Captain Billy's Whiz Bang, April 1921 · page 60 of 68
Captain Billy's Whiz Bang #19 — page 60: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains four brief humorous anecdotes typical of 1920s American satirical magazines: 1. **The camisole/casserole joke** plays on a man's confusion between women's undergarment and cookware—the saleslady's witty reply suggests both can contain poultry, a crude double entendre. 2. **The maid Mary anecdote** relies on misunderstanding: her innocent offer to ensure the master gets his bath is misinterpreted as improper by his wife, creating embarrassment. 3. **The "hooch" story** satirizes marital discord and alcoholism (Prohibition-era context). The wife cleverly turns her husband's drunken degradation into backhanded praise—at least he's not a liar. 4. **The final line** provides moral commentary: marriage ("I will") is a life sentence. The humor targets domestic tensions, class differences, and period anxieties about morality and drinking. The content reflects 1920s sensibilities: bawdy but euphemistic, focused on marital conflict and servants' social position.
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Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
58 Captain Billy's Whiz Bang More Lingering Lingerie A man stepped up to the counter in a department store and the pretty saleslady asked him what he wanted. He hesitated for a moment and finally said, "I've forgotten whether I want a camisole or a cas- serole." "That depends whether you want to put a chicken or a hen in it," replied the saleslady. * * * We have a very pretty housemaid named Mary. One Sunday morning I was about to take my bath but found no hot water, so I told Mary to be more careful and not use it all for kitchen work. The pastor and his wife were at dinner and as Mary brought in the dishes she remarked: "Mr. Henry, I will see you get your bath this afternoon." The minister looked horri- fied, as my better half snapped, "Indeed, you will not." * * * "The man laid down his book and tossed off his fifth drink of hooch. His wife looked up at him calmly and said: " 'George, when you proposed to me you said you were not worthy to undo the latchets of my shoes.' "George stared at her in amazement. " 'Well, what of it?' he snarled. " 'Nothing,' she answered, 'only I will say for you that whatever else you were, you weren't a liar.' " * * * The life sentence—"I will."