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Joe Miller's Jests, or The Wits Vade-Mecum
Joe Miller's Jests, or The Wits Vade-Mecum

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of Joe Miller's Jests, or The Wits Vade-Mecum is here in full — 629 sentences across 126 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By John [Compiler] Mottley • Curated US English Learning Edition
Cover illustration for Joe Miller's Jests, or The Wits Vade-Mecum
Context Illustration Reading 1/125 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
_VADE-MECUM_.
A Collection of the most Brilliant JESTS; the Politest REPARTEES; the most Elegant BONS MOTS, and most pleasant short Stories in the _English_ Language.
Captain BODENS, Mr. ALEXANDER POPE, Mr. Professor LACY, Mr. Orator HENLEY, and JOB BAKER, the Kettle-Drummer.
Printed and Sold by T. READ, in _Dogwell-Court, White-Fryars, Fleet-Street_, MDCCXXXIX.
JOE MILLER's _JESTS_.
0:00 / 0:00
Speed 0.75x
AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Joe Miller's Jests, or The Wits Vade-Mecum

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of Joe Miller's Jests, or The Wits Vade-Mecum is here in full — 629 sentences across 126 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/125 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
_VADE-MECUM_.
Line 2
A Collection of the most Brilliant JESTS; the Politest REPARTEES; the most Elegant BONS MOTS, and most pleasant short Stories in the _English_ Language.
Line 3
Captain BODENS, Mr. ALEXANDER POPE, Mr. Professor LACY, Mr. Orator HENLEY, and JOB BAKER, the Kettle-Drummer.
Line 4
Printed and Sold by T. READ, in _Dogwell-Court, White-Fryars, Fleet-Street_, MDCCXXXIX.
Line 5
JOE MILLER's _JESTS_.

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.

alexander noun US /ˌæləɡˈzændər/

European herb somewhat resembling celery widely naturalized in Britain coastal regions and often cultivated as a potherb

From this reading “Captain BODENS, Mr. ALEXANDER POPE, Mr. Professor LACY, Mr. Orator HENLEY, and JOB BAKER, the Kettle-Drummer.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
baker noun US /ˈbeɪkər/

someone who bakes commercially

From this reading “Captain BODENS, Mr. ALEXANDER POPE, Mr. Professor LACY, Mr. Orator HENLEY, and JOB BAKER, the Kettle-Drummer.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Elegant adjective US /ˈeləɡənt/

refined and tasteful in appearance or behavior or style

From this reading “A Collection of the most Brilliant JESTS; the Politest REPARTEES; the most Elegant BONS MOTS, and most pleasant short Stories in the _English_ Language.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
jests noun US /dʒests/

plural of “jest” — a humorous anecdote or remark intended to provoke laughter

From this reading “A Collection of the most Brilliant JESTS; the Politest REPARTEES; the most Elegant BONS MOTS, and most pleasant short Stories in the _English_ Language.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
lacy adjective US /ˈleɪsi/

made of or resembling lace

From this reading “Captain BODENS, Mr. ALEXANDER POPE, Mr. Professor LACY, Mr. Orator HENLEY, and JOB BAKER, the Kettle-Drummer.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
MILLER's noun US /ˈmɪlərz/

possessive form of “miller” — United States bandleader of a popular big band (1909-1944)

From this reading “JOE MILLER's _JESTS_.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
mots noun US /mɑːts/

plural of “mot” — a clever remark

From this reading “A Collection of the most Brilliant JESTS; the Politest REPARTEES; the most Elegant BONS MOTS, and most pleasant short Stories in the _English_ Language.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Orator noun US /ˈɔːrətər/

a person who delivers a speech or oration

From this reading “Captain BODENS, Mr. ALEXANDER POPE, Mr. Professor LACY, Mr. Orator HENLEY, and JOB BAKER, the Kettle-Drummer.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

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.

most Brilliant adverb + adjective

In this reading “A Collection of the most Brilliant JESTS; the Politest REPARTEES; the most Elegant BONS MOTS, and most pleasant short Stories in the _English_ Language.”

2,276 times in 225,867 chapters
most Elegant adverb + adjective

In this reading “A Collection of the most Brilliant JESTS; the Politest REPARTEES; the most Elegant BONS MOTS, and most pleasant short Stories in the _English_ Language.”

842 times in 225,867 chapters
short Stories adjective + noun counted as “short story”

a prose narrative shorter than a novel

In this reading “A Collection of the most Brilliant JESTS; the Politest REPARTEES; the most Elegant BONS MOTS, and most pleasant short Stories in the _English_ Language.”

3,056 times in 225,867 chapters
most pleasant adverb + adjective

In this reading “A Collection of the most Brilliant JESTS; the Politest REPARTEES; the most Elegant BONS MOTS, and most pleasant short Stories in the _English_ Language.”

1,016 times in 225,867 chapters

All words in this reading · 43

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.

AdeterminerUS /ə/

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

From this reading A Collection of the most Brilliant JESTS; the Politest REPARTEES; the most Elegant BONS MOTS, and most pleasant short Stories in the _English_ Language.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
ALEXANDERnounUS /ˌæləɡˈzændər/

European herb somewhat resembling celery widely naturalized in Britain coastal regions and often cultivated as a potherb

From this reading Captain BODENS, Mr. ALEXANDER POPE, Mr. Professor LACY, Mr. Orator HENLEY, and JOB BAKER, the Kettle-Drummer.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading A Collection of the most Brilliant JESTS; the Politest REPARTEES; the most Elegant BONS MOTS, and most pleasant short Stories in the _English_ Language.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
BAKERnounUS /ˈbeɪkər/

someone who bakes commercially

From this reading Captain BODENS, Mr. ALEXANDER POPE, Mr. Professor LACY, Mr. Orator HENLEY, and JOB BAKER, the Kettle-Drummer.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
BODENS

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

From this reading Captain BODENS, Mr. ALEXANDER POPE, Mr. Professor LACY, Mr. Orator HENLEY, and JOB BAKER, the Kettle-Drummer.

Pending verification
BONS

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

From this reading A Collection of the most Brilliant JESTS; the Politest REPARTEES; the most Elegant BONS MOTS, and most pleasant short Stories in the _English_ Language.

Pending verification
BrilliantadjectiveUS /ˈbrɪljənt/

of surpassing excellence

From this reading A Collection of the most Brilliant JESTS; the Politest REPARTEES; the most Elegant BONS MOTS, and most pleasant short Stories in the _English_ Language.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading Printed and Sold by T. READ, in _Dogwell-Court, White-Fryars, Fleet-Street_, MDCCXXXIX.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
CaptainnounUS /ˈkæptən/

an officer holding a rank below a major but above a lieutenant

From this reading Captain BODENS, Mr. ALEXANDER POPE, Mr. Professor LACY, Mr. Orator HENLEY, and JOB BAKER, the Kettle-Drummer.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
CollectionnounUS /kəˈlekʃən/

several things grouped together or considered as a whole

From this reading A Collection of the most Brilliant JESTS; the Politest REPARTEES; the most Elegant BONS MOTS, and most pleasant short Stories in the _English_ Language.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Dogwell-Court

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

From this reading Printed and Sold by T. READ, in _Dogwell-Court, White-Fryars, Fleet-Street_, MDCCXXXIX.

Pending verification
ElegantadjectiveUS /ˈeləɡənt/

refined and tasteful in appearance or behavior or style

From this reading A Collection of the most Brilliant JESTS; the Politest REPARTEES; the most Elegant BONS MOTS, and most pleasant short Stories in the _English_ Language.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
EnglishnounUS /ˈɪŋɡlɪʃ/

an Indo-European language belonging to the West Germanic branch; the official language of Britain and the United States and most of the commonwealth countries

From this reading A Collection of the most Brilliant JESTS; the Politest REPARTEES; the most Elegant BONS MOTS, and most pleasant short Stories in the _English_ Language.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Fleet-Street

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

From this reading Printed and Sold by T. READ, in _Dogwell-Court, White-Fryars, Fleet-Street_, MDCCXXXIX.

Pending verification
HENLEY

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

From this reading Captain BODENS, Mr. ALEXANDER POPE, Mr. Professor LACY, Mr. Orator HENLEY, and JOB BAKER, the Kettle-Drummer.

Pending verification
inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading A Collection of the most Brilliant JESTS; the Politest REPARTEES; the most Elegant BONS MOTS, and most pleasant short Stories in the _English_ Language.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
JESTSnounUS /dʒests/

plural of “jest” — a humorous anecdote or remark intended to provoke laughter

From this reading A Collection of the most Brilliant JESTS; the Politest REPARTEES; the most Elegant BONS MOTS, and most pleasant short Stories in the _English_ Language.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
JOBnounUS /dʒɑːb/

the principal activity in your life that you do to earn money

From this reading Captain BODENS, Mr. ALEXANDER POPE, Mr. Professor LACY, Mr. Orator HENLEY, and JOB BAKER, the Kettle-Drummer.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
JOE

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

From this reading JOE MILLER's _JESTS_.

Pending verification
Kettle-Drummer

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

From this reading Captain BODENS, Mr. ALEXANDER POPE, Mr. Professor LACY, Mr. Orator HENLEY, and JOB BAKER, the Kettle-Drummer.

Pending verification
LACYadjectiveUS /ˈleɪsi/

made of or resembling lace

From this reading Captain BODENS, Mr. ALEXANDER POPE, Mr. Professor LACY, Mr. Orator HENLEY, and JOB BAKER, the Kettle-Drummer.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
LanguagenounUS /ˈlæŋɡwədʒ/

a systematic means of communicating by the use of sounds or conventional symbols

From this reading A Collection of the most Brilliant JESTS; the Politest REPARTEES; the most Elegant BONS MOTS, and most pleasant short Stories in the _English_ Language.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
MDCCXXXIX

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

From this reading Printed and Sold by T. READ, in _Dogwell-Court, White-Fryars, Fleet-Street_, MDCCXXXIX.

Pending verification
MILLER'snounUS /ˈmɪlərz/

possessive form of “miller” — United States bandleader of a popular big band (1909-1944)

From this reading JOE MILLER's _JESTS_.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
mostadverbUS /moʊst/

used to form the superlative

From this reading A Collection of the most Brilliant JESTS; the Politest REPARTEES; the most Elegant BONS MOTS, and most pleasant short Stories in the _English_ Language.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
MOTSnounUS /mɑːts/

plural of “mot” — a clever remark

From this reading A Collection of the most Brilliant JESTS; the Politest REPARTEES; the most Elegant BONS MOTS, and most pleasant short Stories in the _English_ Language.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
MrnounUS /ˈmɪstər/

a form of address for a man

From this reading Captain BODENS, Mr. ALEXANDER POPE, Mr. Professor LACY, Mr. Orator HENLEY, and JOB BAKER, the Kettle-Drummer.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading A Collection of the most Brilliant JESTS; the Politest REPARTEES; the most Elegant BONS MOTS, and most pleasant short Stories in the _English_ Language.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
OratornounUS /ˈɔːrətər/

a person who delivers a speech or oration

From this reading Captain BODENS, Mr. ALEXANDER POPE, Mr. Professor LACY, Mr. Orator HENLEY, and JOB BAKER, the Kettle-Drummer.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
pleasantadjectiveUS /ˈplezənt/

affording pleasure; being in harmony with your taste or likings

From this reading A Collection of the most Brilliant JESTS; the Politest REPARTEES; the most Elegant BONS MOTS, and most pleasant short Stories in the _English_ Language.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Politest

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

From this reading A Collection of the most Brilliant JESTS; the Politest REPARTEES; the most Elegant BONS MOTS, and most pleasant short Stories in the _English_ Language.

Pending verification
POPEnounUS /poʊp/

the head of the Roman Catholic Church

From this reading Captain BODENS, Mr. ALEXANDER POPE, Mr. Professor LACY, Mr. Orator HENLEY, and JOB BAKER, the Kettle-Drummer.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
PrintedverbUS /ˈprɪntɪd/

past form of “print” — put into print

From this reading Printed and Sold by T. READ, in _Dogwell-Court, White-Fryars, Fleet-Street_, MDCCXXXIX.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ProfessornounUS /prəˈfesər/

someone who is a member of the faculty at a college or university

From this reading Captain BODENS, Mr. ALEXANDER POPE, Mr. Professor LACY, Mr. Orator HENLEY, and JOB BAKER, the Kettle-Drummer.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
READverbUS /red/

interpret something that is written or printed

From this reading Printed and Sold by T. READ, in _Dogwell-Court, White-Fryars, Fleet-Street_, MDCCXXXIX.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
REPARTEES

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

From this reading A Collection of the most Brilliant JESTS; the Politest REPARTEES; the most Elegant BONS MOTS, and most pleasant short Stories in the _English_ Language.

Pending verification
shortadjectiveUS /ʃɔːrt/

primarily temporal sense; indicating or being or seeming to be limited in duration

From this reading A Collection of the most Brilliant JESTS; the Politest REPARTEES; the most Elegant BONS MOTS, and most pleasant short Stories in the _English_ Language.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
SoldadjectiveUS /soʊld/

disposed of to a purchaser

From this reading Printed and Sold by T. READ, in _Dogwell-Court, White-Fryars, Fleet-Street_, MDCCXXXIX.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
StoriesnounUS /ˈstɔːriz/

plural of “story” — a message that tells the particulars of an act or occurrence or course of events; presented in writing or drama or cinema or as a radio or television program

From this reading A Collection of the most Brilliant JESTS; the Politest REPARTEES; the most Elegant BONS MOTS, and most pleasant short Stories in the _English_ Language.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
TnounUS /tiː/

a base found in DNA (but not in RNA) and derived from pyrimidine; pairs with adenine

From this reading Printed and Sold by T. READ, in _Dogwell-Court, White-Fryars, Fleet-Street_, MDCCXXXIX.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading A Collection of the most Brilliant JESTS; the Politest REPARTEES; the most Elegant BONS MOTS, and most pleasant short Stories in the _English_ Language.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
VADE-MECUM

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

From this reading _VADE-MECUM_.

Pending verification
White-Fryars

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

From this reading Printed and Sold by T. READ, in _Dogwell-Court, White-Fryars, Fleet-Street_, MDCCXXXIX.

Pending verification

Chapter 1 of Joe Miller's Jests, or The Wits Vade-Mecum by John [Compiler] Mottley holds 629 sentences, grouped into 126 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 Joe Miller's Jests, or The Wits Vade-Mecum contain?

Chapter 1 holds 629 sentences of Joe Miller's Jests, or The Wits Vade-Mecum, unabridged, divided into 126 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of Joe Miller's Jests, or The Wits Vade-Mecum by John [Compiler] Mottley exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 629 sentences, grouped into 126 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 Joe Miller's Jests, or The Wits Vade-Mecum?

Work through the 126 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 126 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 Joe Miller's Jests, or The Wits Vade-Mecum

Common questions about reading Joe Miller's Jests, or The Wits Vade-Mecum by John [Compiler] Mottley on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Joe Miller's Jests, or The Wits Vade-Mecum?

Yes. All 629 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #40127 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Joe Miller's Jests, or The Wits Vade-Mecum is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #40127, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Joe Miller's Jests, or The Wits Vade-Mecum take to read?

About 52 minutes of reading across 126 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Joe Miller's Jests, or The Wits Vade-Mecum section by section

How to work through Joe Miller's Jests, or The Wits Vade-Mecum section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 1 chapters of Joe Miller's Jests, or The Wits Vade-Mecum 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 Joe Miller's Jests, or The Wits Vade-Mecum

Words and structures a reader meets early in Joe Miller's Jests, or The Wits Vade-Mecum, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Vade-mecum
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Joe Miller's Jests, or The Wits Vade-Mecum; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Collection
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Joe Miller's Jests, or The Wits Vade-Mecum; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Brilliant
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Joe Miller's Jests, or The Wits Vade-Mecum; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Jests
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Joe Miller's Jests, or The Wits Vade-Mecum; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.