Local Color

Chapter III

Chapter 3 of Local Color is here in full — 509 sentences across 102 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Irvin S. (Irvin Shrewsbury) Cobb • Curated US English Learning Edition

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THE SMART ALECK Cap'n Buck Fluter, holding his watch in the approved conductor's grip, glanced back and forth the short length of the four-five accommodation and raised his free hand in warning:

"All aboard!"

From almost above his head it came:

"If you can't get a board get a scantlin'!"

Clustered at the White or shady end of the station, the sovereign Caucasians of Swango rocked up against one another in the unbridled excess of their merriment.

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LEARNER DICTIONARY

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Chapter III Reading 1/101

Local Color

Chapter III

Chapter 3 of Local Color is here in full — 509 sentences across 102 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/101 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1

THE SMART ALECK Cap'n Buck Fluter, holding his watch in the approved conductor's grip, glanced back and forth the short length of the four-five accommodation and raised his free hand in warning:

Line 2

"All aboard!"

/ɔːl əˈbɔːrd/

Line 3

From almost above his head it came:

/frʌm ˈɔːlmoʊst əˈbʌv hɪz hed ɪt keɪm/

Line 4

"If you can't get a board get a scantlin'!"

Line 5

Clustered at the White or shady end of the station, the sovereign Caucasians of Swango rocked up against one another in the unbridled excess of their merriment.

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.

accommodation noun US /əˌkɑːməˈdeɪʃən/

making or becoming suitable; adjusting to circumstances

From this reading “THE SMART ALECK Cap'n Buck Fluter, holding his watch in the approved conductor's grip, glanced back and forth the short length of the four-five accommodation and raised his free hand in warning:”

approved adjective US /əˈpruːvd/

established by authority; given authoritative approval

Caucasians noun US /kɔːˈkeɪʒənz/

plural of “caucasian” — a Caucasian

From this reading “Clustered at the White or shady end of the station, the sovereign Caucasians of Swango rocked up against one another in the unbridled excess of their merriment.”

Clustered adjective US /ˈklʌstərd/

growing close together but not in dense mats

From this reading “Clustered at the White or shady end of the station, the sovereign Caucasians of Swango rocked up against one another in the unbridled excess of their merriment.”

excess noun US /ˈekses/

a quantity much larger than is needed

From this reading “Clustered at the White or shady end of the station, the sovereign Caucasians of Swango rocked up against one another in the unbridled excess of their merriment.”

rocked verb US /rɑːkt/

past form of “rock” — move back and forth or sideways

From this reading “Clustered at the White or shady end of the station, the sovereign Caucasians of Swango rocked up against one another in the unbridled excess of their merriment.”

shady adjective US /ˈʃeɪdi/

quiet, dark, or concealed

From this reading “Clustered at the White or shady end of the station, the sovereign Caucasians of Swango rocked up against one another in the unbridled excess of their merriment.”

unbridled adjective US /ənˈbraɪdəld/

not restrained or controlled

From this reading “Clustered at the White or shady end of the station, the sovereign Caucasians of Swango rocked up against one another in the unbridled excess of their merriment.”

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.

free hand verb + noun

freedom to do as you see fit

In this reading “THE SMART ALECK Cap'n Buck Fluter, holding his watch in the approved conductor's grip, glanced back and forth the short length of the four-five accommodation and raised his free hand in warning:”

glanced back verb + particle counted as “glance back”

All words in this reading · 60

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 "If you can't get a board get a scantlin'!"

aboardadverbUS /əˈbɔːrd/

on a ship, train, plane or other vehicle

From this reading "All aboard!"

aboveprepositionUS /əˈbʌv/

higher than, or over, something

From this reading From almost above his head it came:

accommodationnounUS /əˌkɑːməˈdeɪʃən/

making or becoming suitable; adjusting to circumstances

From this reading THE SMART ALECK Cap'n Buck Fluter, holding his watch in the approved conductor's grip, glanced back and forth the short length of the four-five accommodation and raised his free hand in warning:

againstprepositionUS /əˈɡenst/

touching and pressing; in opposition to

From this reading Clustered at the White or shady end of the station, the sovereign Caucasians of Swango rocked up against one another in the unbridled excess of their merriment.

ALECK

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

AlladjectiveUS /ɔːl/

(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class

From this reading "All aboard!"

almostadverbUS /ˈɔːlmoʊst/

(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but

From this reading From almost above his head it came:

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

anotherdeterminerUS /əˈnʌðər/

one more of the same kind, or a different one

From this reading Clustered at the White or shady end of the station, the sovereign Caucasians of Swango rocked up against one another in the unbridled excess of their merriment.

approvedadjectiveUS /əˈpruːvd/

established by authority; given authoritative approval

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading Clustered at the White or shady end of the station, the sovereign Caucasians of Swango rocked up against one another in the unbridled excess of their merriment.

backadverbUS /bæk/

in or to or toward a former location

boardnounUS /bɔːrd/

a committee having supervisory powers

From this reading "If you can't get a board get a scantlin'!"

BuckverbUS /bʌk/

to strive with determination

cameverbUS /keɪm/

inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading From almost above his head it came:

can't

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

From this reading "If you can't get a board get a scantlin'!"

Cap'n

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

CaucasiansnounUS /kɔːˈkeɪʒənz/

plural of “caucasian” — a Caucasian

From this reading Clustered at the White or shady end of the station, the sovereign Caucasians of Swango rocked up against one another in the unbridled excess of their merriment.

ClusteredadjectiveUS /ˈklʌstərd/

growing close together but not in dense mats

From this reading Clustered at the White or shady end of the station, the sovereign Caucasians of Swango rocked up against one another in the unbridled excess of their merriment.

conductor's

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

endnounUS /end/

either extremity of something that has length

From this reading Clustered at the White or shady end of the station, the sovereign Caucasians of Swango rocked up against one another in the unbridled excess of their merriment.

excessnounUS /ˈekses/

a quantity much larger than is needed

From this reading Clustered at the White or shady end of the station, the sovereign Caucasians of Swango rocked up against one another in the unbridled excess of their merriment.

Fluter

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

forthadverbUS /fɔːrθ/

from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)

four-five

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

freeverbUS /friː/

grant freedom to; free from confinement

FromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading From almost above his head it came:

getverbUS /ɡet/

come into the possession of something concrete or abstract

From this reading "If you can't get a board get a scantlin'!"

glancedverbUS /ɡlænst/

past form of “glance” — throw a glance at; take a brief look at

gripnounUS /ɡrɪp/

the act of grasping

handnounUS /hænd/

the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb

headnounUS /hed/

the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains

From this reading From almost above his head it came:

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

holdingnounUS /ˈhoʊldɪŋ/

the act of retaining something

IfconjunctionUS /ɪf/

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading "If you can't get a board get a scantlin'!"

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading From almost above his head it came:

lengthnounUS /leŋkθ/

the linear extent in space from one end to the other; the longest dimension of something that is fixed in place

merrimentnoun

a gay feeling

From this reading Clustered at the White or shady end of the station, the sovereign Caucasians of Swango rocked up against one another in the unbridled excess of their merriment.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading Clustered at the White or shady end of the station, the sovereign Caucasians of Swango rocked up against one another in the unbridled excess of their merriment.

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading Clustered at the White or shady end of the station, the sovereign Caucasians of Swango rocked up against one another in the unbridled excess of their merriment.

raisedadjectiveUS /reɪzd/

located or moved above the surround or above the normal position

rockedverbUS /rɑːkt/

past form of “rock” — move back and forth or sideways

From this reading Clustered at the White or shady end of the station, the sovereign Caucasians of Swango rocked up against one another in the unbridled excess of their merriment.

scantlin

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

From this reading "If you can't get a board get a scantlin'!"

shadyadjectiveUS /ˈʃeɪdi/

quiet, dark, or concealed

From this reading Clustered at the White or shady end of the station, the sovereign Caucasians of Swango rocked up against one another in the unbridled excess of their merriment.

shortadjectiveUS /ʃɔːrt/

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

SMARTadjectiveUS /smɑːrt/

showing mental alertness and calculation and resourcefulness

sovereignadjectiveUS /ˈsɑːv.rən/

Possessing supreme or ultimate power; autonomous and commanding.

From this reading Clustered at the White or shady end of the station, the sovereign Caucasians of Swango rocked up against one another in the unbridled excess of their merriment.

stationnounUS /ˈsteɪʃən/

a facility equipped with special equipment and personnel for a particular purpose

From this reading Clustered at the White or shady end of the station, the sovereign Caucasians of Swango rocked up against one another in the unbridled excess of their merriment.

Swango

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

From this reading Clustered at the White or shady end of the station, the sovereign Caucasians of Swango rocked up against one another in the unbridled excess of their merriment.

THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

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

theirdeterminerUS /ðer/

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading Clustered at the White or shady end of the station, the sovereign Caucasians of Swango rocked up against one another in the unbridled excess of their merriment.

unbridledadjectiveUS /ənˈbraɪdəld/

not restrained or controlled

From this reading Clustered at the White or shady end of the station, the sovereign Caucasians of Swango rocked up against one another in the unbridled excess of their merriment.

upadjectiveUS /ʌp/

being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level

From this reading Clustered at the White or shady end of the station, the sovereign Caucasians of Swango rocked up against one another in the unbridled excess of their merriment.

warningnounUS /ˈwɔːrnɪŋ/

a message informing of danger

watchverbUS /wɑːtʃ/

look attentively

WhitenounUS /waɪt/

a Caucasian

From this reading Clustered at the White or shady end of the station, the sovereign Caucasians of Swango rocked up against one another in the unbridled excess of their merriment.

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading "If you can't get a board get a scantlin'!"

Chapter 3 of Local Color by Irvin S. (Irvin Shrewsbury) Cobb holds 509 sentences, grouped into 102 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 3 of Local Color contain?

Chapter 3 holds 509 sentences of Local Color, unabridged, divided into 102 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 3 of Local Color by Irvin S. (Irvin Shrewsbury) Cobb exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 509 sentences, grouped into 102 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 3 of Local Color?

Work through the 102 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 102 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 3 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 3 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 Local Color

Common questions about reading Local Color by Irvin S. (Irvin Shrewsbury) Cobb on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Local Color?

Yes. All 5640 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #41297 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Local Color is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #41297, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

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About 470 minutes of reading across 1128 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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Vocabulary met early in Local Color

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Chapter III

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