Life, 1926-12-23 · page 7 of 37
Life — December 23, 1926 — page 7: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
**Main Cartoon:** Shows a police officer discovering an intoxicated man in a doorway. The officer says "I've been drugged, officer! Somebody put dope in that quart of wood alcohol I drank." This satirizes Prohibition-era bootlegging and the dangers of illegal alcohol consumption. During Prohibition (1920-1933), desperate drinkers consumed unregulated "wood alcohol" and other toxic substitutes, which caused poisoning and death. The joke mocks both the drinker's foolishness and the absurdity of Prohibition itself. **Other Content:** Includes humor pieces like "Song of Good Cheer" (cheerful predictions about spring weather), "In a Manner of Speaking" (dialogue humor), "Lessons in New Yorkcese" (ethnic/dialect humor), and "The Unexpected" (domestic humor). The page exemplifies early 20th-century satirical magazine format targeting urban, educated readers.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Song of Good Cheer HERE are snowdrifts now in the street, And a raw wind’s blowing to-day, But soon the air will be soft and sweet— Toward the latter part of May. It's rainy and cold and wet, But the clouds must vanish soon, And we'll have some dandy weather, you bet, About the middle of June. Cheer up, though the trees are bare And the birds have left the sky; For the sun will shine and the days be fair By the first week in July. So smile at the thought of April, And laugh with the hope of May— If you think that it’s going to do you A fat lot of good to-day. Norman R. Jaffray. In a Manner of Speaking XLAUDE: Well, I think I'll repair homeward. Git: Oh, you have a used car, She: 1 pon’? THINK MY DRESS 18 CUT Low ENOUGH. He: CAN 1 LEND you MY KNIFE? ““’VE BEEN DRUGGED, OFFICER! SOMEBODY PUT DOPE IN THAT QUART OF WOOD ALCOHOL I DRANK.” Lessons in New Yorkese The Cold “TILO Joe howarya?” “Tearabil Albirt. Igotta cold wassaf killime hawnist.” “Accold havya? Chado forrit ?" “Ishado summin _ forrit. wittit. Wassit doon famme?” “Noreely yahadawta take apilla summin.”” “Pills hoitmetroat. Itried wun- nanna_ tooka coupla _puffsanna trunnitaway.” “Nottem kinapills yasap. Aspen.” spennis no good. Sbad faya hawt.” “Ohyagotta Stoobad.” “Nowlyaint gotta badhawt Igotta bad cold yasapya.” “Ohya gotta bad cold. headdaya chest?” “Smee bronnical track.” “Yawhat?” “Yahoidme. Smee bronnical track. Lissena meverce willya?” “Yeah stearabil. Wellit nevva wasmuch good wennitwas good Joe. Asswun constellation.” “Assa greatelp aintit?” “Well yareely hadawta shotta summin.” summin Tell badhawt havya? Sinya takea “Itakea shotta you innaminnit.” “Dagget sawr Joe.” “Iyam sawr. Me bronnical track is sawr.” “Oh yabronnical track issit ? Whyncha sayso befawr?” “Maybe Ididdin thinkavvit.” “Analla time Itawt yahadda cold. Fitsya bronnical track, you cummal- awnna me. I gotta frenna fixya upina minnit.” Yeah! Wattizzie adocta asum- Naw—heyainta docta. Heza track wawker fatha I. R. T.” Henry William Hanemann. The Unexpected A’ amazing thing happened in our apartment last night. My wife and I had returned at midnight from the theatre. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary as I switched on the lights. The living room was just as we had left it. Sensing nothing to upset my mind, I went into the bathroom and turned the hot-water faucet. Hot water came forth! J.L, D. comicbooks.com