Captain Billy's Whiz Bang, June 1922 · page 21 of 68
Captain Billy's Whiz Bang #34 — page 21: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is a Q&A humor column from an early 20th-century satirical magazine. The jokes rely on wordplay and social commentary typical of the era: **Key jokes:** - A devil ice-skating pun (hell = heat, so impossible) - A "bumble bee and bell" joke setup (implied punchline: "hum-dinger") - **"Flapper" definition**: Mocks 1920s young women's fashion (low necklines) and dating behavior, suggesting they dress provocatively but catch colds instead of men—satirizing both the fashion trend and the women themselves - **Paris trip**: A marital joke suggesting wives are expensive companions - **"Philip the Grate"**: A pun on "fill up the grate" when adding coal to a fire - **Bunker Hill reference**: A factual historical note, not a joke The column's tone is lighthearted ribaldry aimed at male readers, mocking women's fashion and marriage while punning on names and wordplay.
📄 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 Billy Whiz Bang—Does the devil ever go ice-skating?—Ima Loon. How in hell can he? * * * Dear Captain Bill—Did you hear the one about the bumble bee and the bell?—G. Rain-yum. No, I didn't, but I'll bet it was a “hum-dinger.” * * * Dear Captain Billy—What is the correct definition of the word “flapper”?—Blossom Outt. My understanding of a flapper is a young girl who goes about with an open neck to catch men, but who usually catches cold instead. * * * Dear Captain Billy—Is it expensive to go abroad to Paris for a month's visit?—Hi Khost. It all depends, Hi, on whether you go alone or take your wife. If you are taking your wife along, it need not be very expensive. * * * Dear Skipper—What great man do you think of when you put coal on the fire?—Jack Gob. Philip the Grate. * * * J. T. P.—It was Colonel William Prescott who gave the order “Don't shoot till you see the whites of their eyes” at Bunker Hill.