Chapter 8 of Indiscretions of Archie is here in full — 310 sentences across 62 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter VIII
Chapter 8 of Indiscretions of Archie is here in full — 310 sentences across 62 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A DISTURBED NIGHT FOR DEAR OLD SQUIFFY Peril sharpens the intellect. Archie’s mind as a rule worked in rather a languid and restful sort of way, but now it got going with a rush and a whir. He glared round the room. He had never seen a room so devoid of satisfactory cover. And then there came to him a scheme, a ruse.
Chapter 8 of Indiscretions of Archie is here in full — 310 sentences across 62 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/62 · 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.
completely wanting or lacking
From this reading “He had never seen a room so devoid of satisfactory cover.”
past form of “glare” — look at with a fixed gaze
From this reading “He glared round the room.”
knowledge and intellectual ability
From this reading “A DISTURBED NIGHT FOR DEAR OLD SQUIFFY Peril sharpens the intellect.”
lacking spirit or liveliness
From this reading “Archie’s mind as a rule worked in rather a languid and restful sort of way, but now it got going with a rush and a whir.”
affording physical or mental rest
From this reading “Archie’s mind as a rule worked in rather a languid and restful sort of way, but now it got going with a rush and a whir.”
a deceptive maneuver (especially to avoid capture)
From this reading “And then there came to him a scheme, a ruse.”
giving satisfaction
From this reading “He had never seen a room so devoid of satisfactory cover.”
third-person singular of “sharpen” — make sharp or sharper
From this reading “A DISTURBED NIGHT FOR DEAR OLD SQUIFFY Peril sharpens the intellect.”
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 DISTURBED NIGHT FOR DEAR OLD SQUIFFY Peril sharpens the intellect.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Archie’s mind as a rule worked in rather a languid and restful sort of way, but now it got going with a rush and a whir.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Archie’s mind as a rule worked in rather a languid and restful sort of way, but now it got going with a rush and a whir.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading Archie’s mind as a rule worked in rather a languid and restful sort of way, but now it got going with a rush and a whir.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading Archie’s mind as a rule worked in rather a languid and restful sort of way, but now it got going with a rush and a whir.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading And then there came to him a scheme, a ruse.
provide with a covering or cause to be covered
From this reading He had never seen a room so devoid of satisfactory cover.
dearly loved
From this reading A DISTURBED NIGHT FOR DEAR OLD SQUIFFY Peril sharpens the intellect.
completely wanting or lacking
From this reading He had never seen a room so devoid of satisfactory cover.
having the place or position changed
From this reading A DISTURBED NIGHT FOR DEAR OLD SQUIFFY Peril sharpens the intellect.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading A DISTURBED NIGHT FOR DEAR OLD SQUIFFY Peril sharpens the intellect.
past form of “glare” — look at with a fixed gaze
From this reading He glared round the room.
the act of departing
From this reading Archie’s mind as a rule worked in rather a languid and restful sort of way, but now it got going with a rush and a whir.
inflected form of “get” — come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading Archie’s mind as a rule worked in rather a languid and restful sort of way, but now it got going with a rush and a whir.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading He had never seen a room so devoid of satisfactory cover.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He glared round the room.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading And then there came to him a scheme, a ruse.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Archie’s mind as a rule worked in rather a languid and restful sort of way, but now it got going with a rush and a whir.
knowledge and intellectual ability
From this reading A DISTURBED NIGHT FOR DEAR OLD SQUIFFY Peril sharpens the intellect.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Archie’s mind as a rule worked in rather a languid and restful sort of way, but now it got going with a rush and a whir.
lacking spirit or liveliness
From this reading Archie’s mind as a rule worked in rather a languid and restful sort of way, but now it got going with a rush and a whir.
The element of a person that enables awareness and thought.
From this reading Archie’s mind as a rule worked in rather a languid and restful sort of way, but now it got going with a rush and a whir.
not ever; at no time in the past or future
From this reading He had never seen a room so devoid of satisfactory cover.
the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading A DISTURBED NIGHT FOR DEAR OLD SQUIFFY Peril sharpens the intellect.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading Archie’s mind as a rule worked in rather a languid and restful sort of way, but now it got going with a rush and a whir.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Archie’s mind as a rule worked in rather a languid and restful sort of way, but now it got going with a rush and a whir.
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading A DISTURBED NIGHT FOR DEAR OLD SQUIFFY Peril sharpens the intellect.
a source of danger; a possibility of incurring loss or misfortune
From this reading A DISTURBED NIGHT FOR DEAR OLD SQUIFFY Peril sharpens the intellect.
on the contrary
From this reading Archie’s mind as a rule worked in rather a languid and restful sort of way, but now it got going with a rush and a whir.
affording physical or mental rest
From this reading Archie’s mind as a rule worked in rather a languid and restful sort of way, but now it got going with a rush and a whir.
an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling
From this reading He glared round the room.
a charge of ammunition for a single shot
From this reading He glared round the room.
a principle or condition that customarily governs behavior
From this reading Archie’s mind as a rule worked in rather a languid and restful sort of way, but now it got going with a rush and a whir.
a deceptive maneuver (especially to avoid capture)
From this reading And then there came to him a scheme, a ruse.
move hurridly
From this reading Archie’s mind as a rule worked in rather a languid and restful sort of way, but now it got going with a rush and a whir.
giving satisfaction
From this reading He had never seen a room so devoid of satisfactory cover.
an elaborate and systematic plan of action
From this reading And then there came to him a scheme, a ruse.
inflected form of “see” — perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading He had never seen a room so devoid of satisfactory cover.
third-person singular of “sharpen” — make sharp or sharper
From this reading A DISTURBED NIGHT FOR DEAR OLD SQUIFFY Peril sharpens the intellect.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading He had never seen a room so devoid of satisfactory cover.
a category of things distinguished by some common characteristic or quality
From this reading Archie’s mind as a rule worked in rather a languid and restful sort of way, but now it got going with a rush and a whir.
very drunk
From this reading A DISTURBED NIGHT FOR DEAR OLD SQUIFFY Peril sharpens the intellect.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading A DISTURBED NIGHT FOR DEAR OLD SQUIFFY Peril sharpens the intellect.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading And then there came to him a scheme, a ruse.
in or at that place or location
From this reading And then there came to him a scheme, a ruse.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading And then there came to him a scheme, a ruse.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading Archie’s mind as a rule worked in rather a languid and restful sort of way, but now it got going with a rush and a whir.
sound of something in rapid motion
From this reading Archie’s mind as a rule worked in rather a languid and restful sort of way, but now it got going with a rush and a whir.
in the company of; together with
From this reading Archie’s mind as a rule worked in rather a languid and restful sort of way, but now it got going with a rush and a whir.
past form of “work” — exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity
From this reading Archie’s mind as a rule worked in rather a languid and restful sort of way, but now it got going with a rush and a whir.
Chapter 8 of Indiscretions of Archie by P. G. (Pelham Grenville) Wodehouse holds 310 sentences, grouped into 62 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the public-domain source, 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 8 holds 310 sentences of Indiscretions of Archie, unabridged, divided into 62 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 8 of Indiscretions of Archie by P. G. (Pelham Grenville) Wodehouse exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 310 sentences, grouped into 62 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 62 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 62 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 8 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 Indiscretions of Archie by P. G. (Pelham Grenville) Wodehouse on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 6314 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #3756 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #3756, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 526 minutes of reading across 1263 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Indiscretions of Archie section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 26 chapters of Indiscretions of Archie 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 Indiscretions of Archie, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
