Life, 1922-12-14 · page 29 of 36
Life — December 14, 1922 — page 29: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
## "Lessons in New Yorkese: The Wit" This satirical piece mocks working-class New York immigrant dialect and speech patterns. The dialogue depicts characters—likely Italian or Eastern European immigrants—mangling English grammar and pronunciation ("heesa card, aintee?" for "isn't he a card?"). The humor relies on ethnic stereotyping, portraying these speakers as comically unintelligent through phonetic misspellings and malapropisms. The repeated joke involves a comedian's routine about Black Americans ("Lookitem boys, eatin juss lika whifolks"), which the characters struggle to remember and retell correctly. The satire works on multiple levels: mocking both immigrant speech and the content of racist humor itself. The accompanying cartoon titled "Peace on Earth" shows figures around a fire—its meaning unclear from the image alone. ## Bell System Advertisement The remaining page is dominated by a corporate advertisement for American Telephone and Telegraph promoting telephone system expansion, targeting middle-class consumers with promises of modern infrastructure and reliable service.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Lessons in New Yorkese The Wit «QVAY, heesa card, aintee?” S intee? Isayso. Heesa card, awright. . “He's cossome line, Itellya. Funny- scrutch. “Yeh, he’s awfa good. Wuhwuz- zit now, hesed yestiddy ?” yeh, attwuzza hottun, Wuh- la faggitt.” ch, | kinda faggitt, too. Awfa good, it iz.” . “Qoh yeh, nowwi know. Hesez ‘Lookiten boys, eatin juss lika whi- folks.’ [ie comesup inna Ballamore lunch ‘Lookitem boys, eatin juss’ lik: vhifolks.’ ” . thawuz it. | _Ho-ho-ho. Srich . . . “Ho-ho- ho—juss lika whifolks’— ho-ho-ho. hifolks, eh Harry? Ho- le sezzit. Ican’t pullat stuff vean't doit like he duzzit, Naw Iknow. Sway he sezzit, hass it, awright. Sway he sezzit.” “He's Harry?” "Isay so. nasheral kmmedian, aintee, Hesa cassankle, at fella 1S. “Hegessoff stuff likeat allatime. ‘Eatin like whifolks’—ho-ho-ho !” “Naw, Joe, not ‘eatin like whi- folks.’ “Eatin juss lika whifolks,’ Joe.” “Ooh veh, thass right. lika whifolks” ” “No usayou tryina pullit, Joe, sway he se: doesa trick.” ‘ No usea me, no usea ‘Eatin juss you.’ “Sway he sezzit.” “Say, heeza card, aintee?” “Isayso. Heesa card, awright.” Expansion A million new subscribers were linked to the Bell System during the past two years— putting into operation a mil- lion new routes of talk, and a corresponding increase in all intervening facilities such as switchboards, cable and long distance lines. No other country is so well equipped as the United States for telephone communication. Yet, because of this—because the telephone is so useful—the demand for service keeps growing greater. The growth of telephone San demand in the United States is greater than the growth of population. It is an intensive growth. An increasing per- centage of the population is seeking telephone service. The Bell System is provid- ing for more investment, further technical achievement, more wires, switchboards and sta- tions—and more subscribers. The American people require the best service. The best service means the most compre- hensive service, not only for the necessities of to-day, but for the necessities of the future. “BELL SYSTEM” (a) AMERICAN TELEPHONE AND TELEGRAPH.COMPANY AND ASSOCIATED COMPANIES o toward Better Service One Policy, One System, Universal Service, and all directed The Philosopher utters The Magic Phrase, “SUBSCRIBE TO LIFE” For the Christmas Shopper—Satisfaction—The gift that pleases old and young. Special Offer Enclosed find Five Dollars (Canadian $5.80, Foreign $6.60). Send Lire for one year to “Open Sesame” LIFE, 598 Madison Avenue, New York. is out of date, M-2 With Christmas Card from comicbooks.com