Chapter 21 of Piccadilly Jim is here in full — 196 sentences across 40 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XXI
Chapter 21 of Piccadilly Jim is here in full — 196 sentences across 40 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
CHICAGO ED. Riverside Drive slept. The moon shone on darkened windows and deserted sidewalks. It was past one o'clock in the morning. The wicked Forties were still ablaze with light and noisy foxtrots; but in the virtuous Hundreds, where Mr. Pett's house stood, respectable slumber reigned.
Chapter 21 of Piccadilly Jim is here in full — 196 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.
keenly excited (especially sexually) or indicating excitement
From this reading “The wicked Forties were still ablaze with light and noisy foxtrots; but in the virtuous Hundreds, where Mr. Pett's house stood, respectable slumber reigned.”
(of fabrics and paper) grown dark in color over time
From this reading “The moon shone on darkened windows and deserted sidewalks.”
the time of life between 40 and 50
From this reading “The wicked Forties were still ablaze with light and noisy foxtrots; but in the virtuous Hundreds, where Mr. Pett's house stood, respectable slumber reigned.”
full of or characterized by loud and nonmusical sounds
From this reading “The wicked Forties were still ablaze with light and noisy foxtrots; but in the virtuous Hundreds, where Mr. Pett's house stood, respectable slumber reigned.”
past form of “reign” — have sovereign power
From this reading “The wicked Forties were still ablaze with light and noisy foxtrots; but in the virtuous Hundreds, where Mr. Pett's house stood, respectable slumber reigned.”
the bank of a river
From this reading “Riverside Drive slept.”
plural of “sidewalk” — walk consisting of a paved area for pedestrians; usually beside a street or roadway
From this reading “The moon shone on darkened windows and deserted sidewalks.”
a natural and periodic state of rest during which consciousness of the world is suspended
From this reading “The wicked Forties were still ablaze with light and noisy foxtrots; but in the virtuous Hundreds, where Mr. Pett's house stood, respectable slumber reigned.”
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.
keenly excited (especially sexually) or indicating excitement
From this reading The wicked Forties were still ablaze with light and noisy foxtrots; but in the virtuous Hundreds, where Mr. Pett's house stood, respectable slumber reigned.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The moon shone on darkened windows and deserted sidewalks.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading The wicked Forties were still ablaze with light and noisy foxtrots; but in the virtuous Hundreds, where Mr. Pett's house stood, respectable slumber reigned.
largest city in Illinois; a bustling Great Lakes port that extends 26 miles along the southwestern shoreline of Lake Michigan
From this reading CHICAGO ED.
(of fabrics and paper) grown dark in color over time
From this reading The moon shone on darkened windows and deserted sidewalks.
forsaken by owner or inhabitants
From this reading The moon shone on darkened windows and deserted sidewalks.
operate or control a vehicle
From this reading Riverside Drive slept.
impotence resulting from a man's inability to have or maintain an erection of his penis
From this reading CHICAGO ED.
the time of life between 40 and 50
From this reading The wicked Forties were still ablaze with light and noisy foxtrots; but in the virtuous Hundreds, where Mr. Pett's house stood, respectable slumber reigned.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The wicked Forties were still ablaze with light and noisy foxtrots; but in the virtuous Hundreds, where Mr. Pett's house stood, respectable slumber reigned.
a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading The wicked Forties were still ablaze with light and noisy foxtrots; but in the virtuous Hundreds, where Mr. Pett's house stood, respectable slumber reigned.
plural of “hundred” — ten 10s
From this reading The wicked Forties were still ablaze with light and noisy foxtrots; but in the virtuous Hundreds, where Mr. Pett's house stood, respectable slumber reigned.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading It was past one o'clock in the morning.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was past one o'clock in the morning.
of comparatively little physical weight or density
From this reading The wicked Forties were still ablaze with light and noisy foxtrots; but in the virtuous Hundreds, where Mr. Pett's house stood, respectable slumber reigned.
the natural satellite of the Earth
From this reading The moon shone on darkened windows and deserted sidewalks.
the time period between dawn and noon
From this reading It was past one o'clock in the morning.
a form of address for a man
From this reading The wicked Forties were still ablaze with light and noisy foxtrots; but in the virtuous Hundreds, where Mr. Pett's house stood, respectable slumber reigned.
full of or characterized by loud and nonmusical sounds
From this reading The wicked Forties were still ablaze with light and noisy foxtrots; but in the virtuous Hundreds, where Mr. Pett's house stood, respectable slumber reigned.
according to the clock
From this reading It was past one o'clock in the morning.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading The moon shone on darkened windows and deserted sidewalks.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading It was past one o'clock in the morning.
the time that has elapsed
From this reading It was past one o'clock in the morning.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The wicked Forties were still ablaze with light and noisy foxtrots; but in the virtuous Hundreds, where Mr. Pett's house stood, respectable slumber reigned.
past form of “reign” — have sovereign power
From this reading The wicked Forties were still ablaze with light and noisy foxtrots; but in the virtuous Hundreds, where Mr. Pett's house stood, respectable slumber reigned.
characterized by socially or conventionally acceptable morals
From this reading The wicked Forties were still ablaze with light and noisy foxtrots; but in the virtuous Hundreds, where Mr. Pett's house stood, respectable slumber reigned.
the bank of a river
From this reading Riverside Drive slept.
inflected form of “shine” — be bright by reflecting or casting light
From this reading The moon shone on darkened windows and deserted sidewalks.
plural of “sidewalk” — walk consisting of a paved area for pedestrians; usually beside a street or roadway
From this reading The moon shone on darkened windows and deserted sidewalks.
inflected form of “sleep” — be asleep
From this reading Riverside Drive slept.
a natural and periodic state of rest during which consciousness of the world is suspended
From this reading The wicked Forties were still ablaze with light and noisy foxtrots; but in the virtuous Hundreds, where Mr. Pett's house stood, respectable slumber reigned.
not in physical motion
From this reading The wicked Forties were still ablaze with light and noisy foxtrots; but in the virtuous Hundreds, where Mr. Pett's house stood, respectable slumber reigned.
Maintained an upright posture.
From this reading The wicked Forties were still ablaze with light and noisy foxtrots; but in the virtuous Hundreds, where Mr. Pett's house stood, respectable slumber reigned.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The moon shone on darkened windows and deserted sidewalks.
morally excellent
From this reading The wicked Forties were still ablaze with light and noisy foxtrots; but in the virtuous Hundreds, where Mr. Pett's house stood, respectable slumber reigned.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It was past one o'clock in the morning.
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading The wicked Forties were still ablaze with light and noisy foxtrots; but in the virtuous Hundreds, where Mr. Pett's house stood, respectable slumber reigned.
in or at the place that
From this reading The wicked Forties were still ablaze with light and noisy foxtrots; but in the virtuous Hundreds, where Mr. Pett's house stood, respectable slumber reigned.
morally bad in principle or practice
From this reading The wicked Forties were still ablaze with light and noisy foxtrots; but in the virtuous Hundreds, where Mr. Pett's house stood, respectable slumber reigned.
(trademark) an operating system with a graphical user interface
From this reading The moon shone on darkened windows and deserted sidewalks.
in the company of; together with
From this reading The wicked Forties were still ablaze with light and noisy foxtrots; but in the virtuous Hundreds, where Mr. Pett's house stood, respectable slumber reigned.
Chapter 21 of Piccadilly Jim by P. G. (Pelham Grenville) Wodehouse holds 196 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 21 holds 196 sentences of Piccadilly Jim, unabridged, divided into 40 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 21 of Piccadilly Jim by P. G. (Pelham Grenville) Wodehouse exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 196 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 21 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 Piccadilly Jim by P. G. (Pelham Grenville) Wodehouse on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 6977 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #2005 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #2005, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 581 minutes of reading across 1396 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Piccadilly Jim section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 26 chapters of Piccadilly Jim 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 Piccadilly Jim, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
