidges—iny Of all the blinkin’ rot you ever ‘eard When I asks what does ‘© mean, the bally "E sez, “ Aw, quit it, bo: I ‘ope you choke “1 choke?” sez 1. “ Why choke?” I se “Is that a bloomin’ joke?” I sez. But not another mouthful does 'e croak *Gaw blimy, myte.” [ sez, and “blind me ey Your langwidge is a scandalous surprise.” * Aw, close your trap,” ’e sez; “you feel yo. And “cut it out,” 'e sez: “you get my “Your goat?” sez I, “ What go: “What ‘urts inside your coat ~ Your bally napper’s ‘oller as a boat.” With that ‘e ‘its me friendly in the jor And me? I ups and gives the blink wot i Then, linkin’ arm in arm, we seeks a pub For a soothin’ pint o° beer and bite 0’ grub The w’y ’e chucks ‘is weight about’s absurd Oh, I likes ‘im—but ‘is langwidges—my wor: Vilda Sauvage Ox There’s Always a Way HOE DEALER: The price may seem a high, but there is nothing better on the marh« Avtomositt Deacer: 1 don’t like to disturl business investments to pay for those shoes part payment I'll turn in a used car. According to Hoyle PRODUCTION these days is one Tong tale of “Whoa!” As costs rise higher and higher. there is less and less prospect for the “sweet buy ‘and buy.” The movie title, “ She Loves and Lies.” doesn’t tell the whole truth about her. Sometimes she does not love Every woman is a question, to which some man is the faltering answer Some people whe think they're the whole aspect Labor is having some difficulty at present in d ciding whether to quit its old jo or be fired Apparently certain high p« vs in the New York City Police Department are not all they're hushed up to he Tt seems fairly certain that one of the presi- tial candidates will he elected. Let us be grate- ful that only one of them can he Wouldn't it look a trifle odd, though, to have a Butler for President? Still, we came near having for senator. Germany is now learning what “Verboten” means, Up-to-date Mother: coon-sy, DEAR. 1 HOPE YOU'LL ENJOY THE BRIDGE I'S W.K. KEMEMBEK, A DADY NEVER CHEATS AT CARDS UNLESS IT’S ABSOLUTELY NECESS* RY comicbooks.com