Chapter 1 of Empty bottles is here in full — 254 sentences across 51 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
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Chapter I
Chapter 1 of Empty bottles is here in full — 254 sentences across 51 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
What use had any six foot man for an empty one quart bottle? A rather large, awkward man shambled into the One Way Thru Saloon, sidled over to the bar and addressed Cock Eye Baer, the mixer. His voice was so low that Cock Eye leaned to hear and then asked for repetition of the nearly voiceless words. “I want a bottle!” the man blurted out. “Oh, yeh!”
Chapter 1 of Empty bottles is here in full — 254 sentences across 51 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/50 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5
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.
past form of “blurt” — utter impulsively
From this reading ““I want a bottle!” the man blurted out.”
tilt or slant to one side
From this reading “A rather large, awkward man shambled into the One Way Thru Saloon, sidled over to the bar and addressed Cock Eye Baer, the mixer.”
a party of people assembled to promote sociability and communal activity
From this reading “A rather large, awkward man shambled into the One Way Thru Saloon, sidled over to the bar and addressed Cock Eye Baer, the mixer.”
a United States liquid unit equal to 32 fluid ounces; four quarts equal one gallon
From this reading “What use had any six foot man for an empty one quart bottle?”
an event that repeats
From this reading “His voice was so low that Cock Eye leaned to hear and then asked for repetition of the nearly voiceless words.”
a room or establishment where alcoholic drinks are served over a counter
From this reading “A rather large, awkward man shambled into the One Way Thru Saloon, sidled over to the bar and addressed Cock Eye Baer, the mixer.”
past form of “sidle” — move unobtrusively or furtively
From this reading “A rather large, awkward man shambled into the One Way Thru Saloon, sidled over to the bar and addressed Cock Eye Baer, the mixer.”
produced without vibration of the vocal cords
From this reading “His voice was so low that Cock Eye leaned to hear and then asked for repetition of the nearly voiceless words.”
English keeps certain words together, and knowing the pair is worth more than knowing each word alone. Every partnership below was counted across our whole published library, and earns its place by appearing far more often than two unrelated words of the same frequency would.
Shown as this reading writes them, with the form the library counts, what kind of pairing it is, and how often it occurs.
In this reading “What use had any six foot man for an empty one quart bottle?”
utter impulsively
In this reading ““I want a bottle!” the man blurted out.”
In this reading “What use had any six foot man for an empty one quart bottle?”
increase the likelihood of
In this reading “His voice was so low that Cock Eye leaned to hear and then asked for repetition of the nearly voiceless words.”
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.
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading A rather large, awkward man shambled into the One Way Thru Saloon, sidled over to the bar and addressed Cock Eye Baer, the mixer.
(of mail) marked with a destination
From this reading A rather large, awkward man shambled into the One Way Thru Saloon, sidled over to the bar and addressed Cock Eye Baer, the mixer.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading What use had any six foot man for an empty one quart bottle?
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading A rather large, awkward man shambled into the One Way Thru Saloon, sidled over to the bar and addressed Cock Eye Baer, the mixer.
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading What use had any six foot man for an empty one quart bottle?
past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading His voice was so low that Cock Eye leaned to hear and then asked for repetition of the nearly voiceless words.
causing inconvenience
From this reading A rather large, awkward man shambled into the One Way Thru Saloon, sidled over to the bar and addressed Cock Eye Baer, the mixer.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A rather large, awkward man shambled into the One Way Thru Saloon, sidled over to the bar and addressed Cock Eye Baer, the mixer.
a room or establishment where alcoholic drinks are served over a counter
From this reading A rather large, awkward man shambled into the One Way Thru Saloon, sidled over to the bar and addressed Cock Eye Baer, the mixer.
past form of “blurt” — utter impulsively
From this reading “I want a bottle!” the man blurted out.
a glass or plastic vessel used for storing drinks or other liquids; typically cylindrical without handles and with a narrow neck that can be plugged or capped
From this reading What use had any six foot man for an empty one quart bottle?
tilt or slant to one side
From this reading A rather large, awkward man shambled into the One Way Thru Saloon, sidled over to the bar and addressed Cock Eye Baer, the mixer.
make void or empty of contents
From this reading What use had any six foot man for an empty one quart bottle?
the organ of sight
From this reading A rather large, awkward man shambled into the One Way Thru Saloon, sidled over to the bar and addressed Cock Eye Baer, the mixer.
the part of the leg of a human being below the ankle joint
From this reading What use had any six foot man for an empty one quart bottle?
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading What use had any six foot man for an empty one quart bottle?
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading What use had any six foot man for an empty one quart bottle?
perceive (sound) via the auditory sense
From this reading His voice was so low that Cock Eye leaned to hear and then asked for repetition of the nearly voiceless words.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading His voice was so low that Cock Eye leaned to hear and then asked for repetition of the nearly voiceless words.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading “I want a bottle!” the man blurted out.
moving to the inside of something
From this reading A rather large, awkward man shambled into the One Way Thru Saloon, sidled over to the bar and addressed Cock Eye Baer, the mixer.
above average in size or number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading A rather large, awkward man shambled into the One Way Thru Saloon, sidled over to the bar and addressed Cock Eye Baer, the mixer.
past form of “lean” — to incline or bend from a vertical position
From this reading His voice was so low that Cock Eye leaned to hear and then asked for repetition of the nearly voiceless words.
less than normal in degree or intensity or amount
From this reading His voice was so low that Cock Eye leaned to hear and then asked for repetition of the nearly voiceless words.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading What use had any six foot man for an empty one quart bottle?
a party of people assembled to promote sociability and communal activity
From this reading A rather large, awkward man shambled into the One Way Thru Saloon, sidled over to the bar and addressed Cock Eye Baer, the mixer.
(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but
From this reading His voice was so low that Cock Eye leaned to hear and then asked for repetition of the nearly voiceless words.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading His voice was so low that Cock Eye leaned to hear and then asked for repetition of the nearly voiceless words.
a midwestern state in north central United States in the Great Lakes region
From this reading “Oh, yeh!”
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading What use had any six foot man for an empty one quart bottle?
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading “I want a bottle!” the man blurted out.
above and across; more than
From this reading A rather large, awkward man shambled into the One Way Thru Saloon, sidled over to the bar and addressed Cock Eye Baer, the mixer.
a United States liquid unit equal to 32 fluid ounces; four quarts equal one gallon
From this reading What use had any six foot man for an empty one quart bottle?
on the contrary
From this reading A rather large, awkward man shambled into the One Way Thru Saloon, sidled over to the bar and addressed Cock Eye Baer, the mixer.
an event that repeats
From this reading His voice was so low that Cock Eye leaned to hear and then asked for repetition of the nearly voiceless words.
a room or establishment where alcoholic drinks are served over a counter
From this reading A rather large, awkward man shambled into the One Way Thru Saloon, sidled over to the bar and addressed Cock Eye Baer, the mixer.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A rather large, awkward man shambled into the One Way Thru Saloon, sidled over to the bar and addressed Cock Eye Baer, the mixer.
past form of “sidle” — move unobtrusively or furtively
From this reading A rather large, awkward man shambled into the One Way Thru Saloon, sidled over to the bar and addressed Cock Eye Baer, the mixer.
the cardinal number that is the sum of five and one
From this reading What use had any six foot man for an empty one quart bottle?
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading His voice was so low that Cock Eye leaned to hear and then asked for repetition of the nearly voiceless words.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading His voice was so low that Cock Eye leaned to hear and then asked for repetition of the nearly voiceless words.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading A rather large, awkward man shambled into the One Way Thru Saloon, sidled over to the bar and addressed Cock Eye Baer, the mixer.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading His voice was so low that Cock Eye leaned to hear and then asked for repetition of the nearly voiceless words.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A rather large, awkward man shambled into the One Way Thru Saloon, sidled over to the bar and addressed Cock Eye Baer, the mixer.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading A rather large, awkward man shambled into the One Way Thru Saloon, sidled over to the bar and addressed Cock Eye Baer, the mixer.
the act of using
From this reading What use had any six foot man for an empty one quart bottle?
the distinctive quality or pitch or condition of a person's speech
From this reading His voice was so low that Cock Eye leaned to hear and then asked for repetition of the nearly voiceless words.
produced without vibration of the vocal cords
From this reading His voice was so low that Cock Eye leaned to hear and then asked for repetition of the nearly voiceless words.
feel or have a desire for; want strongly
From this reading “I want a bottle!” the man blurted out.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading His voice was so low that Cock Eye leaned to hear and then asked for repetition of the nearly voiceless words.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading A rather large, awkward man shambled into the One Way Thru Saloon, sidled over to the bar and addressed Cock Eye Baer, the mixer.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading What use had any six foot man for an empty one quart bottle?
the words that are spoken
From this reading His voice was so low that Cock Eye leaned to hear and then asked for repetition of the nearly voiceless words.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Oh, yeh!”
Chapter 1 of Empty bottles by Raymond S. (Raymond Smiley) Spears holds 254 sentences, grouped into 51 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.
Chapter 1 holds 254 sentences of Empty bottles, unabridged, divided into 51 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 1 of Empty bottles by Raymond S. (Raymond Smiley) Spears exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 254 sentences, grouped into 51 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.
Work through the 51 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 51 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.
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.
Common questions about reading Empty bottles by Raymond S. (Raymond Smiley) Spears on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 254 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #73941 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #73941, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 21 minutes of reading across 51 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Empty bottles section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 1 chapters of Empty bottles to begin.
Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.
Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.
Words and structures a reader meets early in Empty bottles, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
