The Era -- Day By Day

[LizzieMaine]

("Well," puzzles Uncle Frank, "Oi joost doon't get it, that's aaahl. It ain't loike y'didn't coom inta this coontry legal-like. Ye don't need noobody t'wroite a lettar voochin' farr ye good charactarrr. B'soides, even if ye DID, noobody's goona say noothin' they aaaaught naaaht. Oi joost doon't see why ye doon't want t'fill in th' faaarm!" "Oi got me reasons," snaps Ma. "Now leave me be." "Now how would that look," frowns Uncle Frank. "Me, standin' oop tharrr, raisin' me roit hand, takin' th' ooooth a' citizenship, an' you sittin' tharrrr with ye arms foolded an' that look aaahn ye face like ye was weaned aaahn a pickle." "Oi joost doon't want nooobody proyin' into me proivate affairs," insists Ma. "Oi mean, that business doon th' battam aboot bein' an anarchist. What if they aaaask me about Sally??" "Sally ain't no anarchist," dismisses Uncle Frank. "Throwin' a brick thru a movin' pitcharr screen," frowns Ma, "doon't make ye noo Repooblican. An' when she was a little garrl, wroitin' ahn th' charrrch wall aboot that Saaaaco an' Vanzetti. They could drag aaaaaahl that oot, an' aaaask a laaata questions, an' end oop not joost deport'n ME but her aaaaaaalso! An' thin' won't YOU be in a foine place, with J. Edgaaaar Hoovaaar noosin' aroond ye business! Nooo, Oi ain't coom this faaaar withoot keepin' t'meself, an' Oi ain' aboot t'start fillin' in noo goover'ment faaaarms." "Ye talkin' foolishments," scoffs Uncle Frank. "Oi also ain't goin' t'get depaaaaarted," vows Ma. She cocks her eye meaningfully at her husband. "Naaaaht with what's waitin' faaar me back in Oireland." Uncle Frank shakes his head. "Nora," he sighs, "that was faaaaarty years agoo. An' ye toold me ye'self tharr wasn't noo way they was evaaar goin' t'foind..." "Yarrr th' oonly livin' sool Oi ever told," declares Ma. "An' Oi fully intend t'keep it that way. Now drink ye drink befarr it goos flat." Uncle Frank finishes his two-cents-plain, and chews his lower lip in deep thought. "An' doon' t look at me loike that," snaps Ma. "Ye know it makes me naaaarvous." Uncle Frank shrugs, and unwraps a fresh Tootsie Roll as he ponders the situation....)

("Toin'im oveh t'Stalin," frowns Sally. "He'll take good 'nough caehr'v'im. Give 'im oveh t' t'em British, t'ey'll sen' 'im awff t' t'em Bahamas a'someplace, 'n 'ee c'n go swimmin' wit't'at Duke'a Windseh." "T'at was a helluva t'ing," recalls Alice. "Him quittin' as King an' awl. I lissen'ta t'at onna radio. 'Wit'out t' help an' suppoeht a' t'woman I love.' Wan'nat sump'n?" "Meh," scowls Sally. "I hoid a betteh soap opr'a from Ma Poikins. Anyways, t'ey betteh not let Hitleh wawk." "T'ey could sen'im oveh heeh," shrugs Alice. "Maybe send'im t'Brownsville. T'ey'd take cahe'r'v'im pretty quick." "Heh," snickers Sally. "You read too many a't'em gangsteh books....")

A committee representing 197 hotels from all five boroughs will confer with Mayor LaGuardia today at City Hall, to consider the Mayor's announced plan for meat conservation. The plan proposing the city-wide adoption of "Leftover Monday, Meatless Tuesday, and Meatless Friday" has already been endorsed by the Cafe Owners' Guild and the Society of Restaurateurs. Meanwhile, the New York Central Railroad reported a steady flow of meat shipments, but it was indicated by retail officials that most of it went to the Armed Forces and large wholesalers rather than to neighborhood distributors. The general meat situation seemed to be brightening with further word that an increased number of live steers are ready for local slaughter, and in view of that situation it was reported that all city schools have resumed serving meat as part of Federally-subsidized luncheons.

("Well now, I wouldn't say that." -- The Petroleum Industry.)

The Eagle Editorialist salutes the Red Army for its smashing victories in Poland, capped so far by the liberation of Warsaw. "No matter how we differ on governmental or economic ideology," observes the EE, "we must recognize the tremendous part that Stalin and his valorous armies are playing in the proscecution of the war. We shudder to think of what our position would be today without Russia at our side."

Eighty years later you'll find entire subreddits devoted to this theory.

("Hey Leo! Nice rug!" -- Ducky.)

(I still don't fully understand what Al Smith is doing in this strip. Or why he isn't wearing any socks.)

("I hear there's a room at Emmy Plushbottom's place. But watch out for the fat guy in the checkered pants.")

(C'mon, toots, NOBODY's not the ice cream type.)

(The Power of Engineering.)

 

[LizzieMaine]

And in the Daily News...

Meow.

All set for spring!

KIDS TODAY

"Uncle Walt, this is an apple crate with roller skates nailed to the bottom." "WELL IT WAS GOOD ENOUGH FOR SKEEZIX!"

Hey look, it's my fourth grade teacher!

"The check cleared, didn't it?" "We'll see."

At least until the next warm spell.

TADPOLE!

"Look, Doc," wheedles Mr. Willard. "You forget about this bill, and I'll put your name in the strip." "Well, all right. But don't make me look stupid." "You bet. But at least comb your hair."

Monogrammed jammies, Chaz? Or did you try out once for the Cubs?

 

[Fading Fast]

... Oi joost doon't see why ye doon't want t'fill in th' faaarm!" "Oi got me reasons," snaps Ma. "Now leave me be." "Now how would that look," frowns Uncle Frank. "Me, standin' oop tharrr, raisin' me roit hand, takin' th' ooooth a' citizenship, an' you sittin' tharrrr with ye arms foolded an' that look aaahn ye face like ye was weaned aaahn a pickle."...

Not the same specifics, but growing up jn the 1970s (so not the 1940s), I heard friends of my grandparents having serious conversations just like this. It was an of-the-era immigrant thing; it just was.

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Monogrammed jammies, Chaz? Or did you try out once for the Cubs?

In the 1930s-1950s, regular middle-class (and the uber rich) women (not men, so Chaz is on his own here) often embroidered large monograms or, sometimes, even their full first name on a lot of things - PJs, yes, but also sweaters, tops, and even coats. You see it in the movies and old photographs from the era all the time. It cracks me up as you'll see an adult woman named Trudy, with either a giant "T" or even a giant "Trudy" spelled out on her sweater. It's no odder than stuff we do today - it's just funny to see.

 

[LizzieMaine]

("Sawry I ain' got nut'n betteh t'offeh ya," shrugs Sally, sliding a glass of milk across the table. "Y'know how it is." "Ooh, yes," nods Uncle Frank, taking a sip. "Oi do that, ooh yes." He reaches into his coat pocket. "Woo'jee care farr a Tootsie Roll?" Sally demurs, as Uncle Frank unwraps the candy and thrusts it thoughtfully into the corner of his mouth. "Y'neveh come awlaway oveh heeh," sighs Sally, "'nless ya got sump'n awnya mind." "Oi do," begins Uncle Frank. "It's yaaar moothar." "Ahhhh," nods Sally. "As ye may know," Uncle Frank continues, "Oi've taken oot me farrrst paparrrs t'b'coom a citzen. Aftarr aaahl these years the -- ah -- present coonditions have led me to th' decision that..." "An' Ma do'wanna do it," injects Sally. "Ah," shrugs Uncle Frank. "That's aboot th' soize've it." "Jern t'club," snorts Sally. "I been aw'gehrin wit'teh 'bout t'at since I was a kid. 'Y'need t' do it,' I'd say. "Y'need to vote! Y'need t'do sump'n 'bout awla bums runnin'is city!' An' she'd say 'thim bums mind t'eh business an' I'll mind moine.' She'd say 'Thaaat Mayor Walkaar is a good man.' She'd say 'he knoos which soide 'is bread is buttarred aaahn,' whateveh t'at means. An' I'd say 'wake up, Ma! T'is town is fulla crooks! Gangstehs! Gamblehs! Bootleggehs! Preyin' awna woikin' class! Don'cha see??' An' she'd jus' shake 'eh head an' say 'noow that's a foine way faaar a little garrl t'speak.'" "Y'do that voice vaaary well," chuckles Uncle Frank. "I had a lotta practice," sighs Sally. "An' what's moor," continues Uncle Frank, "she says she can't soin no papaars b'cause it'll get YOU in trooble farr bein' an anarchist!" "WHAAAT?" bellows Sally. Leonora looks up from the copy of New Masses in which she is busily coloring in a cartoon of a fat senator approaching a trash can labeled "Red-Baiting," as her mother fumes. "I ain' NO ANAWRCHIS'!" she roars. "I'm an A-L-P! Jus' like LaGawrdieh! Even'nough he's kin' of a joik sometimes!" "Well," exhales Uncle Frank, "you have been knooown t'throow a few bricks a toime an' again." "BRICKS!" scowls Sally. "Nut'n strongeh!" "Ah," concedes Uncle Frank. "At any rate, what Oi had mind oov was that ye moit approach ye maaather, an' p'raps tell 'ar how ye've taaarned oovar a new leaf, an' ye woon't make noo marr trouble arr get arrested no marr..." Sally glowers across the table as Leonora injects a soft giggle...)

The House Military Affairs Commitee temporarily sidetracked the pending "work or be drafted" bill to hear testimony from Army Surgeon General Norman T. Kirk urging the conscription of nurses into the Armed Forces. Also strongly endorsed by President Roosevelt, the nurse draft bill was introduced with both Army and Navy approval as the most effective means of getting the 20,000 new nurses needed in order to ensure the best available treatment for American fighting men. Committee Chairman Andrew J. May (D-Ky.) indicated that as soon as Gen. Kirk completes his testimony, the committee will return to its work drafting a bill that will force all men between the ages of 18 and 45, including all 4-Fs, into either war work or military service, when and if they are needed. The nurse bill would require the registration of all registered nurses between 18 and 45, and subject them to conscription in the same manner as men.

("Whassis stuff?" frowns Willie, glaring at the bowl before him. "Sump'n Missis G showed me howta make," replies Alice, spooning a portion into another bowl and sliding it over to Krause. "T'ez beans inneh, an''nez bawrley, an'nez p'tatehs, an' awl kin'sa good stuff. S'cawled 'cho-lent,' I t'ink she said. "Ain' no meat in it?" sighs Willie. "T'ez meat in it," corrects Alice. "It ain'nat kin'a Lent. See, right t'eh, t'at's a piece'a meat. It's jus' cut up smawl, see?" "I don' like it," mutters Willie. "I don' like t'at y'don' like it!" squints Alice. "So eat!" Willie glances at Krause for backup. "Yeh," declares Krause, raising his own spoon. "Yeh," sighs Willie...)

(Confidentially, there's more charcoal than steak, but you take what you can get.)

As Inauguration Day approaches, the Eagle Editorialist expresses the assurance that President Roosevelt will, as he has always done over his twelve years in office, bring all of his faith, courage, and confidence to bear in the face of the challenges that lie ahead. The EE notes that the President has always shown the power to "imbue other with the feeling that every challenge to the spirit and the resources of the nation could be successfully met."

(Did you know smoking causes severe hair loss?)

(Of course Leo got to see the pope. He used to be a Cardinal.)

("Maybe I should check with Li'l Abner. He always finds a way out.")

(Careful where you point that chin, it might go off.)

(Well, Harry, you sure don't look very happy about it.)

(Yes, she said that, and yes, in 1945 it just meant "an enthusiastic female smoker.")

(When Class Consciousness Dawns...)

 

[LizzieMaine]

"Pshaw." -- Inky Quinlan.

And if writing a letter doesn't work, try a hat pin.

Funny man. Funny, funny man.

Well look who's back.

"Robber Bairn." Funny, she doesn't LOOK Scottish.

Still no Dude Hennick.

Use it up, loan it out...

Away we go...

"You -- of all people?" LEAVE TOWN AND START OVER KID THERE'S NOTHING FOR YOU HERE.

"Dudes." Yep, Uncle Willie spent a few years surfing in California.

 

[Fading Fast]

"Whassis stuff?" frowns Willie, glaring at the bowl before him. "Sump'n Missis G showed me howta make," replies Alice, spooning a portion into another bowl and sliding it over to Krause. "T'ez beans inneh, an''nez bawrley, an'nez p'tatehs, an' awl kin'sa good stuff. S'cawled 'cho-lent,' I t'ink she said. "Ain' no meat in it?" sighs Willie. "T'ez meat in it," corrects Alice. "It ain'nat kin'a Lent. See, right t'eh, t'at's a piece'a meat. It's jus' cut up smawl, see?" "I don' like it," mutters Willie. "I don' like t'at y'don' like it!" squints Alice. "So eat!" Willie glances at Krause for backup. "Yeh," declares Krause, raising his own spoon. "Yeh," sighs Willie...

I worry about what is going to happen to Willie – and Alice and Kraus, for that matter – when Mickey comes home.

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Did you know smoking causes severe hair loss?

Nothing causes hair loss more than being a character in a Lichty strip.

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Of course Leo got to see the pope. He used to be a Cardinal.

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Rebecca Welles, daughter of Orson and Rita.

Mom's hair, dad's face, the gene pool is its own game a dice.

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And if writing a letter doesn't work, try a hat pin.

Sally: "Or a brick."
Frank: "Oy."
Sally: "What?"
Frank: "I have plenty of Jewish customers, you pick things up."