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.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter I
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.
Almost as good as ever! _Wicket-keeper._ Well, ye-e-s! But you were thought so jolly clever. To me it seems 'tis your idea of Cricket To smash the wicket-keeper--not the wicket. Look at my hands!
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 65/114 · 5 reading units · Lines 321–325
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.
showing self-interest and shrewdness in dealing with others
From this reading “But you were thought so jolly clever.”
leaping insect; male makes chirping noises by rubbing the forewings together
From this reading “To me it seems 'tis your idea of Cricket To smash the wicket-keeper--not the wicket.”
the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading “To me it seems 'tis your idea of Cricket To smash the wicket-keeper--not the wicket.”
full of or showing high-spirited merriment
From this reading “But you were thought so jolly clever.”
third-person singular of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading “To me it seems 'tis your idea of Cricket To smash the wicket-keeper--not the wicket.”
hit hard
From this reading “To me it seems 'tis your idea of Cricket To smash the wicket-keeper--not the wicket.”
plural of “ti” — a light strong grey lustrous corrosion-resistant metallic element used in strong lightweight alloys (as for airplane parts); the main sources are rutile and ilmenite
From this reading “To me it seems 'tis your idea of Cricket To smash the wicket-keeper--not the wicket.”
cricket equipment consisting of a set of three stumps topped by crosspieces; used in playing cricket
From this reading “To me it seems 'tis your idea of Cricket To smash the wicket-keeper--not the wicket.”
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.
(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but
From this reading Almost as good as ever!
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading Almost as good as ever!
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Look at my hands!
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But you were thought so jolly clever.
showing self-interest and shrewdness in dealing with others
From this reading But you were thought so jolly clever.
leaping insect; male makes chirping noises by rubbing the forewings together
From this reading To me it seems 'tis your idea of Cricket To smash the wicket-keeper--not the wicket.
at any time
From this reading Almost as good as ever!
having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified
From this reading Almost as good as ever!
(with “in”) guardianship over; in divorce cases it is the right to house and care for and discipline a child
From this reading Look at my hands!
the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading To me it seems 'tis your idea of Cricket To smash the wicket-keeper--not the wicket.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading To me it seems 'tis your idea of Cricket To smash the wicket-keeper--not the wicket.
full of or showing high-spirited merriment
From this reading But you were thought so jolly clever.
perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading Look at my hands!
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading To me it seems 'tis your idea of Cricket To smash the wicket-keeper--not the wicket.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading Look at my hands!
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading To me it seems 'tis your idea of Cricket To smash the wicket-keeper--not the wicket.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading To me it seems 'tis your idea of Cricket To smash the wicket-keeper--not the wicket.
third-person singular of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading To me it seems 'tis your idea of Cricket To smash the wicket-keeper--not the wicket.
hit hard
From this reading To me it seems 'tis your idea of Cricket To smash the wicket-keeper--not the wicket.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading But you were thought so jolly clever.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading To me it seems 'tis your idea of Cricket To smash the wicket-keeper--not the wicket.
the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading But you were thought so jolly clever.
plural of “ti” — a light strong grey lustrous corrosion-resistant metallic element used in strong lightweight alloys (as for airplane parts); the main sources are rutile and ilmenite
From this reading To me it seems 'tis your idea of Cricket To smash the wicket-keeper--not the wicket.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading To me it seems 'tis your idea of Cricket To smash the wicket-keeper--not the wicket.
(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)
From this reading _Wicket-keeper._ Well, ye-e-s!
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading But you were thought so jolly clever.
cricket equipment consisting of a set of three stumps topped by crosspieces; used in playing cricket
From this reading To me it seems 'tis your idea of Cricket To smash the wicket-keeper--not the wicket.
stands behind the wicket to catch balls
From this reading _Wicket-keeper._ Well, ye-e-s!
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading _Wicket-keeper._ Well, ye-e-s!
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading But you were thought so jolly clever.
belonging to the person or people being spoken to
From this reading To me it seems 'tis your idea of Cricket To smash the wicket-keeper--not the wicket.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Common questions about reading Punch — Volume 99, August 16, 1890 by Various on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 571 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #12305 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #12305, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 47 minutes of reading across 115 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Punch — Volume 99, August 16, 1890 section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 1 chapters of Punch — Volume 99, August 16, 1890 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 Punch — Volume 99, August 16, 1890, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
