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Ginger-Snaps
Ginger-Snaps

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of Ginger-Snaps is here in full — 425 sentences across 85 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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GINGER-SNAPS.
BY FANNY FERN, AUTHOR OF "FERN LEAVES,"--"FOLLY AS IT FLIES," &c.
LONDON: S. LOW, SON & CO.
MDCCCLXX.
Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1870, by GEORGE W. CARLETON, In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States for the Southern District of New York.
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Ginger-Snaps

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of Ginger-Snaps is here in full — 425 sentences across 85 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/85 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
GINGER-SNAPS.
Line 2
BY FANNY FERN, AUTHOR OF "FERN LEAVES,"--"FOLLY AS IT FLIES," &c.
Line 3
LONDON: S. LOW, SON & CO.
/ˈlʌndən es loʊ sʌn koʊ/
Line 4
MDCCCLXX.
Line 5
Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1870, by GEORGE W. CARLETON, In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States for the Southern District of New York.

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.

Clerk's noun US /klɜːrks/

possessive form of “clerk” — an employee who performs clerical work (e.g., keeps records or accounts)

From this reading “Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1870, by GEORGE W. CARLETON, In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States for the Southern District of New York.”

Congress noun US /ˈkɑːŋɡrəs/

the legislature of the United States government

From this reading “Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1870, by GEORGE W. CARLETON, In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States for the Southern District of New York.”

District noun US /ˈdɪstrɪkt/

a region marked off for administrative or other purposes

From this reading “Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1870, by GEORGE W. CARLETON, In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States for the Southern District of New York.”

fanny noun US /ˈfæni/

the fleshy part of the human body that you sit on

From this reading “BY FANNY FERN, AUTHOR OF "FERN LEAVES,"--"FOLLY AS IT FLIES," &c.”

fern noun US /fɜːrn/

any of numerous flowerless and seedless vascular plants having true roots from a rhizome and fronds that uncurl upward; reproduce by spores

From this reading “BY FANNY FERN, AUTHOR OF "FERN LEAVES,"--"FOLLY AS IT FLIES," &c.”

flies noun US /flaɪz/

(theater) the space over the stage (out of view of the audience) used to store scenery (drop curtains)

From this reading “BY FANNY FERN, AUTHOR OF "FERN LEAVES,"--"FOLLY AS IT FLIES," &c.”

folly noun US /ˈfɑːli/

the trait of acting stupidly or rashly

From this reading “BY FANNY FERN, AUTHOR OF "FERN LEAVES,"--"FOLLY AS IT FLIES," &c.”

Southern adjective US /ˈsʌðərn/

in or characteristic of a region of the United States south of (approximately) the Mason-Dixon line

From this reading “Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1870, by GEORGE W. CARLETON, In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States for the Southern District of New York.”

Word partnerships in these lines

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.

Act of verb + particle

In this reading “Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1870, by GEORGE W. CARLETON, In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States for the Southern District of New York.”

in the year preposition + article + noun counted as “in … year”

In this reading “Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1870, by GEORGE W. CARLETON, In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States for the Southern District of New York.”

All words in this reading · 40

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.

1870

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

From this reading Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1870, by GEORGE W. CARLETON, In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States for the Southern District of New York.

accordingadjectiveUS /əˈkɔːrdɪŋ/

(followed by “to”) in agreement with or accordant with

From this reading Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1870, by GEORGE W. CARLETON, In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States for the Southern District of New York.

ActverbUS /ækt/

perform an action, or work out or perform (an action)

From this reading Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1870, by GEORGE W. CARLETON, In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States for the Southern District of New York.

ASconjunctionUS /æz/

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading BY FANNY FERN, AUTHOR OF "FERN LEAVES,"--"FOLLY AS IT FLIES," &c.

AUTHORnounUS /ˈɔːθər/

writes (books or stories or articles or the like) professionally (for pay)

From this reading BY FANNY FERN, AUTHOR OF "FERN LEAVES,"--"FOLLY AS IT FLIES," &c.

BYprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading BY FANNY FERN, AUTHOR OF "FERN LEAVES,"--"FOLLY AS IT FLIES," &c.

cnounUS /siː/

a degree on the centigrade scale of temperature

From this reading BY FANNY FERN, AUTHOR OF "FERN LEAVES,"--"FOLLY AS IT FLIES," &c.

CARLETON

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

From this reading Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1870, by GEORGE W. CARLETON, In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States for the Southern District of New York.

Clerk'snounUS /klɜːrks/

possessive form of “clerk” — an employee who performs clerical work (e.g., keeps records or accounts)

From this reading Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1870, by GEORGE W. CARLETON, In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States for the Southern District of New York.

COnounUS /koʊ/

an odorless very poisonous gas that is a product of incomplete combustion of carbon

From this reading LONDON: S. LOW, SON & CO.

CongressnounUS /ˈkɑːŋɡrəs/

the legislature of the United States government

From this reading Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1870, by GEORGE W. CARLETON, In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States for the Southern District of New York.

CourtnounUS /kɔːrt/

an assembly (including one or more judges) to conduct judicial business

From this reading Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1870, by GEORGE W. CARLETON, In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States for the Southern District of New York.

DistrictnounUS /ˈdɪstrɪkt/

a region marked off for administrative or other purposes

From this reading Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1870, by GEORGE W. CARLETON, In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States for the Southern District of New York.

EnteredverbUS /ˈentərd/

past form of “enter” — to come or go into

From this reading Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1870, by GEORGE W. CARLETON, In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States for the Southern District of New York.

FANNYnounUS /ˈfæni/

the fleshy part of the human body that you sit on

From this reading BY FANNY FERN, AUTHOR OF "FERN LEAVES,"--"FOLLY AS IT FLIES," &c.

FERNnounUS /fɜːrn/

any of numerous flowerless and seedless vascular plants having true roots from a rhizome and fronds that uncurl upward; reproduce by spores

From this reading BY FANNY FERN, AUTHOR OF "FERN LEAVES,"--"FOLLY AS IT FLIES," &c.

FLIESnounUS /flaɪz/

(theater) the space over the stage (out of view of the audience) used to store scenery (drop curtains)

From this reading BY FANNY FERN, AUTHOR OF "FERN LEAVES,"--"FOLLY AS IT FLIES," &c.

FOLLYnounUS /ˈfɑːli/

the trait of acting stupidly or rashly

From this reading BY FANNY FERN, AUTHOR OF "FERN LEAVES,"--"FOLLY AS IT FLIES," &c.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1870, by GEORGE W. CARLETON, In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States for the Southern District of New York.

GEORGEnounUS /dʒɔːrdʒ/

Christian martyr; patron saint of England; hero of the legend of Saint George and the Dragon in which he slew a dragon and saved a princess (?-303)

From this reading Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1870, by GEORGE W. CARLETON, In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States for the Southern District of New York.

GINGER-SNAPS

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

From this reading GINGER-SNAPS.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1870, by GEORGE W. CARLETON, In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States for the Southern District of New York.

ITpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading BY FANNY FERN, AUTHOR OF "FERN LEAVES,"--"FOLLY AS IT FLIES," &c.

LEAVESnounUS /liːvz/

plural of “leaf” — the main organ of photosynthesis and transpiration in higher plants

From this reading BY FANNY FERN, AUTHOR OF "FERN LEAVES,"--"FOLLY AS IT FLIES," &c.

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 LONDON: S. LOW, SON & CO.

LOWadjectiveUS /loʊ/

less than normal in degree or intensity or amount

From this reading LONDON: S. LOW, SON & CO.

MDCCCLXX

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

From this reading MDCCCLXX.

NewadjectiveUS /nuː/

not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered

From this reading Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1870, by GEORGE W. CARLETON, In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States for the Southern District of New York.

OFprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading BY FANNY FERN, AUTHOR OF "FERN LEAVES,"--"FOLLY AS IT FLIES," &c.

OfficenounUS /ˈɔːfɪs/

place of business where professional or clerical duties are performed

From this reading Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1870, by GEORGE W. CARLETON, In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States for the Southern District of New York.

SnounUS /es/

1/60 of a minute; the basic unit of time adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites

From this reading LONDON: S. LOW, SON & CO.

SONnounUS /sʌn/

a male human offspring

From this reading LONDON: S. LOW, SON & CO.

SouthernadjectiveUS /ˈsʌðərn/

in or characteristic of a region of the United States south of (approximately) the Mason-Dixon line

From this reading Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1870, by GEORGE W. CARLETON, In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States for the Southern District of New York.

StatesnounUS /steɪts/

plural of “state” — the territory occupied by one of the constituent administrative districts of a nation

From this reading Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1870, by GEORGE W. CARLETON, In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States for the Southern District of New York.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1870, by GEORGE W. CARLETON, In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States for the Southern District of New York.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1870, by GEORGE W. CARLETON, In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States for the Southern District of New York.

UnitedadjectiveUS /juːˈnaɪtɪd/

characterized by unity; being or joined into a single entity

From this reading Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1870, by GEORGE W. CARLETON, In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States for the Southern District of New York.

WnounUS /ˈdʌbəljuː/

a heavy grey-white metallic element; the pure form is used mainly in electrical applications; it is found in several ores including wolframite and scheelite

From this reading Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1870, by GEORGE W. CARLETON, In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States for the Southern District of New York.

yearnounUS /jɪr/

a period of time containing 365 (or 366) days

From this reading Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1870, by GEORGE W. CARLETON, In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States for the Southern District of New York.

YorknounUS /jɔːrk/

the English royal house (a branch of the Plantagenet line) that reigned from 1461 to 1485; its emblem was a white rose

From this reading Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1870, by GEORGE W. CARLETON, In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States for the Southern District of New York.

Chapter 1 of Ginger-Snaps by Fanny Fern holds 425 sentences, grouped into 85 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 Ginger-Snaps contain?

Chapter 1 holds 425 sentences of Ginger-Snaps, unabridged, divided into 85 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of Ginger-Snaps by Fanny Fern exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 425 sentences, grouped into 85 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 Ginger-Snaps?

Work through the 85 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 85 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 Ginger-Snaps

Common questions about reading Ginger-Snaps by Fanny Fern on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Ginger-Snaps?

Yes. All 2950 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #40504 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Ginger-Snaps is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #40504, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Ginger-Snaps take to read?

About 245 minutes of reading across 590 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Ginger-Snaps section by section

How to work through Ginger-Snaps section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 7 chapters of Ginger-Snaps 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 Ginger-Snaps

Words and structures a reader meets early in Ginger-Snaps, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Ginger-snaps
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Ginger-Snaps; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Fanny
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Ginger-Snaps; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Author
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Ginger-Snaps; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Leaves
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Ginger-Snaps; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.