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How Jack Mackenzie won his epaulettes
How Jack Mackenzie won his epaulettes

Chapter XXIII

Chapter 23 of How Jack Mackenzie won his epaulettes is here in full — 135 sentences across 27 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for How Jack Mackenzie won his epaulettes
Context Illustration Reading 1/27 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
THE BATTLE OF INKERMANN--THE SOLDIERS OWN.
"What a morning!" said Dr. Reikie to Jack about six o'clock on the 5th.
"I can't help thinking we'd just be as snug, and a wee bit snugger, on board the old _Gurnet_.
We can hardly see our neighbour's nose with the dark and the fog."
"Yes," said Jack, "as snug and snugger; but think of the honour and glory."
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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.

How Jack Mackenzie won his epaulettes

Chapter XXIII

Chapter 23 of How Jack Mackenzie won his epaulettes is here in full — 135 sentences across 27 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/27 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
THE BATTLE OF INKERMANN--THE SOLDIERS OWN.
Line 2
"What a morning!" said Dr. Reikie to Jack about six o'clock on the 5th.
Line 3
"I can't help thinking we'd just be as snug, and a wee bit snugger, on board the old _Gurnet_.
Line 4
We can hardly see our neighbour's nose with the dark and the fog."
/wiː kæn ˈhɑːrdli siː ˈaʊər ˈneɪbərz noʊz wɪð ðə dɑːrk ənd ðə fɑːɡ/
Line 5
"Yes," said Jack, "as snug and snugger; but think of the honour and glory."

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.

fog noun US /fɑːɡ/

droplets of water vapor suspended in the air near the ground

From this reading “We can hardly see our neighbour's nose with the dark and the fog."”

glory noun US /ˈɡlɔːri/

a state of high honor

From this reading “"Yes," said Jack, "as snug and snugger; but think of the honour and glory."”

neighbour's noun US /ˈneɪbərz/

possessive form of “neighbour” — a person who lives (or is located) near another

From this reading “We can hardly see our neighbour's nose with the dark and the fog."”

nose noun US /noʊz/

the organ of smell and entrance to the respiratory tract; the prominent part of the face of man or other mammals

From this reading “We can hardly see our neighbour's nose with the dark and the fog."”

o'clock adverb US /əˈklɑːk/

according to the clock

From this reading “"What a morning!" said Dr. Reikie to Jack about six o'clock on the 5th.”

snug adjective US /snʌɡ/

offering safety; well protected or concealed

From this reading “"I can't help thinking we'd just be as snug, and a wee bit snugger, on board the old _Gurnet_.”

soldiers noun US /ˈsoʊldʒərz/

plural of “soldier” — an enlisted man or woman who serves in an army

From this reading “THE BATTLE OF INKERMANN--THE SOLDIERS OWN.”

wee adjective US /wiː/

(used informally) very small

From this reading “"I can't help thinking we'd just be as snug, and a wee bit snugger, on board the old _Gurnet_.”

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.

wee bit adjective + noun

In this reading “"I can't help thinking we'd just be as snug, and a wee bit snugger, on board the old _Gurnet_.”

on board preposition + noun

on a ship, train, plane or other vehicle

In this reading “"I can't help thinking we'd just be as snug, and a wee bit snugger, on board the old _Gurnet_.”

help thinking verb + noun

In this reading “"I can't help thinking we'd just be as snug, and a wee bit snugger, on board the old _Gurnet_.”

about six preposition + noun

In this reading “"What a morning!" said Dr. Reikie to Jack about six o'clock on the 5th.”

think of verb + particle

keep in mind for attention or consideration

In this reading “"Yes," said Jack, "as snug and snugger; but think of the honour and glory."”

All words in this reading · 50

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.

5th

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

From this reading "What a morning!" said Dr. Reikie to Jack about six o'clock on the 5th.

adeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading "What a morning!" said Dr. Reikie to Jack about six o'clock on the 5th.

aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading "What a morning!" said Dr. Reikie to Jack about six o'clock on the 5th.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading "I can't help thinking we'd just be as snug, and a wee bit snugger, on board the old _Gurnet_.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading "I can't help thinking we'd just be as snug, and a wee bit snugger, on board the old _Gurnet_.

BATTLEnounUS /ˈbætəl/

a hostile meeting of opposing military forces in the course of a war

From this reading THE BATTLE OF INKERMANN--THE SOLDIERS OWN.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading "I can't help thinking we'd just be as snug, and a wee bit snugger, on board the old _Gurnet_.

bitnounUS /bɪt/

a small piece or quantity of something

From this reading "I can't help thinking we'd just be as snug, and a wee bit snugger, on board the old _Gurnet_.

boardnounUS /bɔːrd/

a committee having supervisory powers

From this reading "I can't help thinking we'd just be as snug, and a wee bit snugger, on board the old _Gurnet_.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading "Yes," said Jack, "as snug and snugger; but think of the honour and glory."

canmodal verbUS /kæn/

to be able to, or to be allowed to

From this reading We can hardly see our neighbour's nose with the dark and the fog."

can't

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

From this reading "I can't help thinking we'd just be as snug, and a wee bit snugger, on board the old _Gurnet_.

darknounUS /dɑːrk/

absence of light or illumination

From this reading We can hardly see our neighbour's nose with the dark and the fog."

Dr

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

From this reading "What a morning!" said Dr. Reikie to Jack about six o'clock on the 5th.

fognounUS /fɑːɡ/

droplets of water vapor suspended in the air near the ground

From this reading We can hardly see our neighbour's nose with the dark and the fog."

glorynounUS /ˈɡlɔːri/

a state of high honor

From this reading "Yes," said Jack, "as snug and snugger; but think of the honour and glory."

Gurnet

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

From this reading "I can't help thinking we'd just be as snug, and a wee bit snugger, on board the old _Gurnet_.

hardlyadverbUS /ˈhɑːrdli/

only a very short time before

From this reading We can hardly see our neighbour's nose with the dark and the fog."

helpverbUS /help/

give help or assistance; be of service

From this reading "I can't help thinking we'd just be as snug, and a wee bit snugger, on board the old _Gurnet_.

honournounUS /ˈɑːnər/

the state of being honored

From this reading "Yes," said Jack, "as snug and snugger; but think of the honour and glory."

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading "I can't help thinking we'd just be as snug, and a wee bit snugger, on board the old _Gurnet_.

INKERMANN

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

From this reading THE BATTLE OF INKERMANN--THE SOLDIERS OWN.

JacknounUS /dʒæk/

a small worthless amount

From this reading "What a morning!" said Dr. Reikie to Jack about six o'clock on the 5th.

justadverbUS /dʒʌst/

and nothing more

From this reading "I can't help thinking we'd just be as snug, and a wee bit snugger, on board the old _Gurnet_.

morningnounUS /ˈmɔːrnɪŋ/

the time period between dawn and noon

From this reading "What a morning!" said Dr. Reikie to Jack about six o'clock on the 5th.

neighbour'snounUS /ˈneɪbərz/

possessive form of “neighbour” — a person who lives (or is located) near another

From this reading We can hardly see our neighbour's nose with the dark and the fog."

nosenounUS /noʊz/

the organ of smell and entrance to the respiratory tract; the prominent part of the face of man or other mammals

From this reading We can hardly see our neighbour's nose with the dark and the fog."

o'clockadverbUS /əˈklɑːk/

according to the clock

From this reading "What a morning!" said Dr. Reikie to Jack about six o'clock on the 5th.

OFprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading THE BATTLE OF INKERMANN--THE SOLDIERS OWN.

oldadjectiveUS /oʊld/

(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age

From this reading "I can't help thinking we'd just be as snug, and a wee bit snugger, on board the old _Gurnet_.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading "What a morning!" said Dr. Reikie to Jack about six o'clock on the 5th.

ourdeterminerUS /ˈaʊər/

belonging to the speaker and others

From this reading We can hardly see our neighbour's nose with the dark and the fog."

OWNverbUS /oʊn/

have ownership or possession of

From this reading THE BATTLE OF INKERMANN--THE SOLDIERS OWN.

Reikie

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

From this reading "What a morning!" said Dr. Reikie to Jack about six o'clock on the 5th.

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading "What a morning!" said Dr. Reikie to Jack about six o'clock on the 5th.

seeverbUS /siː/

perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

From this reading We can hardly see our neighbour's nose with the dark and the fog."

sixnounUS /sɪks/

the cardinal number that is the sum of five and one

From this reading "What a morning!" said Dr. Reikie to Jack about six o'clock on the 5th.

snugadjectiveUS /snʌɡ/

offering safety; well protected or concealed

From this reading "I can't help thinking we'd just be as snug, and a wee bit snugger, on board the old _Gurnet_.

snugger

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

From this reading "I can't help thinking we'd just be as snug, and a wee bit snugger, on board the old _Gurnet_.

SOLDIERSnounUS /ˈsoʊldʒərz/

plural of “soldier” — an enlisted man or woman who serves in an army

From this reading THE BATTLE OF INKERMANN--THE SOLDIERS OWN.

THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading THE BATTLE OF INKERMANN--THE SOLDIERS OWN.

thinkverbUS /θɪŋk/

judge or regard; look upon; judge

From this reading "Yes," said Jack, "as snug and snugger; but think of the honour and glory."

thinkingnounUS /ˈθɪŋkɪŋ/

the process of using your mind to consider something carefully

From this reading "I can't help thinking we'd just be as snug, and a wee bit snugger, on board the old _Gurnet_.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading "What a morning!" said Dr. Reikie to Jack about six o'clock on the 5th.

WepronounUS /wiː/

the speaker together with one or more other people

From this reading We can hardly see our neighbour's nose with the dark and the fog."

we'd

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

From this reading "I can't help thinking we'd just be as snug, and a wee bit snugger, on board the old _Gurnet_.

weeadjectiveUS /wiː/

(used informally) very small

From this reading "I can't help thinking we'd just be as snug, and a wee bit snugger, on board the old _Gurnet_.

WhatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading "What a morning!" said Dr. Reikie to Jack about six o'clock on the 5th.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading We can hardly see our neighbour's nose with the dark and the fog."

YesnounUS /jes/

an affirmative

From this reading "Yes," said Jack, "as snug and snugger; but think of the honour and glory."

Chapter 23 of How Jack Mackenzie won his epaulettes by Gordon Stables holds 135 sentences, grouped into 27 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 23 of How Jack Mackenzie won his epaulettes contain?

Chapter 23 holds 135 sentences of How Jack Mackenzie won his epaulettes, unabridged, divided into 27 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 23 of How Jack Mackenzie won his epaulettes by Gordon Stables exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 135 sentences, grouped into 27 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 23 of How Jack Mackenzie won his epaulettes?

Work through the 27 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 27 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 23 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 23 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 How Jack Mackenzie won his epaulettes

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

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Vocabulary met early in How Jack Mackenzie won his epaulettes

Words and structures a reader meets early in How Jack Mackenzie won his epaulettes, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Chapter 1
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Chapter 2
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Chapter 3
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