Life — March 17, 1921 — page 11: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Explanation for Modern Readers This sketch by R.M. Crosby depicts a social comedy about punctuality at dinner parties. A man in formal attire leans toward a woman, apparently explaining why their friend "Freddy Jones" is chronically late to social gatherings. The caption quotes him saying Freddy's unpunctuality "must be Freddy's fault—he always was unpunctual." The humor targets a specific social anxiety of the era: dinner party etiquette and the embarrassment caused by tardy guests. "Freddy Jones" appears to be a generic name representing a recognizable social type—the perpetually late acquaintance whose behavior was considered inconsiderate and frustrating in formal social settings. The cartoon gently mocks both Freddy's irresponsibility and the social obsession with punctuality.