Captain Billy's Whiz Bang, July 1921 · page 39 of 68
Captain Billy's Whiz Bang #22 — page 39: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains three brief satirical anecdotes typical of the magazine's humor. **"Then His Nerve Failed"** depicts a young woman asking a male clerk to tie a necktie around her neck in a shop. The humor hinges on the clerk's nervousness and ultimate failure of courage when the innocent request—her asking if she tucks the tie ends in—takes on suggestive undertones in his mind, given her proximity and the watching male employees. **"She Knew the Truth"** is a courtroom anecdote featuring a Black witness named Mandy Thomas (rendered in dialect) who testifies that two men were "calling each other what they is"—a euphemistic way of saying they were hurling insults or slurs at one another, though she won't specify which ones. The page concludes with three unrelated one-liners offering social commentary: one about women's changing security practices, another punning on "rash marriage" as superficial. The satire targets male anxiety around women, courtroom absurdities, and social change.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Captain Billy's Whiz Bang 37 Then His Nerve Failed One of the loveliest of girls went into a gents' furnishing store to buy a necktie. She hesitated a moment, and then asked in a nice, straightforward way: “I want to put it on, please. Would you tie it for me?” The clerk felt a little nervous, especially as the other fellows were watching him, but she had already pulled off the necktie that she wore. He said, “Certainly,” and, putting the new one around her neck as she ducked her head. She wore a dainty white silk shirt. When the tie was tied, the ends seemed a bit long, and he suggested: “Do you wear the ends tucked in?” “Yes,” she returned with unembarrassed absent-mindedness. At this point his courage failed him. * * * She Knew the Truth “Both of dese here gents,” said the witness, Mandy Thomas, rather impressed with the importance of being in court, “was standing at the corner conversin’ with each other pretty hot an’ pointed like.” “Relate the conversation,” said the prosecutor. “Ah don’t jest remember, sah,” said Mandy, “ ‘cept dat dey was callin’ each other what dey is.” * * * Women used to carry money in their stocking, but it’s not safe to put money in public places now. * * * A rash marriage is only skin deep.