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Bill's Lapse Odd Craft, Part 4.
Bill's Lapse Odd Craft, Part 4.

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of Bill's Lapse Odd Craft, Part 4. is here in full — 266 sentences across 54 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Bill's Lapse Odd Craft, Part 4.
Context Illustration Reading 11/53 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
"You'll 'ave tickled policeman on the brain if you ain't careful, Sam," ses Peter.
Old Sam sat down growling, and Ginger Dick turned to Bill agin.
"It gets into everybody's 'ead at times," he ses, "and where's the 'arm?
It's wot it was meant for."
Bill shook his 'ead, but when Ginger called 'im disobligin' agin he gave way and he broke the pledge that very evening with a pint o' six 'arf.
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.

Bill's Lapse Odd Craft, Part 4.

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of Bill's Lapse Odd Craft, Part 4. is here in full — 266 sentences across 54 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 11/53 · 5 reading units · Lines 51–55

Line 1
"You'll 'ave tickled policeman on the brain if you ain't careful, Sam," ses Peter.
Line 2
Old Sam sat down growling, and Ginger Dick turned to Bill agin.
Line 3
"It gets into everybody's 'ead at times," he ses, "and where's the 'arm?
Line 4
It's wot it was meant for."
Line 5
Bill shook his 'ead, but when Ginger called 'im disobligin' agin he gave way and he broke the pledge that very evening with a pint o' six 'arf.

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.

gets noun US /ɡets/

plural of “get” — a return on a shot that seemed impossible to reach and would normally have resulted in a point for the opponent

From this reading “"It gets into everybody's 'ead at times," he ses, "and where's the 'arm?”

Ginger noun US /ˈdʒɪndʒər/

perennial plants having thick branching aromatic rhizomes and leafy reedlike stems

From this reading “Old Sam sat down growling, and Ginger Dick turned to Bill agin.”

growling noun US /ˈɡroʊlɪŋ/

a gruff or angry utterance (suggestive of the growling of an animal)

From this reading “Old Sam sat down growling, and Ginger Dick turned to Bill agin.”

pint noun US /paɪnt/

a British imperial capacity measure (liquid or dry) equal to 4 gills or 568.26 cubic centimeters

From this reading “Bill shook his 'ead, but when Ginger called 'im disobligin' agin he gave way and he broke the pledge that very evening with a pint o' six 'arf.”

pledge verb US /pledʒ/

promise solemnly and formally

From this reading “Bill shook his 'ead, but when Ginger called 'im disobligin' agin he gave way and he broke the pledge that very evening with a pint o' six 'arf.”

policeman noun US /pəˈliːsmən/

a member of a police force

From this reading “"You'll 'ave tickled policeman on the brain if you ain't careful, Sam," ses Peter.”

Sam noun US /sæm/

a guided missile fired from land or shipboard against an airborne target

From this reading “"You'll 'ave tickled policeman on the brain if you ain't careful, Sam," ses Peter.”

tickled verb US /ˈtɪkəld/

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 “"You'll 'ave tickled policeman on the brain if you ain't careful, Sam," ses Peter.”

All words in this reading · 60

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.

adeterminerUS /ə/

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

From this reading Bill shook his 'ead, but when Ginger called 'im disobligin' agin he gave way and he broke the pledge that very evening with a pint o' six 'arf.

agin

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

From this reading Old Sam sat down growling, and Ginger Dick turned to Bill agin.

ain't

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

From this reading "You'll 'ave tickled policeman on the brain if you ain't careful, Sam," ses Peter.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Old Sam sat down growling, and Ginger Dick turned to Bill agin.

arf

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

From this reading Bill shook his 'ead, but when Ginger called 'im disobligin' agin he gave way and he broke the pledge that very evening with a pint o' six 'arf.

armnounUS /ɑːrm/

a human limb; technically the part of the superior limb between the shoulder and the elbow but commonly used to refer to the whole superior limb

From this reading "It gets into everybody's 'ead at times," he ses, "and where's the 'arm?

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading "It gets into everybody's 'ead at times," he ses, "and where's the 'arm?

ave

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

From this reading "You'll 'ave tickled policeman on the brain if you ain't careful, Sam," ses Peter.

BillnounUS /bɪl/

a statute in draft before it becomes law

From this reading Old Sam sat down growling, and Ginger Dick turned to Bill agin.

brainnounUS /breɪn/

that part of the central nervous system that includes all the higher nervous centers; enclosed within the skull; continuous with the spinal cord

From this reading "You'll 'ave tickled policeman on the brain if you ain't careful, Sam," ses Peter.

brokeadjectiveUS /broʊk/

lacking funds

From this reading Bill shook his 'ead, but when Ginger called 'im disobligin' agin he gave way and he broke the pledge that very evening with a pint o' six 'arf.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading Bill shook his 'ead, but when Ginger called 'im disobligin' agin he gave way and he broke the pledge that very evening with a pint o' six 'arf.

calledverbUS /kɔːld/

past form of “call” — assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to

From this reading Bill shook his 'ead, but when Ginger called 'im disobligin' agin he gave way and he broke the pledge that very evening with a pint o' six 'arf.

carefuladjectiveUS /ˈkerfəl/

exercising caution or showing care or attention

From this reading "You'll 'ave tickled policeman on the brain if you ain't careful, Sam," ses Peter.

DicknounUS /dɪk/

someone who is a detective

From this reading Old Sam sat down growling, and Ginger Dick turned to Bill agin.

disobligin

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

From this reading Bill shook his 'ead, but when Ginger called 'im disobligin' agin he gave way and he broke the pledge that very evening with a pint o' six 'arf.

downadjectiveUS /daʊn/

being or moving lower in position or less in some value

From this reading Old Sam sat down growling, and Ginger Dick turned to Bill agin.

ead

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

From this reading "It gets into everybody's 'ead at times," he ses, "and where's the 'arm?

eveningnounUS /ˈiːvnɪŋ/

the latter part of the day (the period of decreasing daylight from late afternoon until nightfall)

From this reading Bill shook his 'ead, but when Ginger called 'im disobligin' agin he gave way and he broke the pledge that very evening with a pint o' six 'arf.

everybody's

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

From this reading "It gets into everybody's 'ead at times," he ses, "and where's the 'arm?

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading It's wot it was meant for."

gaveverbUS /ɡeɪv/

inflected form of “give” — cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense

From this reading Bill shook his 'ead, but when Ginger called 'im disobligin' agin he gave way and he broke the pledge that very evening with a pint o' six 'arf.

getsnounUS /ɡets/

plural of “get” — a return on a shot that seemed impossible to reach and would normally have resulted in a point for the opponent

From this reading "It gets into everybody's 'ead at times," he ses, "and where's the 'arm?

GingernounUS /ˈdʒɪndʒər/

perennial plants having thick branching aromatic rhizomes and leafy reedlike stems

From this reading Old Sam sat down growling, and Ginger Dick turned to Bill agin.

growlingnounUS /ˈɡroʊlɪŋ/

a gruff or angry utterance (suggestive of the growling of an animal)

From this reading Old Sam sat down growling, and Ginger Dick turned to Bill agin.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading "It gets into everybody's 'ead at times," he ses, "and where's the 'arm?

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading Bill shook his 'ead, but when Ginger called 'im disobligin' agin he gave way and he broke the pledge that very evening with a pint o' six 'arf.

ifconjunctionUS /ɪf/

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading "You'll 'ave tickled policeman on the brain if you ain't careful, Sam," ses Peter.

im

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

From this reading Bill shook his 'ead, but when Ginger called 'im disobligin' agin he gave way and he broke the pledge that very evening with a pint o' six 'arf.

intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/

moving to the inside of something

From this reading "It gets into everybody's 'ead at times," he ses, "and where's the 'arm?

ItpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading "It gets into everybody's 'ead at times," he ses, "and where's the 'arm?

It's

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

From this reading It's wot it was meant for."

meantverbUS /ment/

inflected form of “mean” — mean or intend to express or convey

From this reading It's wot it was meant for."

onounUS /oʊ/

a nonmetallic bivalent element that is normally a colorless odorless tasteless nonflammable diatomic gas; constitutes 21 percent of the atmosphere by volume; the most abundant element in the earth's crust

From this reading Bill shook his 'ead, but when Ginger called 'im disobligin' agin he gave way and he broke the pledge that very evening with a pint o' six 'arf.

OldadjectiveUS /oʊld/

(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age

From this reading Old Sam sat down growling, and Ginger Dick turned to Bill agin.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading "You'll 'ave tickled policeman on the brain if you ain't careful, Sam," ses Peter.

PeternounUS /ˈpiːtər/

disciple of Jesus and leader of the Apostles; regarded by Catholics as the vicar of Christ on earth and first Pope

From this reading "You'll 'ave tickled policeman on the brain if you ain't careful, Sam," ses Peter.

pintnounUS /paɪnt/

a British imperial capacity measure (liquid or dry) equal to 4 gills or 568.26 cubic centimeters

From this reading Bill shook his 'ead, but when Ginger called 'im disobligin' agin he gave way and he broke the pledge that very evening with a pint o' six 'arf.

pledgeverbUS /pledʒ/

promise solemnly and formally

From this reading Bill shook his 'ead, but when Ginger called 'im disobligin' agin he gave way and he broke the pledge that very evening with a pint o' six 'arf.

policemannounUS /pəˈliːsmən/

a member of a police force

From this reading "You'll 'ave tickled policeman on the brain if you ain't careful, Sam," ses Peter.

SamnounUS /sæm/

a guided missile fired from land or shipboard against an airborne target

From this reading "You'll 'ave tickled policeman on the brain if you ain't careful, Sam," ses Peter.

satnounUS /sæt/

the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians

From this reading Old Sam sat down growling, and Ginger Dick turned to Bill agin.

ses

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

From this reading "You'll 'ave tickled policeman on the brain if you ain't careful, Sam," ses Peter.

shooknounUS /ʃʊk/

a disassembled barrel; the parts packed for storage or shipment

From this reading Bill shook his 'ead, but when Ginger called 'im disobligin' agin he gave way and he broke the pledge that very evening with a pint o' six 'arf.

sixnounUS /sɪks/

the cardinal number that is the sum of five and one

From this reading Bill shook his 'ead, but when Ginger called 'im disobligin' agin he gave way and he broke the pledge that very evening with a pint o' six 'arf.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading Bill shook his 'ead, but when Ginger called 'im disobligin' agin he gave way and he broke the pledge that very evening with a pint o' six 'arf.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading "You'll 'ave tickled policeman on the brain if you ain't careful, Sam," ses Peter.

tickledverbUS /ˈtɪkəld/

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 "You'll 'ave tickled policeman on the brain if you ain't careful, Sam," ses Peter.

timesnounUS /taɪmz/

a more or less definite period of time now or previously present

From this reading "It gets into everybody's 'ead at times," he ses, "and where's the 'arm?

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading Old Sam sat down growling, and Ginger Dick turned to Bill agin.

turnedadjectiveUS /tɜːrnd/

moved around an axis or center

From this reading Old Sam sat down growling, and Ginger Dick turned to Bill agin.

veryadjectiveUS /ˈveri/

precisely as stated

From this reading Bill shook his 'ead, but when Ginger called 'im disobligin' agin he gave way and he broke the pledge that very evening with a pint o' six 'arf.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading It's wot it was meant for."

waynounUS /weɪ/

how something is done or how it happens

From this reading Bill shook his 'ead, but when Ginger called 'im disobligin' agin he gave way and he broke the pledge that very evening with a pint o' six 'arf.

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading Bill shook his 'ead, but when Ginger called 'im disobligin' agin he gave way and he broke the pledge that very evening with a pint o' six 'arf.

where's

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

From this reading "It gets into everybody's 'ead at times," he ses, "and where's the 'arm?

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading Bill shook his 'ead, but when Ginger called 'im disobligin' agin he gave way and he broke the pledge that very evening with a pint o' six 'arf.

wot

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

From this reading It's wot it was meant for."

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading "You'll 'ave tickled policeman on the brain if you ain't careful, Sam," ses Peter.

You'll

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

From this reading "You'll 'ave tickled policeman on the brain if you ain't careful, Sam," ses Peter.

Chapter 1 of Bill's Lapse Odd Craft, Part 4. by W. W. (William Wymark) Jacobs holds 266 sentences, grouped into 54 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 1 of Bill's Lapse Odd Craft, Part 4. contain?

Chapter 1 holds 266 sentences of Bill's Lapse Odd Craft, Part 4., unabridged, divided into 54 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of Bill's Lapse Odd Craft, Part 4. by W. W. (William Wymark) Jacobs exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 266 sentences, grouped into 54 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 1 of Bill's Lapse Odd Craft, Part 4.?

Work through the 54 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 54 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 1 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 1 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 Bill's Lapse Odd Craft, Part 4.

Common questions about reading Bill's Lapse Odd Craft, Part 4. by W. W. (William Wymark) Jacobs on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Bill's Lapse Odd Craft, Part 4.?

Yes. All 266 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #12204 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Bill's Lapse Odd Craft, Part 4. is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #12204, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Bill's Lapse Odd Craft, Part 4. take to read?

About 22 minutes of reading across 54 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Bill's Lapse Odd Craft, Part 4. section by section

How to work through Bill's Lapse Odd Craft, Part 4. section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 1 chapters of Bill's Lapse Odd Craft, Part 4. 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 Bill's Lapse Odd Craft, Part 4.

Words and structures a reader meets early in Bill's Lapse Odd Craft, Part 4., each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Strength
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Bill's Lapse Odd Craft, Part 4.; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Good-nature--said
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Bill's Lapse Odd Craft, Part 4.; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Night-watchman
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Bill's Lapse Odd Craft, Part 4.; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Musingly
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Bill's Lapse Odd Craft, Part 4.; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.