Captain Billy's Whiz Bang, February 1922 · page 21 of 68
Captain Billy's Whiz Bang #30 — page 21: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is a humor page from *Captain Billy's Whiz Bang*, a popular American satirical magazine (1919-1932). It's a "Questions and Answers" advice column featuring intentionally absurd or risqué jokes rather than genuine advice. The humor relies on double meanings and wordplay: "Christmas jewelry" turns green (implying cheap costume jewelry), a dizzy chicken-chaser has "swimmin' in the head" (lightheaded), food values in "dates" depend on the dating partner (sexual innuendo), and "Why is a crow?" is answered with "Caws" (a pun: a crow's sound). The fake definition of "Sly Oodle" is pure nonsense. The bylines use pun names ("Uppan Attim," "Ona Dyett," "Nat. U. List") reinforcing the joke format. This was mainstream humor of the 1920s: risqué but not explicit, relying on readers catching double meanings and appreciating irreverent irrelevance.
📄 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 19 Questions and Answers Dear Capt. Billy—What is the first thing that turns green in the spring?—Uppan Attim. Christmas jewelry. * * * Dear Captun: My kid brother's a great chicken chaser. He came home late last night all dizzy; d'you think he was drinkin' or what's the matter?—Ida Sinkey. 'Swimmin' in the head. * * * Dear Whiz Bang Bill—Is there much food values in dates?—Ona Dyett. It all depends on who you make them with. * * * Dear Captain—What is a Sly Oodle?—Nat. U. List. 'Tis a small weasel that sleeps in the crotch of a tree, and swallows its nose to keep it from freezing. * * * Dear Capt. Billy—A fellow asked me a funny question the other day. Why is a crow? Seems sort of silly. Do you know the answer?—M. T. Kann. That's easy. Caws.