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Buttered Side Down: Stories
Buttered Side Down: Stories

Chapter XII · Chapter 12

Chapter 12 of Buttered Side Down: Stories is here in full — 205 sentences across 41 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Buttered Side Down: Stories
Context Illustration Reading 1/41 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
I turned from her to the man just in time to see the Adam's apple leaping about unpleasantly and convulsively.
Whereupon I jumped to two conclusions.
Conclusion one: Any woman whose hands can tremble over the Kewaskum Courier is homesick.
Conclusion two: Any man, any part of whose anatomy can become convulsed over the London Times is homesick.
She looked up from her Courier.
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AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Buttered Side Down: Stories

Chapter XII · Chapter 12

Chapter 12 of Buttered Side Down: Stories is here in full — 205 sentences across 41 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/41 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
I turned from her to the man just in time to see the Adam's apple leaping about unpleasantly and convulsively.
Line 2
Whereupon I jumped to two conclusions.
Line 3
Conclusion one: Any woman whose hands can tremble over the Kewaskum Courier is homesick.
Line 4
Conclusion two: Any man, any part of whose anatomy can become convulsed over the London Times is homesick.
Line 5
She looked up from her Courier.
/ʃiː lʊkt ʌp frʌm hɜːr ˈkɜːriər/

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.

Adam's noun US /ˈædəmz/

possessive form of “adam” — (Old Testament) in Judeo-Christian mythology; the first man and the husband of Eve and the progenitor of the human race

From this reading “I turned from her to the man just in time to see the Adam's apple leaping about unpleasantly and convulsively.”

anatomy noun US /əˈnætəmi/

the branch of morphology that deals with the structure of animals

From this reading “Conclusion two: Any man, any part of whose anatomy can become convulsed over the London Times is homesick.”

apple noun US /ˈæpəl/

fruit with red or yellow or green skin and sweet to tart crisp whitish flesh

From this reading “I turned from her to the man just in time to see the Adam's apple leaping about unpleasantly and convulsively.”

conclusions noun US /kənˈkluːʒənz/

plural of “conclusion” — a position or opinion or judgment reached after consideration

From this reading “Whereupon I jumped to two conclusions.”

Courier noun US /ˈkɜːriər/

a person who carries a message

From this reading “Conclusion one: Any woman whose hands can tremble over the Kewaskum Courier is homesick.”

homesick adjective US /ˈhoʊmsɪk/

longing to return home

From this reading “Conclusion one: Any woman whose hands can tremble over the Kewaskum Courier is homesick.”

leaping noun US /ˈliːpɪŋ/

a light, self-propelled movement upwards or forwards

From this reading “I turned from her to the man just in time to see the Adam's apple leaping about unpleasantly and convulsively.”

unpleasantly adverb US /ənˈplezəntli/

in an unpleasant manner

From this reading “I turned from her to the man just in time to see the Adam's apple leaping about unpleasantly and convulsively.”

All words in this reading · 45

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.

aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading I turned from her to the man just in time to see the Adam's apple leaping about unpleasantly and convulsively.

Adam'snounUS /ˈædəmz/

possessive form of “adam” — (Old Testament) in Judeo-Christian mythology; the first man and the husband of Eve and the progenitor of the human race

From this reading I turned from her to the man just in time to see the Adam's apple leaping about unpleasantly and convulsively.

anatomynounUS /əˈnætəmi/

the branch of morphology that deals with the structure of animals

From this reading Conclusion two: Any man, any part of whose anatomy can become convulsed over the London Times is homesick.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading I turned from her to the man just in time to see the Adam's apple leaping about unpleasantly and convulsively.

AnyadjectiveUS /ˈeni/

one or some or every or all without specification

From this reading Conclusion one: Any woman whose hands can tremble over the Kewaskum Courier is homesick.

applenounUS /ˈæpəl/

fruit with red or yellow or green skin and sweet to tart crisp whitish flesh

From this reading I turned from her to the man just in time to see the Adam's apple leaping about unpleasantly and convulsively.

becomeverbUS /bɪˈkʌm/

enter or assume a certain state or condition

From this reading Conclusion two: Any man, any part of whose anatomy can become convulsed over the London Times is homesick.

canmodal verbUS /kæn/

to be able to, or to be allowed to

From this reading Conclusion one: Any woman whose hands can tremble over the Kewaskum Courier is homesick.

ConclusionnounUS /kənˈkluːʒən/

a position or opinion or judgment reached after consideration

From this reading Conclusion one: Any woman whose hands can tremble over the Kewaskum Courier is homesick.

conclusionsnounUS /kənˈkluːʒənz/

plural of “conclusion” — a position or opinion or judgment reached after consideration

From this reading Whereupon I jumped to two conclusions.

convulsed

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

From this reading Conclusion two: Any man, any part of whose anatomy can become convulsed over the London Times is homesick.

convulsively

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

From this reading I turned from her to the man just in time to see the Adam's apple leaping about unpleasantly and convulsively.

CouriernounUS /ˈkɜːriər/

a person who carries a message

From this reading Conclusion one: Any woman whose hands can tremble over the Kewaskum Courier is homesick.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading I turned from her to the man just in time to see the Adam's apple leaping about unpleasantly and convulsively.

handsnounUS /hændz/

(with “in”) guardianship over; in divorce cases it is the right to house and care for and discipline a child

From this reading Conclusion one: Any woman whose hands can tremble over the Kewaskum Courier is homesick.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned

From this reading I turned from her to the man just in time to see the Adam's apple leaping about unpleasantly and convulsively.

homesickadjectiveUS /ˈhoʊmsɪk/

longing to return home

From this reading Conclusion one: Any woman whose hands can tremble over the Kewaskum Courier is homesick.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading I turned from her to the man just in time to see the Adam's apple leaping about unpleasantly and convulsively.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading I turned from her to the man just in time to see the Adam's apple leaping about unpleasantly and convulsively.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading Conclusion one: Any woman whose hands can tremble over the Kewaskum Courier is homesick.

jumpedverbUS /dʒʌmpt/

past form of “jump” — move forward by leaps and bounds

From this reading Whereupon I jumped to two conclusions.

justadverbUS /dʒʌst/

and nothing more

From this reading I turned from her to the man just in time to see the Adam's apple leaping about unpleasantly and convulsively.

Kewaskum

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

From this reading Conclusion one: Any woman whose hands can tremble over the Kewaskum Courier is homesick.

leapingnounUS /ˈliːpɪŋ/

a light, self-propelled movement upwards or forwards

From this reading I turned from her to the man just in time to see the Adam's apple leaping about unpleasantly and convulsively.

LondonnounUS /ˈlʌndən/

the capital and largest city of England; located on the Thames in southeastern England; financial and industrial and cultural center

From this reading Conclusion two: Any man, any part of whose anatomy can become convulsed over the London Times is homesick.

lookedverbUS /lʊkt/

past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards

From this reading She looked up from her Courier.

mannounUS /mæn/

an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)

From this reading I turned from her to the man just in time to see the Adam's apple leaping about unpleasantly and convulsively.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Conclusion two: Any man, any part of whose anatomy can become convulsed over the London Times is homesick.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading Conclusion one: Any woman whose hands can tremble over the Kewaskum Courier is homesick.

overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/

above and across; more than

From this reading Conclusion one: Any woman whose hands can tremble over the Kewaskum Courier is homesick.

partnounUS /pɑːrt/

something determined in relation to something that includes it

From this reading Conclusion two: Any man, any part of whose anatomy can become convulsed over the London Times is homesick.

seeverbUS /siː/

perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

From this reading I turned from her to the man just in time to see the Adam's apple leaping about unpleasantly and convulsively.

ShepronounUS /ʃiː/

a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading She looked up from her Courier.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading I turned from her to the man just in time to see the Adam's apple leaping about unpleasantly and convulsively.

timenounUS /taɪm/

an instance or single occasion for some event

From this reading I turned from her to the man just in time to see the Adam's apple leaping about unpleasantly and convulsively.

TimesnounUS /taɪmz/

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

From this reading Conclusion two: Any man, any part of whose anatomy can become convulsed over the London Times is homesick.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading I turned from her to the man just in time to see the Adam's apple leaping about unpleasantly and convulsively.

trembleverbUS /ˈtrembəl/

move or jerk quickly and involuntarily up and down or sideways

From this reading Conclusion one: Any woman whose hands can tremble over the Kewaskum Courier is homesick.

turnedadjectiveUS /tɜːrnd/

moved around an axis or center

From this reading I turned from her to the man just in time to see the Adam's apple leaping about unpleasantly and convulsively.

twonounUS /tuː/

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

From this reading Whereupon I jumped to two conclusions.

unpleasantlyadverbUS /ənˈplezəntli/

in an unpleasant manner

From this reading I turned from her to the man just in time to see the Adam's apple leaping about unpleasantly and convulsively.

upadjectiveUS /ʌp/

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

From this reading She looked up from her Courier.

Whereupon

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

From this reading Whereupon I jumped to two conclusions.

whosedeterminerUS /huːz/

belonging to which person

From this reading Conclusion one: Any woman whose hands can tremble over the Kewaskum Courier is homesick.

womannounUS /ˈwʊmən/

an adult female person (as opposed to a man)

From this reading Conclusion one: Any woman whose hands can tremble over the Kewaskum Courier is homesick.

Chapter 12 of Buttered Side Down: Stories by Edna Ferber holds 205 sentences, grouped into 41 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the public-domain source, 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 12 of Buttered Side Down: Stories contain?

Chapter 12 holds 205 sentences of Buttered Side Down: Stories, unabridged, divided into 41 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 12 of Buttered Side Down: Stories by Edna Ferber exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 205 sentences, grouped into 41 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 12 of Buttered Side Down: Stories?

Work through the 41 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 41 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 12 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 12 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 Buttered Side Down: Stories

Common questions about reading Buttered Side Down: Stories by Edna Ferber on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Buttered Side Down: Stories?

Yes. All 3117 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #352 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Buttered Side Down: Stories is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #352, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Buttered Side Down: Stories take to read?

About 259 minutes of reading across 624 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Buttered Side Down: Stories section by section

How to work through Buttered Side Down: Stories section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 15 chapters of Buttered Side Down: Stories 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 Buttered Side Down: Stories

Words and structures a reader meets early in Buttered Side Down: Stories, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Story
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Buttered Side Down: Stories; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Writers
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Buttered Side Down: Stories; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Lived
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Buttered Side Down: Stories; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Happily
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Buttered Side Down: Stories; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.