The Wasp — 1878 — page 253: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This page contains a satirical dialogue featuring William Myrtle, a sailor, in court. The humor derives from linguistic misunderstandings between Myrtle and an authority figure (likely a judge). Myrtle uses sailor's slang and colloquial language that the judge interprets literally or finds offensive, creating comic confusion. The illustration shows the courtroom scene. The satire targets the gap between working-class vernacular speech and formal legal/institutional language. By depicting Myrtle's "racy" sailor expressions causing bewilderment to educated officials, the piece mocks both the rigid formality of courts and the colorful, unpolished speech of common laborers. The humor lies in this class-based linguistic clash.