Life, 1927-04-14 · page 29 of 38
Life — April 14, 1927 — page 29: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains several brief satirical humor pieces typical of early 20th-century American magazines: **"Special for To-day"** mocks Yiddish-accented speech patterns common in East Side (immigrant Jewish) restaurants. The joke relies on stereotypical dialect humor—a waiter repeatedly misunderstands or ignores a customer's request for steak, insisting on "rust biff" (roast beef). The humor targets both the accent and perceived stubbornness. **"And Have You Made Out Your Income Tax?"** (from a Paris publication) makes a topical joke: a son confesses to his father in church that he's been working on his income tax return—implying it's a sin requiring confession, commentary on tax burden frustration. **"Interrupted Suspense"** jokes about a woman at a horse race so emotionally invested she can't remember her own horse's name mid-race. **"The Office Boy's Grandmother"** plays on changing times: an office boy wants time off because his grandmother swam the English Channel—a reference to modern female achievement that would have seemed remarkable and amusing to period readers. These are lighthearted, topical humor pieces reflecting 1920s-era concerns and social attitudes.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
tare 2, Special for To-day Ir is supposed to have happened in an East Side kosher restaurant. An irri- table man hastened in and instructed the waiter to fetch him a steak, “The rust biff is vary good,” remarked the affable waiter. “[ want a steak,” retorted the patron. “The rust biff is dendy, eef you plizz, sir. “But I said,” almost thundered the im- patient fellow, “I want a steak!!!" “L was h'unly trying to sahjest, sir, det de rust biff was h'axcellent,” persisted the waiter. The man finally summoned the pro- prietor, also a dialectician. “See here,” cried the customer, “I’ve been askin’ this y to bring me a steak and he keeps tellin’ me that the roast beef is good!” 1y," drawled the proprietor, “do nis de rust biff is bad?” —New York Graphic. Ina Pinch, use ALLEN’S FOOT-EASE April Effect Excireo Curia (at cinema): Ooh, Mummie! This picture makes me laugh and cry at the same time. Shall I get a rainbow on my face?—London Opinion. “WELL, MY SON, ANY “AND HAVE YOU MADE OUT YouR INCOME TAX?” “YES, PATHE! EVENING AROUND SIX O'CLOCK IN THE CONFESSIONAL.” —Le Journal (Paris). 27 Interrupted Suspense Ir was on the balcony of the club- house at the New Orleans race course. The Sweet Young Thing had placed a two-dollar bet on a horse. As the nags came ifto the stretch she jumped on a chair and screamed, “Come on there! Come on you—er—you—er—oh, dear me, what's my horse's name, anyway?” —New York Sun, Je better than Abbott's Bitters, sample by ts C. W, Abbott & Co., Baltimore, Md. The Office Boy’s Grandmother to Date Orrice Bor (to employer): Well, you see, sir, my grandmother just swam a channel and I want the afternoon off so I can see her in the News Reel. New York World. A sywpicate writer says, “The girl of to-day is quite as sensible as her mother was yesterday.” Yes, that scems to be s the trouble. —Edmonton (Alberta) Bulletin. YOU CAN FIND ME “Pop, what's congenial employment?” “Anything that pays a bigger sala —American Legion Monthly. Lirt_is published every “Thursday, simultaneously in the United States, Great Britain, Canada and British Possessions. Title registered in U. S Patent, Office.’ $5.00 a year in advance. Additional postage to foreign eventres inthe Postal Union, $1.60 a year; to Canada, 80 cents, Back t be supplied. nd illustrations in Lire are copyrighted. For Reprint Rights in oba to Lire, Rolls House, Breams Buildings, Fetter ngland. The foreign trade = supplied from Lire’s London Office, Rolls House, Breams Buildings, London, E. C. Canadian distributor, The American News Company, Ltd., 386-388 St. James Street, Montreal, Canada. No contributions wili be returned unless accompanied by stamped and addressed envelope. Lire does not hold itself responsible for the loss or non-return of unsolicited contributions. Notice of change of address should reach this office two weeks prior to the date of issue to be affected. Sa LL CWhen iff a matter of good taste comicbooks.com