Captain Billy's Whiz Bang, February 1922 · page 22 of 68
Captain Billy's Whiz Bang #30 — page 22: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is a humor advice column featuring pun-based jokes typical of 1920s American satirical magazines. The format mimics genuine advice columns, but each answer is a deliberate wordplay joke rather than sincere guidance. Examples of the humor: - **Nabisco joke**: Plays on the cookie brand name, substituting a nonsensical definition using "tissue paper" and "honey" - **Windows pun**: "Pane" (window glass) vs. "pain" (physical hurt); "catch" references catching cold - **Sorority name**: "I. Phelta Thi" sounds like "I felt a thigh"—suggestive humor - **Dust definition**: Absurdist wordplay ("mud with juice squeezed out") - **Hair tonic**: Ridiculous medical scenario for laughs - **Cow faucets**: Mocks urban ignorance about farm/food origins The recurring "Dear Captain Billy" framing and fake reader names (Ray Vaughan, Al E. Wrat, Hose Ette—all puns) signal this is intentional comedy. The column targets readers seeking witty, crude humor rather than actual advice.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
20 Captain Billy's Whiz Bang Dear Captain Billy—What is a Nabisco?— Ray Vaughan. It consists of two pieces of tissue paper with a little honey between. * * * Dear Captain Billy—Would it hurt me to sleep between two windows?—I. Foozle. You would have a “pane” on the chest and back, and a “catch” on your side. * * * Dear Capt. Billy—What is a good name for a new college sorority?—Al E. Wrat. I. Phelta Thi. * * * Dear Capt. Billy—What is a sculptor?—Cant E. Lope. A man that makes faces and busts. * * * Dear Capt. Billy—What is dust?—Hose Ette. Mud with the juice squeezed out. * * * Dear Capt. Billy—Is hair tonic a good drink?—J. Fewbrains. Would advise you not to drink hair tonic as it will raise a mustache on your appendix and if you should laugh you would tickle your-self to death. * * * Dear Farmer Bill—Please inform me where milk comes from.—A City Girl. From cow faucets.