Chapter 27 of Scottish sketches is here in full — 118 sentences across 24 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XXVII
Chapter 27 of Scottish sketches is here in full — 118 sentences across 24 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"There's few folk ken Ragon Torr as I do, mother. He is better at heart than thou wad think; indeed he is!" "If better were within, better wad come out, John. He's been drunk or dovering i' the chimney-corner these past three weeks. Hech! but he'd do weel i' Fool's Land, where they get half a crown a day for sleeping."
Chapter 27 of Scottish sketches is here in full — 118 sentences across 24 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/23 · 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.
the Crown (or the reigning monarch) as the symbol of the power and authority of a monarchy
From this reading “Hech! but he'd do weel i' Fool's Land, where they get half a crown a day for sleeping."”
stupefied or excited by a chemical substance (especially alcohol)
From this reading “He's been drunk or dovering i' the chimney-corner these past three weeks.”
people in general (often used in the plural)
From this reading “"There's few folk ken Ragon Torr as I do, mother.”
possessive form of “fool” — a person who lacks good judgment
From this reading “Hech! but he'd do weel i' Fool's Land, where they get half a crown a day for sleeping."”
range of what one can know or understand
From this reading “"There's few folk ken Ragon Torr as I do, mother.”
the state of being asleep
From this reading “Hech! but he'd do weel i' Fool's Land, where they get half a crown a day for sleeping."”
a unit of pressure equal to 0.001316 atmosphere; named after Torricelli
From this reading “"There's few folk ken Ragon Torr as I do, mother.”
compress into a wad
From this reading “He is better at heart than thou wad think; indeed he is!"”
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 Hech! but he'd do weel i' Fool's Land, where they get half a crown a day for sleeping."
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading "There's few folk ken Ragon Torr as I do, mother.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading He is better at heart than thou wad think; indeed he is!"
the past participle of “be”
From this reading He's been drunk or dovering i' the chimney-corner these past three weeks.
(comparative of “good”) superior to another (of the same class or set or kind) in excellence or quality or desirability or suitability; more highly skilled than another
From this reading He is better at heart than thou wad think; indeed he is!"
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading Hech! but he'd do weel i' Fool's Land, where they get half a crown a day for sleeping."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He's been drunk or dovering i' the chimney-corner these past three weeks.
move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading "If better were within, better wad come out, John.
the Crown (or the reigning monarch) as the symbol of the power and authority of a monarchy
From this reading Hech! but he'd do weel i' Fool's Land, where they get half a crown a day for sleeping."
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading Hech! but he'd do weel i' Fool's Land, where they get half a crown a day for sleeping."
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading "There's few folk ken Ragon Torr as I do, mother.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He's been drunk or dovering i' the chimney-corner these past three weeks.
stupefied or excited by a chemical substance (especially alcohol)
From this reading He's been drunk or dovering i' the chimney-corner these past three weeks.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number
From this reading "There's few folk ken Ragon Torr as I do, mother.
people in general (often used in the plural)
From this reading "There's few folk ken Ragon Torr as I do, mother.
possessive form of “fool” — a person who lacks good judgment
From this reading Hech! but he'd do weel i' Fool's Land, where they get half a crown a day for sleeping."
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Hech! but he'd do weel i' Fool's Land, where they get half a crown a day for sleeping."
come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading Hech! but he'd do weel i' Fool's Land, where they get half a crown a day for sleeping."
consisting of one of two equivalent parts in value or quantity
From this reading Hech! but he'd do weel i' Fool's Land, where they get half a crown a day for sleeping."
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He is better at heart than thou wad think; indeed he is!"
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Hech! but he'd do weel i' Fool's Land, where they get half a crown a day for sleeping."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He's been drunk or dovering i' the chimney-corner these past three weeks.
the locus of feelings and intuitions
From this reading He is better at heart than thou wad think; indeed he is!"
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Hech! but he'd do weel i' Fool's Land, where they get half a crown a day for sleeping."
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "There's few folk ken Ragon Torr as I do, mother.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading "If better were within, better wad come out, John.
in truth (often tends to intensify)
From this reading He is better at heart than thou wad think; indeed he is!"
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading He is better at heart than thou wad think; indeed he is!"
a room or building equipped with one or more toilets
From this reading "If better were within, better wad come out, John.
range of what one can know or understand
From this reading "There's few folk ken Ragon Torr as I do, mother.
the land on which real estate is located
From this reading Hech! but he'd do weel i' Fool's Land, where they get half a crown a day for sleeping."
a woman who has given birth to a child (also used as a term of address to your mother)
From this reading "There's few folk ken Ragon Torr as I do, mother.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading He's been drunk or dovering i' the chimney-corner these past three weeks.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading "If better were within, better wad come out, John.
the time that has elapsed
From this reading He's been drunk or dovering i' the chimney-corner these past three weeks.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "There's few folk ken Ragon Torr as I do, mother.
the state of being asleep
From this reading Hech! but he'd do weel i' Fool's Land, where they get half a crown a day for sleeping."
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading He is better at heart than thou wad think; indeed he is!"
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading He's been drunk or dovering i' the chimney-corner these past three weeks.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "There's few folk ken Ragon Torr as I do, mother.
the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned
From this reading He's been drunk or dovering i' the chimney-corner these past three weeks.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Hech! but he'd do weel i' Fool's Land, where they get half a crown a day for sleeping."
judge or regard; look upon; judge
From this reading He is better at heart than thou wad think; indeed he is!"
an old word for “you”, as the subject, speaking to one person
From this reading He is better at heart than thou wad think; indeed he is!"
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one
From this reading He's been drunk or dovering i' the chimney-corner these past three weeks.
a unit of pressure equal to 0.001316 atmosphere; named after Torricelli
From this reading "There's few folk ken Ragon Torr as I do, mother.
compress into a wad
From this reading He is better at heart than thou wad think; indeed he is!"
plural of “week” — any period of seven consecutive days
From this reading He's been drunk or dovering i' the chimney-corner these past three weeks.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Hech! but he'd do weel i' Fool's Land, where they get half a crown a day for sleeping."
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading "If better were within, better wad come out, John.
in or at the place that
From this reading Hech! but he'd do weel i' Fool's Land, where they get half a crown a day for sleeping."
inside; before a period of time has passed
From this reading "If better were within, better wad come out, John.
Chapter 27 of Scottish sketches by Amelia E. Barr holds 118 sentences, grouped into 24 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 27 holds 118 sentences of Scottish sketches, unabridged, divided into 24 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 27 of Scottish sketches by Amelia E. Barr exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 118 sentences, grouped into 24 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 24 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 24 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 27 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 Scottish sketches by Amelia E. Barr on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 3507 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #14494 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #14494, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 292 minutes of reading across 702 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Scottish sketches section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 32 chapters of Scottish sketches 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 Scottish sketches, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
