Chapter V
Chapter 5 of Merry's Book of Puzzles is here in full — 410 sentences across 82 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
162. I ate nothing Monday. 163. 164. Be not too wise, nor over nice, for you see what a fool you be.
Merry's Book of Puzzles
Chapter V
Chapter 5 of Merry's Book of Puzzles is here in full — 410 sentences across 82 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
English subtitles · tap any word to listen
1 / 5
162.
I
ate
nothing
Monday.
163.
164.
Be
not
too
wise,
nor
over
nice,
for
you
see
what
a
fool
you
be.
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Merry's Book of Puzzles
Chapter V
Chapter 5 of Merry's Book of Puzzles is here in full — 410 sentences across 82 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/82 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5
Line 1
162.
Line 2
I
ate
nothing
Monday.
/aɪ eɪt ˈnʌθɪŋ ˈmʌndi/
Line 3
163.
Line 4
164.
Line 5
Be
not
too
wise,
nor
over
nice,
for
you
see
what
a
fool
you
be.
/biː nɑːt tuː waɪz nɔːr ˈoʊvər naɪs fɔːr juː siː wʌt ə fuːl juː biː/
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.
goddess of criminal rashness and its punishment
From this reading “I ate nothing Monday.”
a person who lacks good judgment
From this reading “Be not too wise, nor over nice, for you see what a fool you be.”
Monday
noun
US /ˈmʌndi/
the second day of the week; the first working day
From this reading “I ate nothing Monday.”
pleasant or pleasing or agreeable in nature or appearance
From this reading “Be not too wise, nor over nice, for you see what a fool you be.”
not one thing; not anything
From this reading “I ate nothing Monday.”
above and across; more than
From this reading “Be not too wise, nor over nice, for you see what a fool you be.”
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading “Be not too wise, nor over nice, for you see what a fool you be.”
having or prompted by wisdom or discernment
From this reading “Be not too wise, nor over nice, for you see what a fool you be.”
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.
too wise
adverb + adjective
In this reading “Be not too wise, nor over nice, for you see what a fool you be.”
All words in this reading · 20
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.
162
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading 162.
163
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading 163.
164
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading 164.
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Be not too wise, nor over nice, for you see what a fool you be.
goddess of criminal rashness and its punishment
From this reading I ate nothing Monday.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading Be not too wise, nor over nice, for you see what a fool you be.
a person who lacks good judgment
From this reading Be not too wise, nor over nice, for you see what a fool you be.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Be not too wise, nor over nice, for you see what a fool you be.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I ate nothing Monday.
MondaynounUS /ˈmʌndi/
the second day of the week; the first working day
From this reading I ate nothing Monday.
pleasant or pleasing or agreeable in nature or appearance
From this reading Be not too wise, nor over nice, for you see what a fool you be.
and not; used after a negative to add a second negative
From this reading Be not too wise, nor over nice, for you see what a fool you be.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading Be not too wise, nor over nice, for you see what a fool you be.
not one thing; not anything
From this reading I ate nothing Monday.
above and across; more than
From this reading Be not too wise, nor over nice, for you see what a fool you be.
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading Be not too wise, nor over nice, for you see what a fool you be.
to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits
From this reading Be not too wise, nor over nice, for you see what a fool you be.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading Be not too wise, nor over nice, for you see what a fool you be.
having or prompted by wisdom or discernment
From this reading Be not too wise, nor over nice, for you see what a fool you be.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading Be not too wise, nor over nice, for you see what a fool you be.
Chapter 5 of Merry's Book of Puzzles by J. N. (John Newton) Stearns holds 410 sentences, grouped into 82 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 5 of Merry's Book of Puzzles contain?
Chapter 5 holds 410 sentences of Merry's Book of Puzzles, unabridged, divided into 82 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 5 of Merry's Book of Puzzles by J. N. (John Newton) Stearns exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 410 sentences, grouped into 82 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 5 of Merry's Book of Puzzles?
Work through the 82 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 82 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 5 be read aloud to me?
Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 5 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 Merry's Book of Puzzles
Common questions about reading Merry's Book of Puzzles by J. N. (John Newton) Stearns on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Is this the complete text of Merry's Book of Puzzles?
Yes. All 4635 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #53847 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Which edition of Merry's Book of Puzzles is used?
Project Gutenberg eBook #53847, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
How long does Merry's Book of Puzzles take to read?
About 386 minutes of reading across 927 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to read Merry's Book of Puzzles section by section
How to work through Merry's Book of Puzzles section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
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Open a chapter
Choose one of the 12 chapters of Merry's Book of Puzzles to begin.
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Read one section
Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.
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Listen and tap
Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.
Vocabulary met early in Merry's Book of Puzzles
Words and structures a reader meets early in Merry's Book of Puzzles, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
- Puzzles
- A word that appears in the opening chapter of Merry's Book of Puzzles; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
- Edited
- A word that appears in the opening chapter of Merry's Book of Puzzles; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
- Robert
- A word that appears in the opening chapter of Merry's Book of Puzzles; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
- Merry
- A word that appears in the opening chapter of Merry's Book of Puzzles; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.