Life, 1925-11-26 · page 35 of 44
Life — November 26, 1925 — page 35: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains humorous dialect sketches satirizing New York City speech patterns, likely from the 1920s-30s. **"Lessons in New Yorkese: The Debt"** is a comedic dialogue mocking working-class New York accents and speech habits. Two characters debate lending money ("a yard and a half"—$1.50), with exaggerated phonetic spelling and malapropisms capturing stereotypical NYC vernacular ("Youseddit," "Thinkammamimp?"). The humor derives from depicting immigrant or working-class New Yorkers as argumentative, principle-obsessed about trivial financial matters, and prone to colorful, fractured English. **"The Party Line"** offers brief social commentary jokes about suburban/small-town life—poking fun at women's cosmetic surgery culture and domestic dynamics. The **right-side advertisement** for Caron perfume ("Naimez Que Moi," "Le Narcisse Noir") represents luxury goods marketing. The satire reflects early 20th-century American attitudes toward urban immigrant populations and regional speech patterns, now considered dated and potentially offensive ethnic humor.
📄 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 Dett ANHESEZTAME givvus aloanuvva yawdina haff.” “Chadoit?” oitinly Yidunnit. Annena big p goesan laysdown omme.” “Wella yawdina haff ainsamuch.” “Ittaint samuch butta yawdina haffsa yawdina haff ainit?” “Youseddit. Buttitaint now likeit- was somepinlike fitteensmacksnow.” “Yousedditaint —nuttinlike __ fitteen- smacks. Thinkammamimp?” ~Chabeefinabout ?” “Wellitsa principiloffathing. Afella hadawta payis jusdets. Stoo weeksnow heseztame givvus aloanuvva yawdina haff.” Cha slippimma hint? Whattamean kinda hannemma reeminda?” “Chamean? lyaint yellin meheadoff frayawdina haf. Itsa_ principil offit thassall, Heyadawta menchinnit.” “Yadeadrite heyadawta menchinnit. eguysis likeat—careliss.”” ah—careliss witha poipis. “Yadonthink hestrynta gypya doya?” “Fachance athat! Sayitfa thoughte- was Iwid gariup toim ansay you gim- meat yawdina haff yaoweme orlll give- ya asockonnanose !” “Skinda crewd ainit?” “Screwd buttaffectif.” “Wellafterall hesa frennayours, An- nitsony ayawdina haff.” “Ayawdina haff's ayawdina haf | Annitsa principil offit wagetsme sawr. Aguy hadawta payis jusdets.” Payem onna nailis my motta. He- didin sayfahowlawn hewantedit “Nottawoid. Hejuscomeuptamme anniesez givvus aloanuvva yawdina san toodays.’ rall hesa frennayours.” “Afine frennamine he is. Thabig mimp! WhattIsayis nowhecan wissle fathem fibucks Ioweim sinslast April!” H.W. H. The Party Line NABELLE May is lookin’ thet good I'm surprised she ain't goin’ to have another operation this year. Guess mebbe Bill compromised by lettin’ her have a new hat instead. “Belle Hawley never nagged her man oncet all durin’ his last sickness, She was thet nice Joe told Doc Ames she was takin’ all th’ pleasure out of dyin’.” J. K. M. Wey you dance you must pay the fiddler, but for the benefit of apartment house residents all the neighborhood saxophonists perform free of charge. comicbooks.com