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Nights in London
Nights in London

Chapter II · Chapter 2

Chapter 2 of Nights in London is here in full — 384 sentences across 77 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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Context Illustration Reading 1/76 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
There is just one man still among us who renders these details of the Cockney's daily day in more perfect fashion than any of his peers.
He is of the old school, I admit, but he is nevertheless right on the spot with his points and his psychology.
His name is Harry Champion.
Perhaps you have seen him and been disgusted with what you would call the vulgarity of his songs.
But what you call his vulgarity, my dears, is just everyday life; and everyday life is always disgusting to the funny little Bayswaterats, who are compact of timidity and pudibonderie.
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Nights in London

Chapter II · Chapter 2

Chapter 2 of Nights in London is here in full — 384 sentences across 77 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/76 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
There is just one man still among us who renders these details of the Cockney's daily day in more perfect fashion than any of his peers.
Line 2
He is of the old school, I admit, but he is nevertheless right on the spot with his points and his psychology.
/hiː ɪz ʌv ðə oʊld skuːl aɪ ədˈmɪt bʌt hiː ɪz ˌnevərðəˈles raɪt ɑːn ðə spɑːt wɪð hɪz pɔɪnts ənd hɪz saɪˈkɑːlədʒi/
Line 3
His name is Harry Champion.
/hɪz neɪm ɪz ˈheri ˈtʃæmpiən/
Line 4
Perhaps you have seen him and been disgusted with what you would call the vulgarity of his songs.
/pərˈhæps juː hæv siːn hɪm ənd bɪn dɪsˈɡʌstəd wɪð wʌt juː wʊd kɔːl ðə vəlˈɡerɪti ʌv hɪz sɔːŋz/
Line 5
But what you call his vulgarity, my dears, is just everyday life; and everyday life is always disgusting to the funny little Bayswaterats, who are compact of timidity and pudibonderie.

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.

compact noun US /ˈkɑːmpækt/

a small cosmetics case with a mirror; to be carried in a woman's purse

From this reading “But what you call his vulgarity, my dears, is just everyday life; and everyday life is always disgusting to the funny little Bayswaterats, who are compact of timidity and pudibonderie.”

disgusting adjective US /dɪsˈɡʌstɪŋ/

highly offensive; arousing aversion or disgust

From this reading “But what you call his vulgarity, my dears, is just everyday life; and everyday life is always disgusting to the funny little Bayswaterats, who are compact of timidity and pudibonderie.”

everyday adjective US /ˈevriˈdeɪ/

found in the ordinary course of events

From this reading “But what you call his vulgarity, my dears, is just everyday life; and everyday life is always disgusting to the funny little Bayswaterats, who are compact of timidity and pudibonderie.”

peers noun US /pɪrz/

plural of “peer” — a person who is of equal standing with another in a group

From this reading “There is just one man still among us who renders these details of the Cockney's daily day in more perfect fashion than any of his peers.”

psychology noun US /saɪˈkɑːlədʒi/

the science of mental life

From this reading “He is of the old school, I admit, but he is nevertheless right on the spot with his points and his psychology.”

renders noun US /ˈrendərz/

plural of “render” — a substance similar to stucco but exclusively applied to masonry walls

From this reading “There is just one man still among us who renders these details of the Cockney's daily day in more perfect fashion than any of his peers.”

timidity noun US /təˈmɪdəti/

fear of the unknown or unfamiliar or fear of making decisions

From this reading “But what you call his vulgarity, my dears, is just everyday life; and everyday life is always disgusting to the funny little Bayswaterats, who are compact of timidity and pudibonderie.”

vulgarity noun US /vəlˈɡerɪti/

the quality of lacking taste and refinement

From this reading “Perhaps you have seen him and been disgusted with what you would call the vulgarity of his songs.”

All words in this reading · 68

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.

admitverbUS /ədˈmɪt/

declare to be true or admit the existence or reality or truth of

From this reading He is of the old school, I admit, but he is nevertheless right on the spot with his points and his psychology.

alwaysadverbUS /ˈɔːlweɪz/

at all times; all the time and on every occasion

From this reading But what you call his vulgarity, my dears, is just everyday life; and everyday life is always disgusting to the funny little Bayswaterats, who are compact of timidity and pudibonderie.

amongprepositionUS /əˈmʌŋ/

surrounded by; in the middle of a group

From this reading There is just one man still among us who renders these details of the Cockney's daily day in more perfect fashion than any of his peers.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading He is of the old school, I admit, but he is nevertheless right on the spot with his points and his psychology.

anyadjectiveUS /ˈeni/

one or some or every or all without specification

From this reading There is just one man still among us who renders these details of the Cockney's daily day in more perfect fashion than any of his peers.

areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/

the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading But what you call his vulgarity, my dears, is just everyday life; and everyday life is always disgusting to the funny little Bayswaterats, who are compact of timidity and pudibonderie.

Bayswaterats

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

From this reading But what you call his vulgarity, my dears, is just everyday life; and everyday life is always disgusting to the funny little Bayswaterats, who are compact of timidity and pudibonderie.

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading Perhaps you have seen him and been disgusted with what you would call the vulgarity of his songs.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading He is of the old school, I admit, but he is nevertheless right on the spot with his points and his psychology.

callverbUS /kɔːl/

assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to

From this reading Perhaps you have seen him and been disgusted with what you would call the vulgarity of his songs.

ChampionnounUS /ˈtʃæmpiən/

someone who has won first place in a competition

From this reading His name is Harry Champion.

Cockney's

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

From this reading There is just one man still among us who renders these details of the Cockney's daily day in more perfect fashion than any of his peers.

compactnounUS /ˈkɑːmpækt/

a small cosmetics case with a mirror; to be carried in a woman's purse

From this reading But what you call his vulgarity, my dears, is just everyday life; and everyday life is always disgusting to the funny little Bayswaterats, who are compact of timidity and pudibonderie.

dailyadverbUS /ˈdeɪli/

every day; without missing a day

From this reading There is just one man still among us who renders these details of the Cockney's daily day in more perfect fashion than any of his peers.

daynounUS /deɪ/

time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis

From this reading There is just one man still among us who renders these details of the Cockney's daily day in more perfect fashion than any of his peers.

dears

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

From this reading But what you call his vulgarity, my dears, is just everyday life; and everyday life is always disgusting to the funny little Bayswaterats, who are compact of timidity and pudibonderie.

detailsnounUS /dɪˈteɪlz/

true confidential information

From this reading There is just one man still among us who renders these details of the Cockney's daily day in more perfect fashion than any of his peers.

disgustedadjectiveUS /dɪsˈɡʌstəd/

having a strong distaste from surfeit

From this reading Perhaps you have seen him and been disgusted with what you would call the vulgarity of his songs.

disgustingadjectiveUS /dɪsˈɡʌstɪŋ/

highly offensive; arousing aversion or disgust

From this reading But what you call his vulgarity, my dears, is just everyday life; and everyday life is always disgusting to the funny little Bayswaterats, who are compact of timidity and pudibonderie.

everydayadjectiveUS /ˈevriˈdeɪ/

found in the ordinary course of events

From this reading But what you call his vulgarity, my dears, is just everyday life; and everyday life is always disgusting to the funny little Bayswaterats, who are compact of timidity and pudibonderie.

fashionnounUS /ˈfæʃən/

how something is done or how it happens

From this reading There is just one man still among us who renders these details of the Cockney's daily day in more perfect fashion than any of his peers.

funnyadjectiveUS /ˈfʌni/

arousing or provoking laughter

From this reading But what you call his vulgarity, my dears, is just everyday life; and everyday life is always disgusting to the funny little Bayswaterats, who are compact of timidity and pudibonderie.

HarryverbUS /ˈheri/

annoy continually or chronically

From this reading His name is Harry Champion.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading Perhaps you have seen him and been disgusted with what you would call the vulgarity of his songs.

HepronounUS /hiː/

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading He is of the old school, I admit, but he is nevertheless right on the spot with his points and his psychology.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading Perhaps you have seen him and been disgusted with what you would call the vulgarity of his songs.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading There is just one man still among us who renders these details of the Cockney's daily day in more perfect fashion than any of his peers.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading He is of the old school, I admit, but he is nevertheless right on the spot with his points and his psychology.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading There is just one man still among us who renders these details of the Cockney's daily day in more perfect fashion than any of his peers.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading There is just one man still among us who renders these details of the Cockney's daily day in more perfect fashion than any of his peers.

justadverbUS /dʒʌst/

and nothing more

From this reading There is just one man still among us who renders these details of the Cockney's daily day in more perfect fashion than any of his peers.

lifenounUS /laɪf/

a characteristic state or mode of living

From this reading But what you call his vulgarity, my dears, is just everyday life; and everyday life is always disgusting to the funny little Bayswaterats, who are compact of timidity and pudibonderie.

littleadjectiveUS /ˈlɪtəl/

limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading But what you call his vulgarity, my dears, is just everyday life; and everyday life is always disgusting to the funny little Bayswaterats, who are compact of timidity and pudibonderie.

mannounUS /mæn/

an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)

From this reading There is just one man still among us who renders these details of the Cockney's daily day in more perfect fashion than any of his peers.

moreadjectiveUS /mɔːr/

(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree

From this reading There is just one man still among us who renders these details of the Cockney's daily day in more perfect fashion than any of his peers.

mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading But what you call his vulgarity, my dears, is just everyday life; and everyday life is always disgusting to the funny little Bayswaterats, who are compact of timidity and pudibonderie.

nameverbUS /neɪm/

assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to

From this reading His name is Harry Champion.

neverthelessadverbUS /ˌnevərðəˈles/

in spite of what has just been said

From this reading He is of the old school, I admit, but he is nevertheless right on the spot with his points and his psychology.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading There is just one man still among us who renders these details of the Cockney's daily day in more perfect fashion than any of his peers.

oldadjectiveUS /oʊld/

(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age

From this reading He is of the old school, I admit, but he is nevertheless right on the spot with his points and his psychology.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading He is of the old school, I admit, but he is nevertheless right on the spot with his points and his psychology.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading There is just one man still among us who renders these details of the Cockney's daily day in more perfect fashion than any of his peers.

peersnounUS /pɪrz/

plural of “peer” — a person who is of equal standing with another in a group

From this reading There is just one man still among us who renders these details of the Cockney's daily day in more perfect fashion than any of his peers.

perfectadjectiveUS /pərˈfekt/

being complete of its kind and without defect or blemish

From this reading There is just one man still among us who renders these details of the Cockney's daily day in more perfect fashion than any of his peers.

PerhapsadverbUS /pərˈhæps/

by chance

From this reading Perhaps you have seen him and been disgusted with what you would call the vulgarity of his songs.

pointsnounUS /pɔɪnts/

plural of “point” — a geometric element that has position but no extension

From this reading He is of the old school, I admit, but he is nevertheless right on the spot with his points and his psychology.

psychologynounUS /saɪˈkɑːlədʒi/

the science of mental life

From this reading He is of the old school, I admit, but he is nevertheless right on the spot with his points and his psychology.

pudibonderie

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

From this reading But what you call his vulgarity, my dears, is just everyday life; and everyday life is always disgusting to the funny little Bayswaterats, who are compact of timidity and pudibonderie.

rendersnounUS /ˈrendərz/

plural of “render” — a substance similar to stucco but exclusively applied to masonry walls

From this reading There is just one man still among us who renders these details of the Cockney's daily day in more perfect fashion than any of his peers.

rightadverbUS /raɪt/

precisely, exactly

From this reading He is of the old school, I admit, but he is nevertheless right on the spot with his points and his psychology.

schoolnounUS /skuːl/

an educational institution

From this reading He is of the old school, I admit, but he is nevertheless right on the spot with his points and his psychology.

seenverbUS /siːn/

inflected form of “see” — perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

From this reading Perhaps you have seen him and been disgusted with what you would call the vulgarity of his songs.

songsnounUS /sɔːŋz/

plural of “song” — a short musical composition with words

From this reading Perhaps you have seen him and been disgusted with what you would call the vulgarity of his songs.

spotnounUS /spɑːt/

a point located with respect to surface features of some region

From this reading He is of the old school, I admit, but he is nevertheless right on the spot with his points and his psychology.

stilladjectiveUS /stɪl/

not in physical motion

From this reading There is just one man still among us who renders these details of the Cockney's daily day in more perfect fashion than any of his peers.

thanconjunctionUS /ðæn/

used to introduce the second part of a comparison

From this reading There is just one man still among us who renders these details of the Cockney's daily day in more perfect fashion than any of his peers.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading There is just one man still among us who renders these details of the Cockney's daily day in more perfect fashion than any of his peers.

ThereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading There is just one man still among us who renders these details of the Cockney's daily day in more perfect fashion than any of his peers.

thesedeterminerUS /ðiːz/

the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned

From this reading There is just one man still among us who renders these details of the Cockney's daily day in more perfect fashion than any of his peers.

timiditynounUS /təˈmɪdəti/

fear of the unknown or unfamiliar or fear of making decisions

From this reading But what you call his vulgarity, my dears, is just everyday life; and everyday life is always disgusting to the funny little Bayswaterats, who are compact of timidity and pudibonderie.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading But what you call his vulgarity, my dears, is just everyday life; and everyday life is always disgusting to the funny little Bayswaterats, who are compact of timidity and pudibonderie.

uspronounUS /ʌs/

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

From this reading There is just one man still among us who renders these details of the Cockney's daily day in more perfect fashion than any of his peers.

vulgaritynounUS /vəlˈɡerɪti/

the quality of lacking taste and refinement

From this reading Perhaps you have seen him and been disgusted with what you would call the vulgarity of his songs.

whatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading Perhaps you have seen him and been disgusted with what you would call the vulgarity of his songs.

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading There is just one man still among us who renders these details of the Cockney's daily day in more perfect fashion than any of his peers.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading He is of the old school, I admit, but he is nevertheless right on the spot with his points and his psychology.

wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past

From this reading Perhaps you have seen him and been disgusted with what you would call the vulgarity of his songs.

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading Perhaps you have seen him and been disgusted with what you would call the vulgarity of his songs.

Chapter 2 of Nights in London by Thomas Burke holds 384 sentences, grouped into 77 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 2 of Nights in London contain?

Chapter 2 holds 384 sentences of Nights in London, unabridged, divided into 77 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 2 of Nights in London by Thomas Burke exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 384 sentences, grouped into 77 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 2 of Nights in London?

Work through the 77 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 77 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 2 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 2 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 Nights in London

Common questions about reading Nights in London by Thomas Burke on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Nights in London?

Yes. All 4347 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #23605 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Nights in London is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #23605, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Nights in London take to read?

About 362 minutes of reading across 870 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Nights in London section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 11 chapters of Nights in London 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 Nights in London

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

Author
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Nights in London; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Limehouse
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Nights in London; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Nights
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Nights in London; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Henry
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Nights in London; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.