Chapter 4 of Frenzied Fiction is here in full — 412 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter IV
Chapter 4 of Frenzied Fiction is here in full — 412 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
“You don’t say so!” I gasped. “Fact. Wherever you go in the bush you find naked men all working out this same blasted old experiment. Why, when you get a little farther in you’ll see signs up: NAKED MEN NOT ALLOWED IN THIS BUSH, and NAKED MEN KEEP OFF, and GENTLEMEN WHO ARE NAKED WILL KINDLY KEEP TO THE HIGH ROAD, and a lot of things like that.
Chapter 4 of Frenzied Fiction is here in full — 412 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/82 · 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.
expletives used informally as intensifiers
From this reading “Wherever you go in the bush you find naked men all working out this same blasted old experiment.”
a low woody perennial plant usually having several major stems
From this reading “Wherever you go in the bush you find naked men all working out this same blasted old experiment.”
the act of conducting a controlled test or investigation
From this reading “Wherever you go in the bush you find naked men all working out this same blasted old experiment.”
more distant in especially space or time
From this reading “Why, when you get a little farther in you’ll see signs up: NAKED MEN NOT ALLOWED IN THIS BUSH, and NAKED MEN KEEP OFF, and GENTLEMEN WHO ARE NAKED WILL KINDLY KEEP TO THE HIGH ROAD, and a lot of things like that.”
past form of “gasp” — breathe noisily, as when one is exhausted
From this reading “I gasped.”
completely unclothed
From this reading “Wherever you go in the bush you find naked men all working out this same blasted old experiment.”
plural of “sign” — a perceptible indication of something not immediately apparent (as a visible clue that something has happened)
From this reading “Why, when you get a little farther in you’ll see signs up: NAKED MEN NOT ALLOWED IN THIS BUSH, and NAKED MEN KEEP OFF, and GENTLEMEN WHO ARE NAKED WILL KINDLY KEEP TO THE HIGH ROAD, and a lot of things like that.”
in or to any place at all
From this reading “Wherever you go in the bush you find naked men all working out this same blasted old experiment.”
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 Why, when you get a little farther in you’ll see signs up: NAKED MEN NOT ALLOWED IN THIS BUSH, and NAKED MEN KEEP OFF, and GENTLEMEN WHO ARE NAKED WILL KINDLY KEEP TO THE HIGH ROAD, and a lot of things like that.
(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 Wherever you go in the bush you find naked men all working out this same blasted old experiment.
past form of “allow” — make it possible through a specific action or lack of action for something to happen
From this reading Why, when you get a little farther in you’ll see signs up: NAKED MEN NOT ALLOWED IN THIS BUSH, and NAKED MEN KEEP OFF, and GENTLEMEN WHO ARE NAKED WILL KINDLY KEEP TO THE HIGH ROAD, and a lot of things like that.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Why, when you get a little farther in you’ll see signs up: NAKED MEN NOT ALLOWED IN THIS BUSH, and NAKED MEN KEEP OFF, and GENTLEMEN WHO ARE NAKED WILL KINDLY KEEP TO THE HIGH ROAD, and a lot of things like that.
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Why, when you get a little farther in you’ll see signs up: NAKED MEN NOT ALLOWED IN THIS BUSH, and NAKED MEN KEEP OFF, and GENTLEMEN WHO ARE NAKED WILL KINDLY KEEP TO THE HIGH ROAD, and a lot of things like that.
expletives used informally as intensifiers
From this reading Wherever you go in the bush you find naked men all working out this same blasted old experiment.
a low woody perennial plant usually having several major stems
From this reading Wherever you go in the bush you find naked men all working out this same blasted old experiment.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “You don’t say so!”
the act of conducting a controlled test or investigation
From this reading Wherever you go in the bush you find naked men all working out this same blasted old experiment.
a piece of information about circumstances that exist or events that have occurred
From this reading “Fact.
more distant in especially space or time
From this reading Why, when you get a little farther in you’ll see signs up: NAKED MEN NOT ALLOWED IN THIS BUSH, and NAKED MEN KEEP OFF, and GENTLEMEN WHO ARE NAKED WILL KINDLY KEEP TO THE HIGH ROAD, and a lot of things like that.
come upon, as if by accident; meet with
From this reading Wherever you go in the bush you find naked men all working out this same blasted old experiment.
past form of “gasp” — breathe noisily, as when one is exhausted
From this reading I gasped.
plural of “gentleman” — a man of refinement
From this reading Why, when you get a little farther in you’ll see signs up: NAKED MEN NOT ALLOWED IN THIS BUSH, and NAKED MEN KEEP OFF, and GENTLEMEN WHO ARE NAKED WILL KINDLY KEEP TO THE HIGH ROAD, and a lot of things like that.
come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading Why, when you get a little farther in you’ll see signs up: NAKED MEN NOT ALLOWED IN THIS BUSH, and NAKED MEN KEEP OFF, and GENTLEMEN WHO ARE NAKED WILL KINDLY KEEP TO THE HIGH ROAD, and a lot of things like that.
change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading Wherever you go in the bush you find naked men all working out this same blasted old experiment.
greater than normal in degree or intensity or amount
From this reading Why, when you get a little farther in you’ll see signs up: NAKED MEN NOT ALLOWED IN THIS BUSH, and NAKED MEN KEEP OFF, and GENTLEMEN WHO ARE NAKED WILL KINDLY KEEP TO THE HIGH ROAD, and a lot of things like that.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I gasped.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Wherever you go in the bush you find naked men all working out this same blasted old experiment.
cause to continue in a certain state, position, or activity; e.g., “keep clean”
From this reading Why, when you get a little farther in you’ll see signs up: NAKED MEN NOT ALLOWED IN THIS BUSH, and NAKED MEN KEEP OFF, and GENTLEMEN WHO ARE NAKED WILL KINDLY KEEP TO THE HIGH ROAD, and a lot of things like that.
showing or motivated by sympathy and understanding and generosity
From this reading Why, when you get a little farther in you’ll see signs up: NAKED MEN NOT ALLOWED IN THIS BUSH, and NAKED MEN KEEP OFF, and GENTLEMEN WHO ARE NAKED WILL KINDLY KEEP TO THE HIGH ROAD, and a lot of things like that.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading Why, when you get a little farther in you’ll see signs up: NAKED MEN NOT ALLOWED IN THIS BUSH, and NAKED MEN KEEP OFF, and GENTLEMEN WHO ARE NAKED WILL KINDLY KEEP TO THE HIGH ROAD, and a lot of things like that.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading Why, when you get a little farther in you’ll see signs up: NAKED MEN NOT ALLOWED IN THIS BUSH, and NAKED MEN KEEP OFF, and GENTLEMEN WHO ARE NAKED WILL KINDLY KEEP TO THE HIGH ROAD, and a lot of things like that.
(often followed by “of”) a large number or amount or extent
From this reading Why, when you get a little farther in you’ll see signs up: NAKED MEN NOT ALLOWED IN THIS BUSH, and NAKED MEN KEEP OFF, and GENTLEMEN WHO ARE NAKED WILL KINDLY KEEP TO THE HIGH ROAD, and a lot of things like that.
the force of workers available
From this reading Wherever you go in the bush you find naked men all working out this same blasted old experiment.
completely unclothed
From this reading Wherever you go in the bush you find naked men all working out this same blasted old experiment.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading Why, when you get a little farther in you’ll see signs up: NAKED MEN NOT ALLOWED IN THIS BUSH, and NAKED MEN KEEP OFF, and GENTLEMEN WHO ARE NAKED WILL KINDLY KEEP TO THE HIGH ROAD, and a lot of things like that.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Why, when you get a little farther in you’ll see signs up: NAKED MEN NOT ALLOWED IN THIS BUSH, and NAKED MEN KEEP OFF, and GENTLEMEN WHO ARE NAKED WILL KINDLY KEEP TO THE HIGH ROAD, and a lot of things like that.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading Why, when you get a little farther in you’ll see signs up: NAKED MEN NOT ALLOWED IN THIS BUSH, and NAKED MEN KEEP OFF, and GENTLEMEN WHO ARE NAKED WILL KINDLY KEEP TO THE HIGH ROAD, and a lot of things like that.
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading Wherever you go in the bush you find naked men all working out this same blasted old experiment.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading Wherever you go in the bush you find naked men all working out this same blasted old experiment.
an open way (generally public) for travel or transportation
From this reading Why, when you get a little farther in you’ll see signs up: NAKED MEN NOT ALLOWED IN THIS BUSH, and NAKED MEN KEEP OFF, and GENTLEMEN WHO ARE NAKED WILL KINDLY KEEP TO THE HIGH ROAD, and a lot of things like that.
Identical; not different.
From this reading Wherever you go in the bush you find naked men all working out this same blasted old experiment.
express in words
From this reading “You don’t say so!”
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading Why, when you get a little farther in you’ll see signs up: NAKED MEN NOT ALLOWED IN THIS BUSH, and NAKED MEN KEEP OFF, and GENTLEMEN WHO ARE NAKED WILL KINDLY KEEP TO THE HIGH ROAD, and a lot of things like that.
plural of “sign” — a perceptible indication of something not immediately apparent (as a visible clue that something has happened)
From this reading Why, when you get a little farther in you’ll see signs up: NAKED MEN NOT ALLOWED IN THIS BUSH, and NAKED MEN KEEP OFF, and GENTLEMEN WHO ARE NAKED WILL KINDLY KEEP TO THE HIGH ROAD, and a lot of things like that.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading “You don’t say so!”
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Why, when you get a little farther in you’ll see signs up: NAKED MEN NOT ALLOWED IN THIS BUSH, and NAKED MEN KEEP OFF, and GENTLEMEN WHO ARE NAKED WILL KINDLY KEEP TO THE HIGH ROAD, and a lot of things like that.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Wherever you go in the bush you find naked men all working out this same blasted old experiment.
any movable possession (especially articles of clothing)
From this reading Why, when you get a little farther in you’ll see signs up: NAKED MEN NOT ALLOWED IN THIS BUSH, and NAKED MEN KEEP OFF, and GENTLEMEN WHO ARE NAKED WILL KINDLY KEEP TO THE HIGH ROAD, and a lot of things like that.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading Wherever you go in the bush you find naked men all working out this same blasted old experiment.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Why, when you get a little farther in you’ll see signs up: NAKED MEN NOT ALLOWED IN THIS BUSH, and NAKED MEN KEEP OFF, and GENTLEMEN WHO ARE NAKED WILL KINDLY KEEP TO THE HIGH ROAD, and a lot of things like that.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading Why, when you get a little farther in you’ll see signs up: NAKED MEN NOT ALLOWED IN THIS BUSH, and NAKED MEN KEEP OFF, and GENTLEMEN WHO ARE NAKED WILL KINDLY KEEP TO THE HIGH ROAD, and a lot of things like that.
at the time that
From this reading Why, when you get a little farther in you’ll see signs up: NAKED MEN NOT ALLOWED IN THIS BUSH, and NAKED MEN KEEP OFF, and GENTLEMEN WHO ARE NAKED WILL KINDLY KEEP TO THE HIGH ROAD, and a lot of things like that.
in or to any place at all
From this reading Wherever you go in the bush you find naked men all working out this same blasted old experiment.
which person or people
From this reading Why, when you get a little farther in you’ll see signs up: NAKED MEN NOT ALLOWED IN THIS BUSH, and NAKED MEN KEEP OFF, and GENTLEMEN WHO ARE NAKED WILL KINDLY KEEP TO THE HIGH ROAD, and a lot of things like that.
the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”
From this reading Why, when you get a little farther in you’ll see signs up: NAKED MEN NOT ALLOWED IN THIS BUSH, and NAKED MEN KEEP OFF, and GENTLEMEN WHO ARE NAKED WILL KINDLY KEEP TO THE HIGH ROAD, and a lot of things like that.
used to talk about the future, or about willingness
From this reading Why, when you get a little farther in you’ll see signs up: NAKED MEN NOT ALLOWED IN THIS BUSH, and NAKED MEN KEEP OFF, and GENTLEMEN WHO ARE NAKED WILL KINDLY KEEP TO THE HIGH ROAD, and a lot of things like that.
actively engaged in paid work
From this reading Wherever you go in the bush you find naked men all working out this same blasted old experiment.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading “You don’t say so!”
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Why, when you get a little farther in you’ll see signs up: NAKED MEN NOT ALLOWED IN THIS BUSH, and NAKED MEN KEEP OFF, and GENTLEMEN WHO ARE NAKED WILL KINDLY KEEP TO THE HIGH ROAD, and a lot of things like that.
Chapter 4 of Frenzied Fiction by Stephen Leacock holds 412 sentences, grouped into 83 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 4 holds 412 sentences of Frenzied Fiction, unabridged, divided into 83 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 4 of Frenzied Fiction by Stephen Leacock exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 412 sentences, grouped into 83 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 83 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 83 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 4 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 Frenzied Fiction by Stephen Leacock on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 3767 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #8457 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #8457, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 313 minutes of reading across 754 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Frenzied Fiction section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 9 chapters of Frenzied Fiction 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 Frenzied Fiction, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
