Life, 1924-10-23 · page 25 of 36
Life — October 23, 1924 — page 25: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page satirizes American folk wisdom and conventional sayings through a fake "Skeptics' Society" report debunking common proverbs. The "Checking Up" section humorously reverses expectations—"a stitch in time" saves only 3-4 stitches, "he who laughs last" actually laughed worst in 86% of cases, and "still waters" aren't shallow but easily excited. The satire mocks blind acceptance of clichés. The top cartoon shows a woman mistaking Winter Woolens (represented as a man) for an insect, asking about "insect powder"—a visual pun on the phrase's double meaning. The lower cartoon, captioned "Design for Mural Decoration: President Coolidge and His Homely Virtues," depicts figures embodying simplicity, silence, and caution—traits associated with President Calvin Coolidge's famously taciturn, austere public persona. This is gentle political satire of Coolidge's reputation for quiet restraint and plain living during the 1920s.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Skeptics’ Society, after exhaustive research, has arrived at the following conclusions: A stitch in time does not save more than three or four at the most. He who laughed last laughed worst in 86.14% of the tests made. Where there was smoke there was fire in only 18.93% of the cases examined; in all other cases it was too rich a mixture. Still waters were not only shallow in nearly every case investigated, but were most easily excited. In 63% of the tests when a leaper paused to look, some one else leaped ahead of him. Of the burnt children exam- ined, the majority were carry- ing matches and manifested no fear of fire. 99.75% of the mice observed did s7-77@ay at all when the cat’ Was away but went right to work. Some very short lanes were * found to have no turnings. The final report on bites by “GOOD GRACIOUS, WILLIAM! HAVE WE NO INSECT POWDER?” “EXCUSE me, MA'AM! IT's ME WINTER WOOLENS.” Checking Up barking dogs cannot be givenuntil two of the investigators recover from incipient hydrophobia. In many cases a soft answer was taken for ridicule and wrath increased. The increased production resulting from haste more than made up for the slight waste occasioned. In the worm-catching trials the most worms were caught by an owl that stayed up after the early birds, wearied by their early rising, had turned in, + One investigation had to be abandoned because no could be found living in a glass house. F. S. Wilson. Sea Fare E: What do you think of our naval ratio? Sue: It's a perfect shame— beans three times a day! DAWES. says the World, is perfectly obvious, and his profanity is of the milk- and-water brand. Just when we were sizing him up as the orig- inal crossword puzzle! Simpucity SILENCE CAUTION one DESIGN FOR MURAL DECORATION PRESIDENT COOLIDGE AND HIS HOMELY VIRTUES comicbooks.com