Life, 1929-07-19 · page 12 of 36
Life — July 19, 1929 — page 12: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This educational satire teaches English speakers German vocabulary through a village scene depicting German compound words and their literal English translations. Each labeled building or figure illustrates an absurdly literal translation—for example, "Katzenklatsch" (literally "cat-slap," meaning gossip), "Schnitzelbank" (a cutting bench), and "Krumwurstner" (one who drinks beer through a straw). The joke targets the German language's famous tendency toward long, complex compound words that sound ridiculous when translated word-for-word into English. Rather than mocking Germans directly, it highlights the linguistic peculiarity that English speakers found comical and difficult to parse. This appears designed as lighthearted educational humor rather than malicious satire.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Ein “SCHMUNZELPUNZER" 7 De Der “OBERSCH” “HEINKEPEINK® (one galviegy (An obliging Dachshund (A Piekel. Dillery) eee Y Die 7 “KATZENKLATSCH™ (Recess at a Yodeling School) Der “SCHIMELFRITZ* (One Who is caught stealing ay Ein “IMMERSCHLIMMER” (A Horse-Fly Deceived by an Eaestrian Statue) Der Af “PPLUPE™ (A Goose That Eschews Pretzels) Ps f between two ar aN i Der : frankfurters) Y “OBENZ WISCHER” \o fs (One who wagers Pfennigs to Doughnuts) Das “GEPFECKEREI" (A Student Duel fought with Dachshunds) : a7 On, “rausmitdMpnerin™ [pies “PAUSMITEMPH ERI - sauerkraut out care $ ay for an airing) Die { “KNOPFKOPF” 7 (A Time-telling A Cuckoo) “KRUMWURSTNER” (One who drinks beer through a straw) Lire’s Little Educational Charts. The German Language at aGlance. comicbooks.com