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A Nonsense Anthology
A Nonsense Anthology

Chapter III · Chapter 3

Chapter 3 of A Nonsense Anthology is here in full — 325 sentences across 65 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for A Nonsense Anthology
Context Illustration Reading 1/65 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
_Anonymous_.
OH, MY GERALDINE Oh, my Geraldine, No flow'r was ever seen so toodle um.
You are my lum ti toodle lay, Pretty, pretty queen, Is rum ti Geraldine and something teen, More sweet than tiddle lum in May.
Like the star so bright That somethings all the night, My Geraldine!
You're fair as the rum ti lum ti sheen, Hark! there is what--ho!
0:00 / 0:00
Speed 0.75x
AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

A Nonsense Anthology

Chapter III · Chapter 3

Chapter 3 of A Nonsense Anthology is here in full — 325 sentences across 65 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/65 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
_Anonymous_.
/əˈnɑːnəməs/
Line 2
OH, MY GERALDINE Oh, my Geraldine, No flow'r was ever seen so toodle um.
Line 3
You are my lum ti toodle lay, Pretty, pretty queen, Is rum ti Geraldine and something teen, More sweet than tiddle lum in May.
Line 4
Like the star so bright That somethings all the night, My Geraldine!
Line 5
You're fair as the rum ti lum ti sheen, Hark! there is what--ho!

Learner Dictionary

These definitions explain words found in the current reading and keep every example grounded in its original sentence.

Oxford-style entry order: headword, part of speech, US IPA, concise definition, contextual example, and audio.

Anonymous adjective US /əˈnɑːnəməs/

having no known name or identity or known source

bright adjective US /braɪt/

emitting or reflecting light readily or in large amounts

From this reading “Like the star so bright That somethings all the night, My Geraldine!”

Hark verb US /hɑːrk/

listen; used mostly in the imperative

From this reading “You're fair as the rum ti lum ti sheen, Hark! there is what--ho!”

queen noun US /kwiːn/

the only fertile female in a colony of social insects such as bees and ants and termites; its function is to lay eggs

From this reading “You are my lum ti toodle lay, Pretty, pretty queen, Is rum ti Geraldine and something teen, More sweet than tiddle lum in May.”

rum noun US /rʌm/

liquor distilled from fermented molasses

From this reading “You are my lum ti toodle lay, Pretty, pretty queen, Is rum ti Geraldine and something teen, More sweet than tiddle lum in May.”

sheen noun US /ʃiːn/

the visual property of something that shines with reflected light

From this reading “You're fair as the rum ti lum ti sheen, Hark! there is what--ho!”

star noun US /stɑːr/

(astronomy) a celestial body of hot gases that radiates energy derived from thermonuclear reactions in the interior

From this reading “Like the star so bright That somethings all the night, My Geraldine!”

teen adjective US /tiːn/

being of the age 13 through 19

From this reading “You are my lum ti toodle lay, Pretty, pretty queen, Is rum ti Geraldine and something teen, More sweet than tiddle lum in May.”

All words in this reading · 46

Every word in these five lines is listed here, and every one of them can be played on its own.

Dictionary details are shown only when verified; these are not licensed Oxford entries.

alladjectiveUS /ɔːl/

(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class

From this reading Like the star so bright That somethings all the night, My Geraldine!

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading You are my lum ti toodle lay, Pretty, pretty queen, Is rum ti Geraldine and something teen, More sweet than tiddle lum in May.

AnonymousadjectiveUS /əˈnɑːnəməs/

having no known name or identity or known source

From this reading _Anonymous_.

areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/

the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading You are my lum ti toodle lay, Pretty, pretty queen, Is rum ti Geraldine and something teen, More sweet than tiddle lum in May.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading You're fair as the rum ti lum ti sheen, Hark! there is what--ho!

brightadjectiveUS /braɪt/

emitting or reflecting light readily or in large amounts

From this reading Like the star so bright That somethings all the night, My Geraldine!

everadverbUS /ˈevər/

at any time

From this reading OH, MY GERALDINE Oh, my Geraldine, No flow'r was ever seen so toodle um.

fairadjectiveUS /fer/

free from favoritism or self-interest or bias or deception; conforming with established standards or rules

From this reading You're fair as the rum ti lum ti sheen, Hark! there is what--ho!

flow'r

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading OH, MY GERALDINE Oh, my Geraldine, No flow'r was ever seen so toodle um.

GERALDINE

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading OH, MY GERALDINE Oh, my Geraldine, No flow'r was ever seen so toodle um.

HarkverbUS /hɑːrk/

listen; used mostly in the imperative

From this reading You're fair as the rum ti lum ti sheen, Hark! there is what--ho!

honounUS /hoʊ/

a trivalent metallic element of the rare earth group; occurs together with yttrium; forms highly magnetic compounds

From this reading You're fair as the rum ti lum ti sheen, Hark! there is what--ho!

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading You are my lum ti toodle lay, Pretty, pretty queen, Is rum ti Geraldine and something teen, More sweet than tiddle lum in May.

Isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading You are my lum ti toodle lay, Pretty, pretty queen, Is rum ti Geraldine and something teen, More sweet than tiddle lum in May.

layverbUS /leɪ/

put into a certain place or abstract location

From this reading You are my lum ti toodle lay, Pretty, pretty queen, Is rum ti Geraldine and something teen, More sweet than tiddle lum in May.

LikeverbUS /laɪk/

prefer or wish to do something

From this reading Like the star so bright That somethings all the night, My Geraldine!

lum

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading You are my lum ti toodle lay, Pretty, pretty queen, Is rum ti Geraldine and something teen, More sweet than tiddle lum in May.

Maymodal verbUS /meɪ/

used to say something is possible, or to give permission

From this reading You are my lum ti toodle lay, Pretty, pretty queen, Is rum ti Geraldine and something teen, More sweet than tiddle lum in May.

MoreadjectiveUS /mɔːr/

(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree

From this reading You are my lum ti toodle lay, Pretty, pretty queen, Is rum ti Geraldine and something teen, More sweet than tiddle lum in May.

MYdeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading OH, MY GERALDINE Oh, my Geraldine, No flow'r was ever seen so toodle um.

nightnounUS /naɪt/

the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside

From this reading Like the star so bright That somethings all the night, My Geraldine!

NodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading OH, MY GERALDINE Oh, my Geraldine, No flow'r was ever seen so toodle um.

OHnounUS /oʊ/

a midwestern state in north central United States in the Great Lakes region

From this reading OH, MY GERALDINE Oh, my Geraldine, No flow'r was ever seen so toodle um.

PrettyadjectiveUS /ˈprɪti/

pleasing by delicacy or grace; not imposing

From this reading You are my lum ti toodle lay, Pretty, pretty queen, Is rum ti Geraldine and something teen, More sweet than tiddle lum in May.

queennounUS /kwiːn/

the only fertile female in a colony of social insects such as bees and ants and termites; its function is to lay eggs

From this reading You are my lum ti toodle lay, Pretty, pretty queen, Is rum ti Geraldine and something teen, More sweet than tiddle lum in May.

rumnounUS /rʌm/

liquor distilled from fermented molasses

From this reading You are my lum ti toodle lay, Pretty, pretty queen, Is rum ti Geraldine and something teen, More sweet than tiddle lum in May.

seenverbUS /siːn/

inflected form of “see” — perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

From this reading OH, MY GERALDINE Oh, my Geraldine, No flow'r was ever seen so toodle um.

sheennounUS /ʃiːn/

the visual property of something that shines with reflected light

From this reading You're fair as the rum ti lum ti sheen, Hark! there is what--ho!

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading OH, MY GERALDINE Oh, my Geraldine, No flow'r was ever seen so toodle um.

somethingpronounUS /ˈsʌmθɪŋ/

a thing, without saying which

From this reading You are my lum ti toodle lay, Pretty, pretty queen, Is rum ti Geraldine and something teen, More sweet than tiddle lum in May.

somethings

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Like the star so bright That somethings all the night, My Geraldine!

starnounUS /stɑːr/

(astronomy) a celestial body of hot gases that radiates energy derived from thermonuclear reactions in the interior

From this reading Like the star so bright That somethings all the night, My Geraldine!

sweetadjectiveUS /swiːt/

having or denoting the characteristic taste of sugar

From this reading You are my lum ti toodle lay, Pretty, pretty queen, Is rum ti Geraldine and something teen, More sweet than tiddle lum in May.

teenadjectiveUS /tiːn/

being of the age 13 through 19

From this reading You are my lum ti toodle lay, Pretty, pretty queen, Is rum ti Geraldine and something teen, More sweet than tiddle lum in May.

thanconjunctionUS /ðæn/

used to introduce the second part of a comparison

From this reading You are my lum ti toodle lay, Pretty, pretty queen, Is rum ti Geraldine and something teen, More sweet than tiddle lum in May.

ThatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading Like the star so bright That somethings all the night, My Geraldine!

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading Like the star so bright That somethings all the night, My Geraldine!

thereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading You're fair as the rum ti lum ti sheen, Hark! there is what--ho!

tinounUS /tiː/

a light strong grey lustrous corrosion-resistant metallic element used in strong lightweight alloys (as for airplane parts); the main sources are rutile and ilmenite

From this reading You are my lum ti toodle lay, Pretty, pretty queen, Is rum ti Geraldine and something teen, More sweet than tiddle lum in May.

tiddle

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading You are my lum ti toodle lay, Pretty, pretty queen, Is rum ti Geraldine and something teen, More sweet than tiddle lum in May.

toodle

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading OH, MY GERALDINE Oh, my Geraldine, No flow'r was ever seen so toodle um.

um

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading OH, MY GERALDINE Oh, my Geraldine, No flow'r was ever seen so toodle um.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading OH, MY GERALDINE Oh, my Geraldine, No flow'r was ever seen so toodle um.

whatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading You're fair as the rum ti lum ti sheen, Hark! there is what--ho!

YoupronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading You are my lum ti toodle lay, Pretty, pretty queen, Is rum ti Geraldine and something teen, More sweet than tiddle lum in May.

You're

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading You're fair as the rum ti lum ti sheen, Hark! there is what--ho!

Chapter 3 of A Nonsense Anthology by Carolyn [Compiler] Wells holds 325 sentences, grouped into 65 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the source edition, unabridged, and the chapter records which sentences cover which part of the work so that nothing is dropped. Every word can be tapped for its pronunciation and dictionary entry.

What does chapter 3 of A Nonsense Anthology contain?

Chapter 3 holds 325 sentences of A Nonsense Anthology, unabridged, divided into 65 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 3 of A Nonsense Anthology by Carolyn [Compiler] Wells exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 325 sentences, grouped into 65 sections of at most 5 sentences so that a reader can take the chapter in steady, finishable pieces. The chapter also stores a coverage record mapping every one of its sentences to a part of the work, which is how the edition demonstrates that no line was dropped.

How do I study chapter 3 of A Nonsense Anthology?

Work through the 65 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 65 sections in this chapter is short enough to read once, hear once, and then re-read with the vocabulary in view. Tapping a word plays it alone and opens its dictionary entry with IPA, part of speech and meaning, so the reader is never forced to guess a pronunciation from spelling. Working section by section keeps a long chapter from becoming an undifferentiated wall of text, which is the usual reason a reader abandons a work of this period.

Can chapter 3 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 3 can be played aloud in United States English.

Audio covers the whole chapter: any sentence can be played, and any single word within it can be played on its own. The voice uses United States English. For a work of this period that matters, because spelling is an unreliable guide to pronunciation for vocabulary that has fallen out of daily use, and a learner who guesses wrong tends to keep the error. Hearing the word in its own sentence, and then alone, settles it.

Questions about reading A Nonsense Anthology

Common questions about reading A Nonsense Anthology by Carolyn [Compiler] Wells on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of A Nonsense Anthology?

Yes. All 2295 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #9380 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of A Nonsense Anthology is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #9380, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does A Nonsense Anthology take to read?

About 191 minutes of reading across 459 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read A Nonsense Anthology section by section

How to work through A Nonsense Anthology section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 7 chapters of A Nonsense Anthology to begin.

  2. Read one section

    Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.

  3. Listen and tap

    Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in A Nonsense Anthology

Words and structures a reader meets early in A Nonsense Anthology, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Indeed
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Nonsense Anthology; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Cannot
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Nonsense Anthology; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Times
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Nonsense Anthology; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Enjoy
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Nonsense Anthology; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.