Chapter 17 of From the Housetops is here in full — 329 sentences across 66 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XVII
Chapter 17 of From the Housetops is here in full — 329 sentences across 66 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Simmy Dodge was the first to speak. He was the first to grasp the full meaning of this deliberately ambiguous will. His face cleared. "By Jove!" he exclaimed, without respect for the proprieties. He slapped Braden on the back, somewhat enthusiastically.
Chapter 17 of From the Housetops is here in full — 329 sentences across 66 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/65 · 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.
open to two or more interpretations; or of uncertain nature or significance; or (often) intended to mislead
From this reading “He was the first to grasp the full meaning of this deliberately ambiguous will.”
rid of objects or obstructions such as e.g. trees and brush
From this reading “His face cleared.”
with intention; in an intentional manner
From this reading “He was the first to grasp the full meaning of this deliberately ambiguous will.”
make a sudden movement in a new direction so as to avoid
From this reading “Simmy Dodge was the first to speak.”
with enthusiasm; in an enthusiastic manner
From this reading “He slapped Braden on the back, somewhat enthusiastically.”
hold firmly
From this reading “He was the first to grasp the full meaning of this deliberately ambiguous will.”
the message that is intended or expressed or signified
From this reading “He was the first to grasp the full meaning of this deliberately ambiguous will.”
inflected form of “slap” — hit with something flat, like a paddle or the open hand
From this reading “He slapped Braden on the back, somewhat enthusiastically.”
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.
open to two or more interpretations; or of uncertain nature or significance; or (often) intended to mislead
From this reading He was the first to grasp the full meaning of this deliberately ambiguous will.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading He slapped Braden on the back, somewhat enthusiastically.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He slapped Braden on the back, somewhat enthusiastically.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading "By Jove!" he exclaimed, without respect for the proprieties.
rid of objects or obstructions such as e.g. trees and brush
From this reading His face cleared.
with intention; in an intentional manner
From this reading He was the first to grasp the full meaning of this deliberately ambiguous will.
make a sudden movement in a new direction so as to avoid
From this reading Simmy Dodge was the first to speak.
with enthusiasm; in an enthusiastic manner
From this reading He slapped Braden on the back, somewhat enthusiastically.
past form of “exclaim” — utter aloud; often with surprise, horror, or joy
From this reading "By Jove!" he exclaimed, without respect for the proprieties.
the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear
From this reading His face cleared.
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading Simmy Dodge was the first to speak.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading "By Jove!" he exclaimed, without respect for the proprieties.
containing as much or as many as is possible or normal
From this reading He was the first to grasp the full meaning of this deliberately ambiguous will.
hold firmly
From this reading He was the first to grasp the full meaning of this deliberately ambiguous will.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He was the first to grasp the full meaning of this deliberately ambiguous will.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading His face cleared.
(Roman mythology) supreme god of Romans; counterpart of Greek Zeus
From this reading "By Jove!" he exclaimed, without respect for the proprieties.
the message that is intended or expressed or signified
From this reading He was the first to grasp the full meaning of this deliberately ambiguous will.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading He was the first to grasp the full meaning of this deliberately ambiguous will.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading He slapped Braden on the back, somewhat enthusiastically.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "By Jove!" he exclaimed, without respect for the proprieties.
(usually preceded by “in”) a detail or point
From this reading "By Jove!" he exclaimed, without respect for the proprieties.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Simmy Dodge was the first to speak.
inflected form of “slap” — hit with something flat, like a paddle or the open hand
From this reading He slapped Braden on the back, somewhat enthusiastically.
to a small degree or extent
From this reading He slapped Braden on the back, somewhat enthusiastically.
express in speech
From this reading Simmy Dodge was the first to speak.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Simmy Dodge was the first to speak.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading He was the first to grasp the full meaning of this deliberately ambiguous will.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Simmy Dodge was the first to speak.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Simmy Dodge was the first to speak.
used to talk about the future, or about willingness
From this reading He was the first to grasp the full meaning of this deliberately ambiguous will.
not having, not using, or not accompanied by
From this reading "By Jove!" he exclaimed, without respect for the proprieties.
Chapter 17 of From the Housetops by George Barr McCutcheon holds 329 sentences, grouped into 66 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 17 holds 329 sentences of From the Housetops, unabridged, divided into 66 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 17 of From the Housetops by George Barr McCutcheon exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 329 sentences, grouped into 66 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 66 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 66 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 17 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 From the Housetops by George Barr McCutcheon on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 9434 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #18612 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #18612, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 600 minutes of reading across 1887 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through From the Housetops section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 29 chapters of From the Housetops 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 From the Housetops, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
