Chapter 20 of Joe's Luck is here in full — 58 sentences across 12 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XX
Chapter 20 of Joe's Luck is here in full — 58 sentences across 12 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
READY FOR MISCHIEF Though Hogan was a scamp in the superlative degree, the burly ruffian who seated himself by his side looked the character much better. He was not a man to beat about the bush. As he expressed it, he wanted to come to business at once. “What’s your game, pard?” he demanded. “Out with it.”
Chapter 20 of Joe's Luck is here in full — 58 sentences across 12 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/11 · 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.
muscular and heavily built
From this reading “READY FOR MISCHIEF Though Hogan was a scamp in the superlative degree, the burly ruffian who seated himself by his side looked the character much better.”
a low woody perennial plant usually having several major stems
From this reading “He was not a man to beat about the bush.”
a position on a scale of intensity or amount or quality
From this reading “READY FOR MISCHIEF Though Hogan was a scamp in the superlative degree, the burly ruffian who seated himself by his side looked the character much better.”
past form of “demand” — request urgently and forcefully
From this reading ““What’s your game, pard?” he demanded.”
communicated in words
From this reading “As he expressed it, he wanted to come to business at once.”
United States golfer who won many major golf tournaments (1912-1997)
From this reading “READY FOR MISCHIEF Though Hogan was a scamp in the superlative degree, the burly ruffian who seated himself by his side looked the character much better.”
reckless or malicious behavior that causes discomfort or annoyance in others
From this reading “READY FOR MISCHIEF Though Hogan was a scamp in the superlative degree, the burly ruffian who seated himself by his side looked the character much better.”
an exaggerated expression (usually of praise)
From this reading “READY FOR MISCHIEF Though Hogan was a scamp in the superlative degree, the burly ruffian who seated himself by his side looked the character much better.”
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 READY FOR MISCHIEF Though Hogan was a scamp in the superlative degree, the burly ruffian who seated himself by his side looked the character much better.
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading He was not a man to beat about the bush.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading As he expressed it, he wanted to come to business at once.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading As he expressed it, he wanted to come to business at once.
come out better in a competition, race, or conflict
From this reading He was not a man to beat about the bush.
(comparative of “good”) superior to another (of the same class or set or kind) in excellence or quality or desirability or suitability; more highly skilled than another
From this reading READY FOR MISCHIEF Though Hogan was a scamp in the superlative degree, the burly ruffian who seated himself by his side looked the character much better.
muscular and heavily built
From this reading READY FOR MISCHIEF Though Hogan was a scamp in the superlative degree, the burly ruffian who seated himself by his side looked the character much better.
a low woody perennial plant usually having several major stems
From this reading He was not a man to beat about the bush.
a commercial or industrial enterprise and the people who constitute it
From this reading As he expressed it, he wanted to come to business at once.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading READY FOR MISCHIEF Though Hogan was a scamp in the superlative degree, the burly ruffian who seated himself by his side looked the character much better.
an imaginary person represented in a work of fiction (play or film or story)
From this reading READY FOR MISCHIEF Though Hogan was a scamp in the superlative degree, the burly ruffian who seated himself by his side looked the character much better.
move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading As he expressed it, he wanted to come to business at once.
a position on a scale of intensity or amount or quality
From this reading READY FOR MISCHIEF Though Hogan was a scamp in the superlative degree, the burly ruffian who seated himself by his side looked the character much better.
past form of “demand” — request urgently and forcefully
From this reading “What’s your game, pard?” he demanded.
communicated in words
From this reading As he expressed it, he wanted to come to business at once.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading READY FOR MISCHIEF Though Hogan was a scamp in the superlative degree, the burly ruffian who seated himself by his side looked the character much better.
a contest with rules to determine a winner
From this reading “What’s your game, pard?” he demanded.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He was not a man to beat about the bush.
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading READY FOR MISCHIEF Though Hogan was a scamp in the superlative degree, the burly ruffian who seated himself by his side looked the character much better.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading READY FOR MISCHIEF Though Hogan was a scamp in the superlative degree, the burly ruffian who seated himself by his side looked the character much better.
United States golfer who won many major golf tournaments (1912-1997)
From this reading READY FOR MISCHIEF Though Hogan was a scamp in the superlative degree, the burly ruffian who seated himself by his side looked the character much better.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading READY FOR MISCHIEF Though Hogan was a scamp in the superlative degree, the burly ruffian who seated himself by his side looked the character much better.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading As he expressed it, he wanted to come to business at once.
past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading READY FOR MISCHIEF Though Hogan was a scamp in the superlative degree, the burly ruffian who seated himself by his side looked the character much better.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading He was not a man to beat about the bush.
reckless or malicious behavior that causes discomfort or annoyance in others
From this reading READY FOR MISCHIEF Though Hogan was a scamp in the superlative degree, the burly ruffian who seated himself by his side looked the character much better.
to a great degree or extent
From this reading READY FOR MISCHIEF Though Hogan was a scamp in the superlative degree, the burly ruffian who seated himself by his side looked the character much better.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading He was not a man to beat about the bush.
on one occasion
From this reading As he expressed it, he wanted to come to business at once.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading “Out with it.”
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “What’s your game, pard?” he demanded.
completely prepared or in condition for immediate action or use or progress
From this reading READY FOR MISCHIEF Though Hogan was a scamp in the superlative degree, the burly ruffian who seated himself by his side looked the character much better.
a cruel and brutal fellow
From this reading READY FOR MISCHIEF Though Hogan was a scamp in the superlative degree, the burly ruffian who seated himself by his side looked the character much better.
one who is playfully mischievous
From this reading READY FOR MISCHIEF Though Hogan was a scamp in the superlative degree, the burly ruffian who seated himself by his side looked the character much better.
(of persons) having the torso erect and legs bent with the body supported on the buttocks
From this reading READY FOR MISCHIEF Though Hogan was a scamp in the superlative degree, the burly ruffian who seated himself by his side looked the character much better.
a place within a region identified relative to a center or reference location
From this reading READY FOR MISCHIEF Though Hogan was a scamp in the superlative degree, the burly ruffian who seated himself by his side looked the character much better.
an exaggerated expression (usually of praise)
From this reading READY FOR MISCHIEF Though Hogan was a scamp in the superlative degree, the burly ruffian who seated himself by his side looked the character much better.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading READY FOR MISCHIEF Though Hogan was a scamp in the superlative degree, the burly ruffian who seated himself by his side looked the character much better.
in spite of the fact that
From this reading READY FOR MISCHIEF Though Hogan was a scamp in the superlative degree, the burly ruffian who seated himself by his side looked the character much better.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading He was not a man to beat about the bush.
desired or wished for or sought
From this reading As he expressed it, he wanted to come to business at once.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading READY FOR MISCHIEF Though Hogan was a scamp in the superlative degree, the burly ruffian who seated himself by his side looked the character much better.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “What’s your game, pard?” he demanded.
which person or people
From this reading READY FOR MISCHIEF Though Hogan was a scamp in the superlative degree, the burly ruffian who seated himself by his side looked the character much better.
in the company of; together with
From this reading “Out with it.”
belonging to the person or people being spoken to
From this reading “What’s your game, pard?” he demanded.
Chapter 20 of Joe's Luck by Horatio, Jr. Alger holds 58 sentences, grouped into 12 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 20 holds 58 sentences of Joe's Luck, unabridged, divided into 12 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 20 of Joe's Luck by Horatio, Jr. Alger exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 58 sentences, grouped into 12 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 12 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 12 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 20 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 Joe's Luck by Horatio, Jr. Alger on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 4130 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #12823 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #12823, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 344 minutes of reading across 826 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Joe's Luck section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 39 chapters of Joe's Luck 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 Joe's Luck, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
