Life, 1920-07-08 · page 32 of 40
Life — July 8, 1920 — page 32: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page from Life magazine contains **satirical humor pieces and advertisements** targeting early 20th-century social attitudes. The "Patois Preferred" joke mocks class pretension: a man warns against learning French "the way a New York Dago speaks," using an ethnic slur common to the era. The humor relies on attacking both snobbish language instruction and immigrant accents—typical of Life's satirical commentary on American social hierarchies. "Convincing" presents a domestic comedy where a housewife recounts scolding a delivery boy who was "impudent," using working-class dialect ("'arf give 'im wot for"). The joke appears to mock class-conscious servants or female pretension about status. The "Ministerial License" and "That's It Exactly" pieces are brief domestic humor focusing on marriage and religious conversion. The **Girard advertisement** ("Never gets on your nerves") uses a cigarette to advertise calm composure—a common marketing approach of that era. The **Hollenden hotel advertisement** promotes upscale dining and lodging in Cleveland. Overall, the page reflects period attitudes toward class, ethnicity, and gender through satirical humor typical of Life's editorial voice.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Patois Preferred M. C. A, Man (overseas) Now, if lon’t study French in a class, you'll speak the language the way a New York Dago speaks You don't want to do that, do you? Haxvexeo Dovempoy That's foreign language ought to be spoke! —Stanford Chaparral, Convincing Mrs, Sauytie pe Wittovenny: Was the grocer’s boy impudent again this morning, Clara, when you telephoned the ort Cuaea: "E was, mum! But I didn’t ‘arf give ‘im wot for. I sez, “Who d’ yer blink- in’ well think you're a I'm Mrs. Smythe der Willoughby Teate Misty Good gracious, Wil liams! Do you call yourself a lady's maid? sibly ten years his junior thrilled with emotion, and. sta give himself to Gawd.” seythe was out of their ears prodded Bert's chest with a Nearly sixty; on the edge of t speak, and not jined yet to take such chances on his toothpick ter That's It Exactly st: What is your rea arry my daughter? Wittiass: Not at present Ee sh Scotsman. Lire is published every Thursday, simultaneously in the United Stat a and Briti: Li Title rey advance. Additiona 4 oF to 1910 oF righted. For Re to Lire. Rolls House, Breams Buil 3 EARLY PIETY am in love—London Opinic eign trade supplied from n Canadian Lasting Reputation VER thirty years ago, Hollenden restaurants took their place among the famous dining places of this country. They have main- tained this position ever since. RATES With Bath Single . . . $2.50 to $5.00 Double $4.00 to $6.00 Twin Beds $5.00 to $7.00 THE HOLLENDEN Ministerial License Bert was about sixty, and Jed » “jined the church,” but Jed’s deep one of the elect, as he entreated ert listened while Jed cited h of those whose “jinin’” \ act after the click of the Grir more and more personal, and finger and fairly shouted, “ Look Max: T have no reas Old Bill To The vill The day » The ¢ H(Alt! ca Dispo But just Who