Chapter IX

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading Once I had thought that I could pick it up in a week or two, it sounded so like laundry Chinese.

plural of “actor” — a theatrical performer

From this reading Twice, before I had mastered the lingo, I had tried it on native audiences and had been, as the actors say, laughed off the stage.

in actual fact

From this reading I SAY IT IN PIDGIN At last the time came when my vanity was tickled to the verge of hysteria; I had actually learned pidgin English.

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

From this reading To the native English is pidgin, and if you do not speak it with classic exactitude he simply fails to understand you.

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

From this reading Studying it, I learned how iron-bound its rules of idiom and grammar actually are.

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

From this reading Twice, before I had mastered the lingo, I had tried it on native audiences and had been, as the actors say, laughed off the stage.

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading I SAY IT IN PIDGIN At last the time came when my vanity was tickled to the verge of hysteria; I had actually learned pidgin English.

plural of “audience” — a gathering of spectators or listeners at a (usually public) performance

From this reading Twice, before I had mastered the lingo, I had tried it on native audiences and had been, as the actors say, laughed off the stage.

the past participle of “be”

From this reading Twice, before I had mastered the lingo, I had tried it on native audiences and had been, as the actors say, laughed off the stage.

earlier than; in front of

From this reading Twice, before I had mastered the lingo, I had tried it on native audiences and had been, as the actors say, laughed off the stage.

inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading I SAY IT IN PIDGIN At last the time came when my vanity was tickled to the verge of hysteria; I had actually learned pidgin English.

any of the Sino-Tibetan languages spoken in China; regarded as dialects of a single language (even though they are mutually unintelligible) because they share an ideographic writing system

From this reading Once I had thought that I could pick it up in a week or two, it sounded so like laundry Chinese.

a creation of the highest excellence

From this reading To the native English is pidgin, and if you do not speak it with classic exactitude he simply fails to understand you.

the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests

From this reading Once I had thought that I could pick it up in a week or two, it sounded so like laundry Chinese.

used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis

From this reading To the native English is pidgin, and if you do not speak it with classic exactitude he simply fails to understand you.

an Indo-European language belonging to the West Germanic branch; the official language of Britain and the United States and most of the commonwealth countries

From this reading I SAY IT IN PIDGIN At last the time came when my vanity was tickled to the verge of hysteria; I had actually learned pidgin English.

the quality of being exact

From this reading To the native English is pidgin, and if you do not speak it with classic exactitude he simply fails to understand you.

third-person singular of “fail” — fail to do something; leave something undone

From this reading To the native English is pidgin, and if you do not speak it with classic exactitude he simply fails to understand you.

the branch of linguistics that deals with syntax and morphology (and sometimes also deals with semantics)

From this reading Studying it, I learned how iron-bound its rules of idiom and grammar actually are.

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading I SAY IT IN PIDGIN At last the time came when my vanity was tickled to the verge of hysteria; I had actually learned pidgin English.

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading To the native English is pidgin, and if you do not speak it with classic exactitude he simply fails to understand you.

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

From this reading Studying it, I learned how iron-bound its rules of idiom and grammar actually are.

state of violent mental agitation

From this reading I SAY IT IN PIDGIN At last the time came when my vanity was tickled to the verge of hysteria; I had actually learned pidgin English.

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading I SAY IT IN PIDGIN At last the time came when my vanity was tickled to the verge of hysteria; I had actually learned pidgin English.

a manner of speaking that is natural to native speakers of a language

From this reading Studying it, I learned how iron-bound its rules of idiom and grammar actually are.

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading To the native English is pidgin, and if you do not speak it with classic exactitude he simply fails to understand you.

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

From this reading I SAY IT IN PIDGIN At last the time came when my vanity was tickled to the verge of hysteria; I had actually learned pidgin English.

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

From this reading Studying it, I learned how iron-bound its rules of idiom and grammar actually are.

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

From this reading To the native English is pidgin, and if you do not speak it with classic exactitude he simply fails to understand you.

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading I SAY IT IN PIDGIN At last the time came when my vanity was tickled to the verge of hysteria; I had actually learned pidgin English.

belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned

From this reading Studying it, I learned how iron-bound its rules of idiom and grammar actually are.

immediately past

From this reading I SAY IT IN PIDGIN At last the time came when my vanity was tickled to the verge of hysteria; I had actually learned pidgin English.

past form of “laugh” — produce laughter

From this reading Twice, before I had mastered the lingo, I had tried it on native audiences and had been, as the actors say, laughed off the stage.

garments or white goods that can be cleaned by laundering

From this reading Once I had thought that I could pick it up in a week or two, it sounded so like laundry Chinese.

having or showing profound knowledge

From this reading I SAY IT IN PIDGIN At last the time came when my vanity was tickled to the verge of hysteria; I had actually learned pidgin English.

prefer or wish to do something

From this reading Once I had thought that I could pick it up in a week or two, it sounded so like laundry Chinese.

a characteristic language of a particular group (as among thieves)

From this reading Twice, before I had mastered the lingo, I had tried it on native audiences and had been, as the actors say, laughed off the stage.

understood perfectly

From this reading Twice, before I had mastered the lingo, I had tried it on native audiences and had been, as the actors say, laughed off the stage.

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading I SAY IT IN PIDGIN At last the time came when my vanity was tickled to the verge of hysteria; I had actually learned pidgin English.

characteristic of or existing by virtue of geographic origin

From this reading To the native English is pidgin, and if you do not speak it with classic exactitude he simply fails to understand you.

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading To the native English is pidgin, and if you do not speak it with classic exactitude he simply fails to understand you.

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading I SAY IT IN PIDGIN At last the time came when my vanity was tickled to the verge of hysteria; I had actually learned pidgin English.

from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)

From this reading Twice, before I had mastered the lingo, I had tried it on native audiences and had been, as the actors say, laughed off the stage.

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading Twice, before I had mastered the lingo, I had tried it on native audiences and had been, as the actors say, laughed off the stage.

on one occasion

From this reading Once I had thought that I could pick it up in a week or two, it sounded so like laundry Chinese.

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading Once I had thought that I could pick it up in a week or two, it sounded so like laundry Chinese.

select carefully from a group

From this reading Once I had thought that I could pick it up in a week or two, it sounded so like laundry Chinese.

an artificial language used for trade between speakers of different languages

From this reading I SAY IT IN PIDGIN At last the time came when my vanity was tickled to the verge of hysteria; I had actually learned pidgin English.

plural of “rule” — a principle or condition that customarily governs behavior

From this reading Studying it, I learned how iron-bound its rules of idiom and grammar actually are.

express in words

From this reading I SAY IT IN PIDGIN At last the time came when my vanity was tickled to the verge of hysteria; I had actually learned pidgin English.

and nothing more

From this reading To the native English is pidgin, and if you do not speak it with classic exactitude he simply fails to understand you.

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading Once I had thought that I could pick it up in a week or two, it sounded so like laundry Chinese.

past form of “sound” — appear in a certain way

From this reading Once I had thought that I could pick it up in a week or two, it sounded so like laundry Chinese.

express in speech

From this reading To the native English is pidgin, and if you do not speak it with classic exactitude he simply fails to understand you.

any distinct time period in a sequence of events

From this reading Twice, before I had mastered the lingo, I had tried it on native audiences and had been, as the actors say, laughed off the stage.

reading carefully with intent to remember

From this reading Studying it, I learned how iron-bound its rules of idiom and grammar actually are.

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading Once I had thought that I could pick it up in a week or two, it sounded so like laundry Chinese.

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

From this reading I SAY IT IN PIDGIN At last the time came when my vanity was tickled to the verge of hysteria; I had actually learned pidgin English.

the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about

From this reading Once I had thought that I could pick it up in a week or two, it sounded so like laundry Chinese.

past form of “tickle” — touch (a body part) lightly so as to excite the surface nerves and cause uneasiness, laughter, or spasmodic movements

From this reading I SAY IT IN PIDGIN At last the time came when my vanity was tickled to the verge of hysteria; I had actually learned pidgin English.

an instance or single occasion for some event

From this reading I SAY IT IN PIDGIN At last the time came when my vanity was tickled to the verge of hysteria; I had actually learned pidgin English.

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading I SAY IT IN PIDGIN At last the time came when my vanity was tickled to the verge of hysteria; I had actually learned pidgin English.

tested and proved useful or correct

From this reading Twice, before I had mastered the lingo, I had tried it on native audiences and had been, as the actors say, laughed off the stage.

two times

From this reading Twice, before I had mastered the lingo, I had tried it on native audiences and had been, as the actors say, laughed off the stage.

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number

From this reading Once I had thought that I could pick it up in a week or two, it sounded so like laundry Chinese.

know and comprehend the nature or meaning of

From this reading To the native English is pidgin, and if you do not speak it with classic exactitude he simply fails to understand you.

being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level

From this reading Once I had thought that I could pick it up in a week or two, it sounded so like laundry Chinese.

feelings of excessive pride

From this reading I SAY IT IN PIDGIN At last the time came when my vanity was tickled to the verge of hysteria; I had actually learned pidgin English.

a region marking a boundary

From this reading I SAY IT IN PIDGIN At last the time came when my vanity was tickled to the verge of hysteria; I had actually learned pidgin English.

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

From this reading I SAY IT IN PIDGIN At last the time came when my vanity was tickled to the verge of hysteria; I had actually learned pidgin English.

any period of seven consecutive days

From this reading Once I had thought that I could pick it up in a week or two, it sounded so like laundry Chinese.

at the time that

From this reading I SAY IT IN PIDGIN At last the time came when my vanity was tickled to the verge of hysteria; I had actually learned pidgin English.

in the company of; together with

From this reading To the native English is pidgin, and if you do not speak it with classic exactitude he simply fails to understand you.

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading To the native English is pidgin, and if you do not speak it with classic exactitude he simply fails to understand you.