The Wasp — 1893 — page 262: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This satirical cartoon depicts a flirtatious exchange at a social event. A man and woman sit on a striped sofa; he holds a fan and leans toward her suggestively, while she looks away. The dialogue is a double-entendre joke about accommodations and intimacy. When he asks if she can "find room" for him, she offers him a "room" as a "boarder." He responds with a playful innuendo about living "on love" and paying "in kisses." The punchline references San Francisco's "Kiss Act"—apparently a real ordinance that was repealed. The woman notes it's no longer enforceable, suggesting the cartoon mocks both outdated morality laws and contemporary flirtation customs among the wealthy at social gatherings.