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London street games
London street games

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of London street games is here in full — 655 sentences across 131 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Norman Douglas • Curated US English Learning Edition
Cover illustration for London street games
Context Illustration Reading 1/131 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
LONDON THE ST.
CATHERINE PRESS STAMFORD STREET, S.E. There’s not much for _us_ to do, down our way--in the way of sports, I mean.
Nothing at all, in fact.
When we come home from work we generally go straight indoors and have a lay-down, and a cup of tea and a pipe; or else we go out and watch a match somewhere.
There’s always the “Three Swans”, of course....
0:00 / 0:00
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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.

London street games

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of London street games is here in full — 655 sentences across 131 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/131 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
LONDON THE ST.
Line 2
CATHERINE PRESS STAMFORD STREET, S.E. There’s not much for _us_ to do, down our way--in the way of sports, I mean.
Line 3
Nothing at all, in fact.
/ˈnʌθɪŋ æt ɔːl ɪn fækt/
Line 4
When we come home from work we generally go straight indoors and have a lay-down, and a cup of tea and a pipe; or else we go out and watch a match somewhere.
Line 5
There’s always the “Three Swans”, of course....

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.

catherine noun US /ˈkæθərən/

first wife of Henry VIII; Henry VIII's divorce from her was the initial step of the Reformation in England (1485-1536)

From this reading “CATHERINE PRESS STAMFORD STREET, S.E. There’s not much for _us_ to do, down our way--in the way of sports, I mean.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
cup noun US /kʌp/

a small open container usually used for drinking; usually has a handle

From this reading “When we come home from work we generally go straight indoors and have a lay-down, and a cup of tea and a pipe; or else we go out and watch a match somewhere.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
indoors adverb US /ˈɪndɔːrz/

within a building

From this reading “When we come home from work we generally go straight indoors and have a lay-down, and a cup of tea and a pipe; or else we go out and watch a match somewhere.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
match verb US /mætʃ/

be compatible, similar or consistent; coincide in their characteristics

From this reading “When we come home from work we generally go straight indoors and have a lay-down, and a cup of tea and a pipe; or else we go out and watch a match somewhere.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
pipe noun US /paɪp/

a tube with a small bowl at one end; used for smoking tobacco

From this reading “When we come home from work we generally go straight indoors and have a lay-down, and a cup of tea and a pipe; or else we go out and watch a match somewhere.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
press verb US /pres/

exert pressure or force to or upon

From this reading “CATHERINE PRESS STAMFORD STREET, S.E. There’s not much for _us_ to do, down our way--in the way of sports, I mean.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
sports noun US /spɔːrts/

plural of “sport” — an active diversion requiring physical exertion and competition

From this reading “CATHERINE PRESS STAMFORD STREET, S.E. There’s not much for _us_ to do, down our way--in the way of sports, I mean.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Swans noun US /swɑːnz/

plural of “swan” — stately heavy-bodied aquatic bird with very long neck and usually white plumage as adult

From this reading “There’s always the “Three Swans”, of course....”

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.

go straight verb + adjective

In this reading “When we come home from work we generally go straight indoors and have a lay-down, and a cup of tea and a pipe; or else we go out and watch a match somewhere.”

11,625 times in 426,211 chapters
come home verb + noun

become clear or enter one's consciousness or emotions

In this reading “When we come home from work we generally go straight indoors and have a lay-down, and a cup of tea and a pipe; or else we go out and watch a match somewhere.”

35,927 times in 426,211 chapters
of course preposition + noun

as might be expected

In this reading “There’s always the “Three Swans”, of course....”

307,822 times in 426,211 chapters
go out verb + adjective

move out of or depart from

In this reading “When we come home from work we generally go straight indoors and have a lay-down, and a cup of tea and a pipe; or else we go out and watch a match somewhere.”

111,556 times in 426,211 chapters
in fact preposition + noun

in reality or actuality

In this reading “Nothing at all, in fact.”

69,970 times in 426,211 chapters

All words in this reading · 55

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 When we come home from work we generally go straight indoors and have a lay-down, and a cup of tea and a pipe; or else we go out and watch a match somewhere.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
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 Nothing at all, in fact.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
alwaysadverbUS /ˈɔːlweɪz/

at all times; all the time and on every occasion

From this reading There’s always the “Three Swans”, of course....

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading When we come home from work we generally go straight indoors and have a lay-down, and a cup of tea and a pipe; or else we go out and watch a match somewhere.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading Nothing at all, in fact.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
CATHERINEnounUS /ˈkæθərən/

first wife of Henry VIII; Henry VIII's divorce from her was the initial step of the Reformation in England (1485-1536)

From this reading CATHERINE PRESS STAMFORD STREET, S.E. There’s not much for _us_ to do, down our way--in the way of sports, I mean.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
comeverbUS /kʌm/

move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading When we come home from work we generally go straight indoors and have a lay-down, and a cup of tea and a pipe; or else we go out and watch a match somewhere.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
coursenounUS /kɔːrs/

education imparted in a series of lessons or meetings

From this reading There’s always the “Three Swans”, of course....

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
cupnounUS /kʌp/

a small open container usually used for drinking; usually has a handle

From this reading When we come home from work we generally go straight indoors and have a lay-down, and a cup of tea and a pipe; or else we go out and watch a match somewhere.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
doauxiliary verbUS /duː/

used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis

From this reading CATHERINE PRESS STAMFORD STREET, S.E. There’s not much for _us_ to do, down our way--in the way of sports, I mean.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
downadjectiveUS /daʊn/

being or moving lower in position or less in some value

From this reading CATHERINE PRESS STAMFORD STREET, S.E. There’s not much for _us_ to do, down our way--in the way of sports, I mean.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
EnounUS /iː/

a fat-soluble vitamin that is essential for normal reproduction; an important antioxidant that neutralizes free radicals in the body

From this reading CATHERINE PRESS STAMFORD STREET, S.E. There’s not much for _us_ to do, down our way--in the way of sports, I mean.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
else

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

From this reading When we come home from work we generally go straight indoors and have a lay-down, and a cup of tea and a pipe; or else we go out and watch a match somewhere.

Pending verification
factnounUS /fækt/

a piece of information about circumstances that exist or events that have occurred

From this reading Nothing at all, in fact.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading CATHERINE PRESS STAMFORD STREET, S.E. There’s not much for _us_ to do, down our way--in the way of sports, I mean.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading When we come home from work we generally go straight indoors and have a lay-down, and a cup of tea and a pipe; or else we go out and watch a match somewhere.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
generallyadverbUS /ˈdʒenərəli/

usually; as a rule

From this reading When we come home from work we generally go straight indoors and have a lay-down, and a cup of tea and a pipe; or else we go out and watch a match somewhere.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
goverbUS /ɡoʊ/

change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically

From this reading When we come home from work we generally go straight indoors and have a lay-down, and a cup of tea and a pipe; or else we go out and watch a match somewhere.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading When we come home from work we generally go straight indoors and have a lay-down, and a cup of tea and a pipe; or else we go out and watch a match somewhere.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
homenounUS /hoʊm/

where you live at a particular time

From this reading When we come home from work we generally go straight indoors and have a lay-down, and a cup of tea and a pipe; or else we go out and watch a match somewhere.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading CATHERINE PRESS STAMFORD STREET, S.E. There’s not much for _us_ to do, down our way--in the way of sports, I mean.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading CATHERINE PRESS STAMFORD STREET, S.E. There’s not much for _us_ to do, down our way--in the way of sports, I mean.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
indoorsadverbUS /ˈɪndɔːrz/

within a building

From this reading When we come home from work we generally go straight indoors and have a lay-down, and a cup of tea and a pipe; or else we go out and watch a match somewhere.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
lay-down

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

From this reading When we come home from work we generally go straight indoors and have a lay-down, and a cup of tea and a pipe; or else we go out and watch a match somewhere.

Pending verification
LONDONnounUS /ˈlʌndən/

the capital and largest city of England; located on the Thames in southeastern England; financial and industrial and cultural center

From this reading LONDON THE ST.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
matchverbUS /mætʃ/

be compatible, similar or consistent; coincide in their characteristics

From this reading When we come home from work we generally go straight indoors and have a lay-down, and a cup of tea and a pipe; or else we go out and watch a match somewhere.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
meanverbUS /miːn/

mean or intend to express or convey

From this reading CATHERINE PRESS STAMFORD STREET, S.E. There’s not much for _us_ to do, down our way--in the way of sports, I mean.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
muchadverbUS /mʌtʃ/

to a great degree or extent

From this reading CATHERINE PRESS STAMFORD STREET, S.E. There’s not much for _us_ to do, down our way--in the way of sports, I mean.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading CATHERINE PRESS STAMFORD STREET, S.E. There’s not much for _us_ to do, down our way--in the way of sports, I mean.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
NothingpronounUS /ˈnʌθɪŋ/

not one thing; not anything

From this reading Nothing at all, in fact.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading CATHERINE PRESS STAMFORD STREET, S.E. There’s not much for _us_ to do, down our way--in the way of sports, I mean.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading When we come home from work we generally go straight indoors and have a lay-down, and a cup of tea and a pipe; or else we go out and watch a match somewhere.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
ourdeterminerUS /ˈaʊər/

belonging to the speaker and others

From this reading CATHERINE PRESS STAMFORD STREET, S.E. There’s not much for _us_ to do, down our way--in the way of sports, I mean.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
outadjectiveUS /aʊt/

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading When we come home from work we generally go straight indoors and have a lay-down, and a cup of tea and a pipe; or else we go out and watch a match somewhere.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
pipenounUS /paɪp/

a tube with a small bowl at one end; used for smoking tobacco

From this reading When we come home from work we generally go straight indoors and have a lay-down, and a cup of tea and a pipe; or else we go out and watch a match somewhere.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
PRESSverbUS /pres/

exert pressure or force to or upon

From this reading CATHERINE PRESS STAMFORD STREET, S.E. There’s not much for _us_ to do, down our way--in the way of sports, I mean.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
SnounUS /es/

1/60 of a minute; the basic unit of time adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites

From this reading CATHERINE PRESS STAMFORD STREET, S.E. There’s not much for _us_ to do, down our way--in the way of sports, I mean.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
somewhereadverbUS /ˈsʌmwer/

in or at or to some place

From this reading When we come home from work we generally go straight indoors and have a lay-down, and a cup of tea and a pipe; or else we go out and watch a match somewhere.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
sportsnounUS /spɔːrts/

plural of “sport” — an active diversion requiring physical exertion and competition

From this reading CATHERINE PRESS STAMFORD STREET, S.E. There’s not much for _us_ to do, down our way--in the way of sports, I mean.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ST

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

From this reading LONDON THE ST.

Pending verification
STAMFORD

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

From this reading CATHERINE PRESS STAMFORD STREET, S.E. There’s not much for _us_ to do, down our way--in the way of sports, I mean.

Pending verification
straightadjectiveUS /streɪt/

successive (without a break)

From this reading When we come home from work we generally go straight indoors and have a lay-down, and a cup of tea and a pipe; or else we go out and watch a match somewhere.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
STREETnounUS /striːt/

a thoroughfare (usually including sidewalks) that is lined with buildings

From this reading CATHERINE PRESS STAMFORD STREET, S.E. There’s not much for _us_ to do, down our way--in the way of sports, I mean.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
SwansnounUS /swɑːnz/

plural of “swan” — stately heavy-bodied aquatic bird with very long neck and usually white plumage as adult

From this reading There’s always the “Three Swans”, of course....

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
teanounUS /tiː/

a beverage made by steeping tea leaves in water

From this reading When we come home from work we generally go straight indoors and have a lay-down, and a cup of tea and a pipe; or else we go out and watch a match somewhere.

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 LONDON THE ST.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
There's

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

From this reading CATHERINE PRESS STAMFORD STREET, S.E. There’s not much for _us_ to do, down our way--in the way of sports, I mean.

Pending verification
ThreenounUS /θriː/

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one

From this reading There’s always the “Three Swans”, of course....

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading CATHERINE PRESS STAMFORD STREET, S.E. There’s not much for _us_ to do, down our way--in the way of sports, I mean.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
uspronounUS /ʌs/

the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading CATHERINE PRESS STAMFORD STREET, S.E. There’s not much for _us_ to do, down our way--in the way of sports, I mean.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
watchverbUS /wɑːtʃ/

look attentively

From this reading When we come home from work we generally go straight indoors and have a lay-down, and a cup of tea and a pipe; or else we go out and watch a match somewhere.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
waynounUS /weɪ/

how something is done or how it happens

From this reading CATHERINE PRESS STAMFORD STREET, S.E. There’s not much for _us_ to do, down our way--in the way of sports, I mean.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
wepronounUS /wiː/

the speaker together with one or more other people

From this reading When we come home from work we generally go straight indoors and have a lay-down, and a cup of tea and a pipe; or else we go out and watch a match somewhere.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
WhenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading When we come home from work we generally go straight indoors and have a lay-down, and a cup of tea and a pipe; or else we go out and watch a match somewhere.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
workverbUS /wɜːrk/

exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity

From this reading When we come home from work we generally go straight indoors and have a lay-down, and a cup of tea and a pipe; or else we go out and watch a match somewhere.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

Chapter 1 of London street games by Norman Douglas holds 655 sentences, grouped into 131 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 London street games contain?

Chapter 1 holds 655 sentences of London street games, unabridged, divided into 131 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of London street games by Norman Douglas exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 655 sentences, grouped into 131 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 London street games?

Work through the 131 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 131 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 London street games

Common questions about reading London street games by Norman Douglas on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of London street games?

Yes. All 655 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #74350 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of London street games is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #74350, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does London street games take to read?

About 54 minutes of reading across 131 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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How to work through London street games section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

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  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 London street games

Words and structures a reader meets early in London street games, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

London
A word that appears in the opening chapter of London street games; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Catherine
A word that appears in the opening chapter of London street games; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Press
A word that appears in the opening chapter of London street games; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Stamford
A word that appears in the opening chapter of London street games; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.