Chapter 12 of No Thoroughfare is here in full — 198 sentences across 40 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XII
Chapter 12 of No Thoroughfare is here in full — 198 sentences across 40 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Vendale took the cup, and did so. "How do you find it?" "It has a coarse after-flavour," said Vendale, giving back the cup with a slight shudder, "and I don't like it." "You are right," said Obenreizer, tasting, and smacking his lips; "it _has_ a coarse after-flavour, and _I_ don't like it. Booh!
Chapter 12 of No Thoroughfare is here in full — 198 sentences across 40 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/39 · 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.
of textures that are rough to the touch or substances consisting of relatively large particles
From this reading “"It has a coarse after-flavour," said Vendale, giving back the cup with a slight shudder, "and I don't like it."”
a small open container usually used for drinking; usually has a handle
From this reading “Vendale took the cup, and did so.”
the act of giving
From this reading “"It has a coarse after-flavour," said Vendale, giving back the cup with a slight shudder, "and I don't like it."”
plural of “lip” — either of two fleshy folds of tissue that surround the mouth and play a role in speaking
From this reading “"You are right," said Obenreizer, tasting, and smacking his lips; "it _has_ a coarse after-flavour, and _I_ don't like it.”
shake, as from cold
From this reading “"It has a coarse after-flavour," said Vendale, giving back the cup with a slight shudder, "and I don't like it."”
a deliberate discourteous act (usually as an expression of anger or disapproval)
From this reading “"It has a coarse after-flavour," said Vendale, giving back the cup with a slight shudder, "and I don't like it."”
the act of smacking something; a blow delivered with an open hand
From this reading “"You are right," said Obenreizer, tasting, and smacking his lips; "it _has_ a coarse after-flavour, and _I_ don't like it.”
a small amount (especially of food or wine)
From this reading “"You are right," said Obenreizer, tasting, and smacking his lips; "it _has_ a coarse after-flavour, and _I_ don't like it.”
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 "It has a coarse after-flavour," said Vendale, giving back the cup with a slight shudder, "and I don't like it."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "It has a coarse after-flavour," said Vendale, giving back the cup with a slight shudder, "and I don't like it."
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Vendale took the cup, and did so.
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading "You are right," said Obenreizer, tasting, and smacking his lips; "it _has_ a coarse after-flavour, and _I_ don't like it.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading "It has a coarse after-flavour," said Vendale, giving back the cup with a slight shudder, "and I don't like it."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Booh!
of textures that are rough to the touch or substances consisting of relatively large particles
From this reading "It has a coarse after-flavour," said Vendale, giving back the cup with a slight shudder, "and I don't like it."
a small open container usually used for drinking; usually has a handle
From this reading Vendale took the cup, and did so.
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading Vendale took the cup, and did so.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading "How do you find it?"
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "It has a coarse after-flavour," said Vendale, giving back the cup with a slight shudder, "and I don't like it."
come upon, as if by accident; meet with
From this reading "How do you find it?"
the act of giving
From this reading "It has a coarse after-flavour," said Vendale, giving back the cup with a slight shudder, "and I don't like it."
the form of “have” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "It has a coarse after-flavour," said Vendale, giving back the cup with a slight shudder, "and I don't like it."
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading "You are right," said Obenreizer, tasting, and smacking his lips; "it _has_ a coarse after-flavour, and _I_ don't like it.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "How do you find it?"
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "It has a coarse after-flavour," said Vendale, giving back the cup with a slight shudder, "and I don't like it."
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading "How do you find it?"
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading "It has a coarse after-flavour," said Vendale, giving back the cup with a slight shudder, "and I don't like it."
plural of “lip” — either of two fleshy folds of tissue that surround the mouth and play a role in speaking
From this reading "You are right," said Obenreizer, tasting, and smacking his lips; "it _has_ a coarse after-flavour, and _I_ don't like it.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "You are right," said Obenreizer, tasting, and smacking his lips; "it _has_ a coarse after-flavour, and _I_ don't like it.
precisely, exactly
From this reading "You are right," said Obenreizer, tasting, and smacking his lips; "it _has_ a coarse after-flavour, and _I_ don't like it.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "It has a coarse after-flavour," said Vendale, giving back the cup with a slight shudder, "and I don't like it."
shake, as from cold
From this reading "It has a coarse after-flavour," said Vendale, giving back the cup with a slight shudder, "and I don't like it."
a deliberate discourteous act (usually as an expression of anger or disapproval)
From this reading "It has a coarse after-flavour," said Vendale, giving back the cup with a slight shudder, "and I don't like it."
the act of smacking something; a blow delivered with an open hand
From this reading "You are right," said Obenreizer, tasting, and smacking his lips; "it _has_ a coarse after-flavour, and _I_ don't like it.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading Vendale took the cup, and did so.
a small amount (especially of food or wine)
From this reading "You are right," said Obenreizer, tasting, and smacking his lips; "it _has_ a coarse after-flavour, and _I_ don't like it.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Vendale took the cup, and did so.
inflected form of “take” — carry out
From this reading Vendale took the cup, and did so.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Vendale took the cup, and did so.
in the company of; together with
From this reading "It has a coarse after-flavour," said Vendale, giving back the cup with a slight shudder, "and I don't like it."
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "How do you find it?"
Chapter 12 of No Thoroughfare by Charles Dickens holds 198 sentences, grouped into 40 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the public-domain source, 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 12 holds 198 sentences of No Thoroughfare, unabridged, divided into 40 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 12 of No Thoroughfare by Charles Dickens exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 198 sentences, grouped into 40 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 40 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 40 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 12 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 No Thoroughfare by Charles Dickens on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 3104 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #1423 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #1423, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 258 minutes of reading across 621 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through No Thoroughfare section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 16 chapters of No Thoroughfare 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 No Thoroughfare, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
