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Punch — Volume 99, August 16, 1890
Punch — Volume 99, August 16, 1890

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of Punch — Volume 99, August 16, 1890 is here in full — 571 sentences across 115 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Punch — Volume 99, August 16, 1890
Context Illustration Reading 15/114 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Not _der wriggle_, dear boy, I assure you.
Could stars of Mayfair be content To round upon Rome or the Riggi, and smug up in Surrey or Kent?
No fear!
Cherry orchards is pooty, and 'ops 'as admirers, no doubt; But it's only when sport is afoot as the country's worth fussin' about.
Your toff likes the turmuts or stubbles when poultry is there to be shot.
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AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
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A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Punch — Volume 99, August 16, 1890

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of Punch — Volume 99, August 16, 1890 is here in full — 571 sentences across 115 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 15/114 · 5 reading units · Lines 71–75

Line 1
Not _der wriggle_, dear boy, I assure you.
Line 2
Could stars of Mayfair be content To round upon Rome or the Riggi, and smug up in Surrey or Kent?
Line 3
No fear!
/noʊ fɪr/
Line 4
Cherry orchards is pooty, and 'ops 'as admirers, no doubt; But it's only when sport is afoot as the country's worth fussin' about.
Line 5
Your toff likes the turmuts or stubbles when poultry is there to be shot.

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.

afoot adverb US /əˈfʊt/

on foot; walking

From this reading “Cherry orchards is pooty, and 'ops 'as admirers, no doubt; But it's only when sport is afoot as the country's worth fussin' about.”

country's noun US /ˈkʌntriz/

possessive form of “country” — a politically organized body of people under a single government

From this reading “Cherry orchards is pooty, and 'ops 'as admirers, no doubt; But it's only when sport is afoot as the country's worth fussin' about.”

ops noun US /ɑːps/

(Roman mythology) goddess of abundance and fertility; wife of Saturn; counterpart of Greek Rhea and Cybele of ancient Asia Minor

From this reading “Cherry orchards is pooty, and 'ops 'as admirers, no doubt; But it's only when sport is afoot as the country's worth fussin' about.”

orchards noun US /ˈɔːrtʃərdz/

plural of “orchard” — garden consisting of a small cultivated wood without undergrowth

From this reading “Cherry orchards is pooty, and 'ops 'as admirers, no doubt; But it's only when sport is afoot as the country's worth fussin' about.”

poultry noun US /ˈpoʊltri/

a domesticated gallinaceous bird thought to be descended from the red jungle fowl

From this reading “Your toff likes the turmuts or stubbles when poultry is there to be shot.”

smug adjective US /smʌɡ/

marked by excessive complacency or self-satisfaction

From this reading “Could stars of Mayfair be content To round upon Rome or the Riggi, and smug up in Surrey or Kent?”

toff noun US /tɔːf/

informal term for an upper-class or wealthy person

From this reading “Your toff likes the turmuts or stubbles when poultry is there to be shot.”

wriggle verb US /ˈrɪɡəl/

to move in a twisting or contorted motion, (especially when struggling)

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.

aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading Cherry orchards is pooty, and 'ops 'as admirers, no doubt; But it's only when sport is afoot as the country's worth fussin' about.

admirersnounUS /ədˈmaɪrərz/

plural of “admirer” — a person who backs a politician or a team etc.

From this reading Cherry orchards is pooty, and 'ops 'as admirers, no doubt; But it's only when sport is afoot as the country's worth fussin' about.

afootadverbUS /əˈfʊt/

on foot; walking

From this reading Cherry orchards is pooty, and 'ops 'as admirers, no doubt; But it's only when sport is afoot as the country's worth fussin' about.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Could stars of Mayfair be content To round upon Rome or the Riggi, and smug up in Surrey or Kent?

asconjunctionUS /æz/

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading Cherry orchards is pooty, and 'ops 'as admirers, no doubt; But it's only when sport is afoot as the country's worth fussin' about.

assureverbUS /əˈʃʊr/

make certain of

From this reading Not _der wriggle_, dear boy, I assure you.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading Could stars of Mayfair be content To round upon Rome or the Riggi, and smug up in Surrey or Kent?

boynounUS /bɔɪ/

a youthful male person

From this reading Not _der wriggle_, dear boy, I assure you.

ButconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading Cherry orchards is pooty, and 'ops 'as admirers, no doubt; But it's only when sport is afoot as the country's worth fussin' about.

CherrynounUS /ˈtʃeri/

wood of any of various cherry trees especially the black cherry

From this reading Cherry orchards is pooty, and 'ops 'as admirers, no doubt; But it's only when sport is afoot as the country's worth fussin' about.

contentnounUS /ˈkɑːntent/

(usually plural) everything that is included in a collection and that is held or included in something

From this reading Could stars of Mayfair be content To round upon Rome or the Riggi, and smug up in Surrey or Kent?

Couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/

the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests

From this reading Could stars of Mayfair be content To round upon Rome or the Riggi, and smug up in Surrey or Kent?

country'snounUS /ˈkʌntriz/

possessive form of “country” — a politically organized body of people under a single government

From this reading Cherry orchards is pooty, and 'ops 'as admirers, no doubt; But it's only when sport is afoot as the country's worth fussin' about.

dearadjectiveUS /dɪr/

dearly loved

From this reading Not _der wriggle_, dear boy, I assure you.

der

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

From this reading Not _der wriggle_, dear boy, I assure you.

doubtnounUS /daʊt/

the state of being unsure of something

From this reading Cherry orchards is pooty, and 'ops 'as admirers, no doubt; But it's only when sport is afoot as the country's worth fussin' about.

fearverbUS /fɪr/

be afraid or feel anxious or apprehensive about a possible or probable situation or event

From this reading No fear!

fussin

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

From this reading Cherry orchards is pooty, and 'ops 'as admirers, no doubt; But it's only when sport is afoot as the country's worth fussin' about.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading Not _der wriggle_, dear boy, I assure you.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading Could stars of Mayfair be content To round upon Rome or the Riggi, and smug up in Surrey or Kent?

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading Cherry orchards is pooty, and 'ops 'as admirers, no doubt; But it's only when sport is afoot as the country's worth fussin' about.

it's

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

From this reading Cherry orchards is pooty, and 'ops 'as admirers, no doubt; But it's only when sport is afoot as the country's worth fussin' about.

KentnounUS /kent/

a county in southeastern England on the English Channel; formerly an Anglo-Saxon kingdom, it was the first to be colonized by the Romans

From this reading Could stars of Mayfair be content To round upon Rome or the Riggi, and smug up in Surrey or Kent?

likesnounUS /laɪks/

plural of “like” — a similar kind

From this reading Your toff likes the turmuts or stubbles when poultry is there to be shot.

Mayfair

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

From this reading Could stars of Mayfair be content To round upon Rome or the Riggi, and smug up in Surrey or Kent?

NodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading No fear!

NotadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading Not _der wriggle_, dear boy, I assure you.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Could stars of Mayfair be content To round upon Rome or the Riggi, and smug up in Surrey or Kent?

onlyadverbUS /ˈoʊnli/

and nothing more

From this reading Cherry orchards is pooty, and 'ops 'as admirers, no doubt; But it's only when sport is afoot as the country's worth fussin' about.

opsnounUS /ɑːps/

(Roman mythology) goddess of abundance and fertility; wife of Saturn; counterpart of Greek Rhea and Cybele of ancient Asia Minor

From this reading Cherry orchards is pooty, and 'ops 'as admirers, no doubt; But it's only when sport is afoot as the country's worth fussin' about.

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading Could stars of Mayfair be content To round upon Rome or the Riggi, and smug up in Surrey or Kent?

orchardsnounUS /ˈɔːrtʃərdz/

plural of “orchard” — garden consisting of a small cultivated wood without undergrowth

From this reading Cherry orchards is pooty, and 'ops 'as admirers, no doubt; But it's only when sport is afoot as the country's worth fussin' about.

pooty

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

From this reading Cherry orchards is pooty, and 'ops 'as admirers, no doubt; But it's only when sport is afoot as the country's worth fussin' about.

poultrynounUS /ˈpoʊltri/

a domesticated gallinaceous bird thought to be descended from the red jungle fowl

From this reading Your toff likes the turmuts or stubbles when poultry is there to be shot.

Riggi

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

From this reading Could stars of Mayfair be content To round upon Rome or the Riggi, and smug up in Surrey or Kent?

RomenounUS /roʊm/

capital and largest city of Italy; on the Tiber; seat of the Roman Catholic Church; formerly the capital of the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire

From this reading Could stars of Mayfair be content To round upon Rome or the Riggi, and smug up in Surrey or Kent?

roundnounUS /raʊnd/

a charge of ammunition for a single shot

From this reading Could stars of Mayfair be content To round upon Rome or the Riggi, and smug up in Surrey or Kent?

shotnounUS /ʃɑːt/

the act of firing a projectile

From this reading Your toff likes the turmuts or stubbles when poultry is there to be shot.

smugadjectiveUS /smʌɡ/

marked by excessive complacency or self-satisfaction

From this reading Could stars of Mayfair be content To round upon Rome or the Riggi, and smug up in Surrey or Kent?

sportnounUS /spɔːrt/

an active diversion requiring physical exertion and competition

From this reading Cherry orchards is pooty, and 'ops 'as admirers, no doubt; But it's only when sport is afoot as the country's worth fussin' about.

starsnounUS /stɑːrz/

plural of “star” — (astronomy) a celestial body of hot gases that radiates energy derived from thermonuclear reactions in the interior

From this reading Could stars of Mayfair be content To round upon Rome or the Riggi, and smug up in Surrey or Kent?

stubbles

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

From this reading Your toff likes the turmuts or stubbles when poultry is there to be shot.

SurreynounUS /ˈsɜːri/

a county in southeastern England on the Thames

From this reading Could stars of Mayfair be content To round upon Rome or the Riggi, and smug up in Surrey or Kent?

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading Could stars of Mayfair be content To round upon Rome or the Riggi, and smug up in Surrey or Kent?

thereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading Your toff likes the turmuts or stubbles when poultry is there to be shot.

ToparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading Could stars of Mayfair be content To round upon Rome or the Riggi, and smug up in Surrey or Kent?

toffnounUS /tɔːf/

informal term for an upper-class or wealthy person

From this reading Your toff likes the turmuts or stubbles when poultry is there to be shot.

turmuts

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

From this reading Your toff likes the turmuts or stubbles when poultry is there to be shot.

upadjectiveUS /ʌp/

being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level

From this reading Could stars of Mayfair be content To round upon Rome or the Riggi, and smug up in Surrey or Kent?

uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/

a formal word for “on”

From this reading Could stars of Mayfair be content To round upon Rome or the Riggi, and smug up in Surrey or Kent?

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading Cherry orchards is pooty, and 'ops 'as admirers, no doubt; But it's only when sport is afoot as the country's worth fussin' about.

worthnounUS /wɜːrθ/

an indefinite quantity of something having a specified value

From this reading Cherry orchards is pooty, and 'ops 'as admirers, no doubt; But it's only when sport is afoot as the country's worth fussin' about.

wriggleverbUS /ˈrɪɡəl/

to move in a twisting or contorted motion, (especially when struggling)

From this reading Not _der wriggle_, dear boy, I assure you.

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading Not _der wriggle_, dear boy, I assure you.

YourdeterminerUS /jɔːr/

belonging to the person or people being spoken to

From this reading Your toff likes the turmuts or stubbles when poultry is there to be shot.

Chapter 1 of Punch — Volume 99, August 16, 1890 by Various holds 571 sentences, grouped into 115 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 Punch — Volume 99, August 16, 1890 contain?

Chapter 1 holds 571 sentences of Punch — Volume 99, August 16, 1890, unabridged, divided into 115 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of Punch — Volume 99, August 16, 1890 by Various exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 571 sentences, grouped into 115 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 Punch — Volume 99, August 16, 1890?

Work through the 115 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 115 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 Punch — Volume 99, August 16, 1890

Common questions about reading Punch — Volume 99, August 16, 1890 by Various on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Punch — Volume 99, August 16, 1890?

Yes. All 571 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #12305 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Punch — Volume 99, August 16, 1890 is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #12305, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Punch — Volume 99, August 16, 1890 take to read?

About 47 minutes of reading across 115 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Punch — Volume 99, August 16, 1890 section by section

How to work through Punch — Volume 99, August 16, 1890 section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 1 chapters of Punch — Volume 99, August 16, 1890 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 Punch — Volume 99, August 16, 1890

Words and structures a reader meets early in Punch — Volume 99, August 16, 1890, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

London
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Punch — Volume 99, August 16, 1890; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Charivari
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Punch — Volume 99, August 16, 1890; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
August
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Punch — Volume 99, August 16, 1890; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Modern
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Punch — Volume 99, August 16, 1890; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.