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Shorty McCabe
Shorty McCabe

Chapter IX · Chapter 9

Chapter 9 of Shorty McCabe is here in full — 294 sentences across 59 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Shorty McCabe
Context Illustration Reading 1/58 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
How about him, eh?--the two-spot of clubs in billiard cloth and buttons at the door.
There's no tellin' what the Studio'll have next--maybe a sidewalk canopy and a carriage caller.
Swifty Joe's gettin' ambitious.
Me gettin' mixed up with that Newport push has gone to Swifty's head like a four-line notice does to the pompadour of a second row chorus girl.
First off he says it's a shame I don't have a valet.
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AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Shorty McCabe

Chapter IX · Chapter 9

Chapter 9 of Shorty McCabe is here in full — 294 sentences across 59 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/58 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
How about him, eh?--the two-spot of clubs in billiard cloth and buttons at the door.
Line 2
There's no tellin' what the Studio'll have next--maybe a sidewalk canopy and a carriage caller.
Line 3
Swifty Joe's gettin' ambitious.
Line 4
Me gettin' mixed up with that Newport push has gone to Swifty's head like a four-line notice does to the pompadour of a second row chorus girl.
Line 5
First off he says it's a shame I don't have a valet.

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.

billiard adjective US /ˈbɪljərd/

of or relating to billiards

From this reading “How about him, eh?--the two-spot of clubs in billiard cloth and buttons at the door.”

buttons noun US /ˈbʌtənz/

plural of “button” — a round fastener sewn to shirts and coats etc to fit through buttonholes

From this reading “How about him, eh?--the two-spot of clubs in billiard cloth and buttons at the door.”

caller noun US /ˈkɔːlər/

a social or business visitor

From this reading “There's no tellin' what the Studio'll have next--maybe a sidewalk canopy and a carriage caller.”

canopy noun US /ˈkæn.ə.pi/

An overhead roof or structure, such as the high vaulted ceiling of an ancient library.

From this reading “There's no tellin' what the Studio'll have next--maybe a sidewalk canopy and a carriage caller.”

clubs noun US /klʌbz/

plural of “club” — a team of professional baseball players who play and travel together

From this reading “How about him, eh?--the two-spot of clubs in billiard cloth and buttons at the door.”

Newport noun US /ˈnuːpɔːrt/

a port city in southeastern Wales

From this reading “Me gettin' mixed up with that Newport push has gone to Swifty's head like a four-line notice does to the pompadour of a second row chorus girl.”

pompadour noun US /ˈpɑːmpədɔːr/

French noblewoman who was the lover of Louis XV, whose policies she influenced (1721-1764)

From this reading “Me gettin' mixed up with that Newport push has gone to Swifty's head like a four-line notice does to the pompadour of a second row chorus girl.”

sidewalk noun US /ˈsaɪdwɔːk/

walk consisting of a paved area for pedestrians; usually beside a street or roadway

From this reading “There's no tellin' what the Studio'll have next--maybe a sidewalk canopy and a carriage caller.”

All words in this reading · 62

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.

adeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading There's no tellin' what the Studio'll have next--maybe a sidewalk canopy and a carriage caller.

aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading How about him, eh?--the two-spot of clubs in billiard cloth and buttons at the door.

ambitiousadjectiveUS /æmˈbɪʃəs/

having a strong desire for success or achievement

From this reading Swifty Joe's gettin' ambitious.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading How about him, eh?--the two-spot of clubs in billiard cloth and buttons at the door.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading How about him, eh?--the two-spot of clubs in billiard cloth and buttons at the door.

billiardadjectiveUS /ˈbɪljərd/

of or relating to billiards

From this reading How about him, eh?--the two-spot of clubs in billiard cloth and buttons at the door.

buttonsnounUS /ˈbʌtənz/

plural of “button” — a round fastener sewn to shirts and coats etc to fit through buttonholes

From this reading How about him, eh?--the two-spot of clubs in billiard cloth and buttons at the door.

callernounUS /ˈkɔːlər/

a social or business visitor

From this reading There's no tellin' what the Studio'll have next--maybe a sidewalk canopy and a carriage caller.

canopynounUS /ˈkæn.ə.pi/

An overhead roof or structure, such as the high vaulted ceiling of an ancient library.

From this reading There's no tellin' what the Studio'll have next--maybe a sidewalk canopy and a carriage caller.

carriagenounUS /ˈkærɪdʒ/

a railcar where passengers ride

From this reading There's no tellin' what the Studio'll have next--maybe a sidewalk canopy and a carriage caller.

chorusnounUS /ˈkɔːrəs/

any utterance produced simultaneously by a group

From this reading Me gettin' mixed up with that Newport push has gone to Swifty's head like a four-line notice does to the pompadour of a second row chorus girl.

clothnounUS /klɔːθ/

artifact made by weaving or felting or knitting or crocheting natural or synthetic fibers

From this reading How about him, eh?--the two-spot of clubs in billiard cloth and buttons at the door.

clubsnounUS /klʌbz/

plural of “club” — a team of professional baseball players who play and travel together

From this reading How about him, eh?--the two-spot of clubs in billiard cloth and buttons at the door.

doesauxiliary verbUS /dʌz/

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

From this reading Me gettin' mixed up with that Newport push has gone to Swifty's head like a four-line notice does to the pompadour of a second row chorus girl.

don't

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

From this reading First off he says it's a shame I don't have a valet.

doornounUS /dɔːr/

a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle

From this reading How about him, eh?--the two-spot of clubs in billiard cloth and buttons at the door.

eh

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

From this reading How about him, eh?--the two-spot of clubs in billiard cloth and buttons at the door.

FirstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/

preceding all others in time or space or degree

From this reading First off he says it's a shame I don't have a valet.

four-line

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

From this reading Me gettin' mixed up with that Newport push has gone to Swifty's head like a four-line notice does to the pompadour of a second row chorus girl.

gettin

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

From this reading Swifty Joe's gettin' ambitious.

girlnounUS /ɡɜːrl/

a young female

From this reading Me gettin' mixed up with that Newport push has gone to Swifty's head like a four-line notice does to the pompadour of a second row chorus girl.

goneadjectiveUS /ɡɔːn/

destroyed or killed

From this reading Me gettin' mixed up with that Newport push has gone to Swifty's head like a four-line notice does to the pompadour of a second row chorus girl.

hasauxiliary verbUS /hæz/

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

From this reading Me gettin' mixed up with that Newport push has gone to Swifty's head like a four-line notice does to the pompadour of a second row chorus girl.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading There's no tellin' what the Studio'll have next--maybe a sidewalk canopy and a carriage caller.

hepronounUS /hiː/

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading First off he says it's a shame I don't have a valet.

headnounUS /hed/

the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains

From this reading Me gettin' mixed up with that Newport push has gone to Swifty's head like a four-line notice does to the pompadour of a second row chorus girl.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading How about him, eh?--the two-spot of clubs in billiard cloth and buttons at the door.

How

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

From this reading How about him, eh?--the two-spot of clubs in billiard cloth and buttons at the door.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading First off he says it's a shame I don't have a valet.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading How about him, eh?--the two-spot of clubs in billiard cloth and buttons at the door.

it's

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

From this reading First off he says it's a shame I don't have a valet.

Joe's

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

From this reading Swifty Joe's gettin' ambitious.

likeverbUS /laɪk/

prefer or wish to do something

From this reading Me gettin' mixed up with that Newport push has gone to Swifty's head like a four-line notice does to the pompadour of a second row chorus girl.

maybeadverbUS /ˈmeɪbi/

by chance

From this reading There's no tellin' what the Studio'll have next--maybe a sidewalk canopy and a carriage caller.

MepronounUS /miː/

the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading Me gettin' mixed up with that Newport push has gone to Swifty's head like a four-line notice does to the pompadour of a second row chorus girl.

mixedadjectiveUS /mɪkst/

consisting of a haphazard assortment of different kinds

From this reading Me gettin' mixed up with that Newport push has gone to Swifty's head like a four-line notice does to the pompadour of a second row chorus girl.

NewportnounUS /ˈnuːpɔːrt/

a port city in southeastern Wales

From this reading Me gettin' mixed up with that Newport push has gone to Swifty's head like a four-line notice does to the pompadour of a second row chorus girl.

nextadjectiveUS /nekst/

immediately following in time or order

From this reading There's no tellin' what the Studio'll have next--maybe a sidewalk canopy and a carriage caller.

nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading There's no tellin' what the Studio'll have next--maybe a sidewalk canopy and a carriage caller.

noticenounUS /ˈnoʊtəs/

an announcement containing information about an event

From this reading Me gettin' mixed up with that Newport push has gone to Swifty's head like a four-line notice does to the pompadour of a second row chorus girl.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading How about him, eh?--the two-spot of clubs in billiard cloth and buttons at the door.

offadverbUS /ɔːf/

from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)

From this reading First off he says it's a shame I don't have a valet.

pompadournounUS /ˈpɑːmpədɔːr/

French noblewoman who was the lover of Louis XV, whose policies she influenced (1721-1764)

From this reading Me gettin' mixed up with that Newport push has gone to Swifty's head like a four-line notice does to the pompadour of a second row chorus girl.

pushverbUS /pʊʃ/

move with force

From this reading Me gettin' mixed up with that Newport push has gone to Swifty's head like a four-line notice does to the pompadour of a second row chorus girl.

rownounUS /roʊ/

an arrangement of objects or people side by side in a line

From this reading Me gettin' mixed up with that Newport push has gone to Swifty's head like a four-line notice does to the pompadour of a second row chorus girl.

saysnounUS /sez/

plural of “say” — the chance to speak

From this reading First off he says it's a shame I don't have a valet.

secondnounUS /ˈsekənd/

1/60 of a minute; the basic unit of time adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites

From this reading Me gettin' mixed up with that Newport push has gone to Swifty's head like a four-line notice does to the pompadour of a second row chorus girl.

shamenounUS /ʃeɪm/

a painful emotion resulting from an awareness of inadequacy or guilt

From this reading First off he says it's a shame I don't have a valet.

sidewalknounUS /ˈsaɪdwɔːk/

walk consisting of a paved area for pedestrians; usually beside a street or roadway

From this reading There's no tellin' what the Studio'll have next--maybe a sidewalk canopy and a carriage caller.

Studio'll

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

From this reading There's no tellin' what the Studio'll have next--maybe a sidewalk canopy and a carriage caller.

Swifty

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

From this reading Swifty Joe's gettin' ambitious.

Swifty's

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

From this reading Me gettin' mixed up with that Newport push has gone to Swifty's head like a four-line notice does to the pompadour of a second row chorus girl.

tellin

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

From this reading There's no tellin' what the Studio'll have next--maybe a sidewalk canopy and a carriage caller.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading Me gettin' mixed up with that Newport push has gone to Swifty's head like a four-line notice does to the pompadour of a second row chorus girl.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading How about him, eh?--the two-spot of clubs in billiard cloth and buttons at the door.

There's

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

From this reading There's no tellin' what the Studio'll have next--maybe a sidewalk canopy and a carriage caller.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading Me gettin' mixed up with that Newport push has gone to Swifty's head like a four-line notice does to the pompadour of a second row chorus girl.

two-spot

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

From this reading How about him, eh?--the two-spot of clubs in billiard cloth and buttons at the door.

upadjectiveUS /ʌp/

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

From this reading Me gettin' mixed up with that Newport push has gone to Swifty's head like a four-line notice does to the pompadour of a second row chorus girl.

valetnounUS /væˈleɪ/

a manservant who acts as a personal attendant to his employer

From this reading First off he says it's a shame I don't have a valet.

whatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading There's no tellin' what the Studio'll have next--maybe a sidewalk canopy and a carriage caller.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading Me gettin' mixed up with that Newport push has gone to Swifty's head like a four-line notice does to the pompadour of a second row chorus girl.

Chapter 9 of Shorty McCabe by Sewell Ford holds 294 sentences, grouped into 59 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 9 of Shorty McCabe contain?

Chapter 9 holds 294 sentences of Shorty McCabe, unabridged, divided into 59 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 9 of Shorty McCabe by Sewell Ford exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 294 sentences, grouped into 59 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 9 of Shorty McCabe?

Work through the 59 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 59 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 9 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 9 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 Shorty McCabe

Common questions about reading Shorty McCabe by Sewell Ford on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Shorty McCabe?

Yes. All 4792 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #22249 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Shorty McCabe is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #22249, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Shorty McCabe take to read?

About 399 minutes of reading across 959 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Shorty McCabe section by section

How to work through Shorty McCabe section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 15 chapters of Shorty McCabe 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 Shorty McCabe

Words and structures a reader meets early in Shorty McCabe, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Excuse
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Shorty McCabe; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Mister
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Shorty McCabe; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Ain't
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Shorty McCabe; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
You--hello
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Shorty McCabe; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.