Life, 1927-02-17 · page 13 of 34
Life — February 17, 1927 — page 13: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page features Life's weekly "Alibi Contest," a humor competition where readers submit creative excuses or explanations for awkward situations. The winning entry for "Alibi Number Five" depicts a traffic stop where a driver caught speeding attempts to excuse himself to a police officer. The joke relies on the driver's absurd reasoning: he claims he raised his hand to signal he would turn, expecting the officer to understand this meant he'd continue straight instead. Below, "Alibi Number Ten" shows an office scene where a stenographer is confronted about typing errors in a letter. The humor lies in the classic excuse of blaming tools rather than skill. These contests reflect 1920s-era satirical humor about everyday mishaps and the universal human tendency to craft elaborate justifications for mistakes.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
ALIBI NUMBER FIVE Cop: 1 WELD UP ME HAND AN’ BLEW ME WHISTLE AN’ STILL YE GO AHEAD. WHAT'S THE BIG IDEA? She: WELL, OFF I saw you raise your hand and of course I thought it was to let me know that you were going to turn! R, YOU SEE, IT WAS THIS WAY... This Alibi, which wins the first prize of $50.00, was submitted by Vincent E. Coonipce, Fountain Service Station, \Gth and Hobart Sts., Los Angeles, California. Second prizes of $10.00 each have been awarded to the following: Citas. O. Barn, Jr., Pottsville, Pennsylvania; Mass Auice Crereurietp, Spartanburg, South Carolina; J. S. Hetrick, Altoona, Pennsylvania; Mrs. Wacker Mac- Mittan, Kirkwood, Missouri; Mrs. Hersert J. Pat tenson, Portland, Maine. Next week we will announce the winners of ALIBI NUMBER SIX Conditions of the Contest Read these carefully: E ACH week we will publish a different picture in the * ALIBI CON nicture this week being marked “ALIBI NUMBBR TEN.” The first prize of $50.00 will be awarded each week to the contestant who, in the opinion of the judges, fur- nishes the cleverest and most convincing conclusion to the sentence which starts, “Well, you see, it’s this way..." Five second prizes of $10.00 each will be awarded to the runners-up, (Continued on page 30) ALIBI CONTEST $100.00 Weekly in Prizes ELOW is pictured ALIBI NUMBER TEN, this week's starting-point for devotees of the soft answer and the easy out. Try it on your ingenuity. Complete, in twenty-five words, or less, the boss-assuaging Alibi which the demure stenographer must hand out and send it to the ALIBI CONTEST EDITOR. Your conclusion should reach Lire’s office not later than twelve noon on March 3, 1927. The prizes are as follows: First Prize, $50.00 Five Second Prizes of $10.00 each ALIBI NUMBER ELEVEN will be published in Lire next week, with a new set of prizes offered. Read the conditions carefully—and go to it. ALIBI NUMBER TEN He: You TOLD ME YOU WERE A PAULTLESS STENOGRAPHER, BUT THIS LETTER IS SHOT PULL OF MISTAKES, WHAT'S THE IDEA? She: wei, you see, 11’s THIS WAY... comicbooks.com