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Sketches of Young Gentlemen
Sketches of Young Gentlemen

Chapter IV · Chapter 4

Chapter 4 of Sketches of Young Gentlemen is here in full — 95 sentences across 19 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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With this, the poetical young gentleman laughs a laugh belonging only to poets and Mr. O. Smith of the Adelphi Theatre, and sits down, pen in hand, to throw off a page or two of verse in the biting, semi-atheistical demoniac style, which, like the poetical young gentleman himself, is full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.
THE THROWING-OFF YOUNG GENTLEMAN THERE is a certain kind of impostora bragging, vaunting, puffing young gentlemanagainst whom we are desirous to warn that fairer part of the creation, to whom we more peculiarly devote these our labours.
And we are particularly induced to lay especial stress upon this division of our subject, by a little dialogue we held some short time ago, with an esteemed young lady of our acquaintance, touching a most gross specimen of this class of men.
We had been urging all the absurdities of his conduct and conversation, and dwelling upon the impossibilities he constantly recountedto which indeed we had not scrupled to prefix a certain hard little word of one syllable and three letterswhen our fair friend, unable to maintain the contest any longer, reluctantly cried, Well; he certainly has a habit of throwing-off, but then—’ What then?
Throw him off yourself, said we.
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Sketches of Young Gentlemen

Chapter IV · Chapter 4

Chapter 4 of Sketches of Young Gentlemen is here in full — 95 sentences across 19 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/19 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
With this, the poetical young gentleman laughs a laugh belonging only to poets and Mr. O. Smith of the Adelphi Theatre, and sits down, pen in hand, to throw off a page or two of verse in the biting, semi-atheistical demoniac style, which, like the poetical young gentleman himself, is full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.
Line 2
THETHROWING-OFFYOUNG GENTLEMAN THERE is a certain kind of impostora bragging, vaunting, puffing young gentlemanagainst whom we are desirous to warn that fairer part of the creation, to whom we more peculiarly devote these our labours.
Line 3
And we are particularly induced to lay especial stress upon this division of our subject, by a little dialogue we held some short time ago, with an esteemed young lady of our acquaintance, touching a most gross specimen of this class of men.
/ənd wiː ɑːr ˌpɑːrˈtɪkjələrli ˌɪnˈduːst tuː leɪ əˈspeʃəl stres əˈpɑːn ðɪs dɪˈvɪʒən ʌv ˈaʊər səbˈdʒekt baɪ ə ˈlɪtəl ˈdaɪəlɔːɡ wiː held sʌm ʃɔːrt taɪm əˈɡoʊ wɪð æn ɪˈstiːmd jʌŋ ˈleɪdi ʌv ˈaʊər əˈkweɪntəns ˈtʌtʃɪŋ ə moʊst ɡroʊs ˈspesəmən ʌv ðɪs klæs ʌv men/
Line 4
We had been urging all the absurdities of his conduct and conversation, and dwelling upon the impossibilities he constantly recountedto which indeed we had not scrupled to prefix a certain hard little word of one syllable and three letterswhen our fair friend, unable to maintain the contest any longer, reluctantly cried, ‘Well; he certainly has a habit of throwing-off, but then—’ What then?
Line 5
Throw him off yourself, said we.
/θroʊ hɪm ɔːf jərˈself sed wiː/

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.

absurdities noun US /əbˈsɜːrdətiz/

plural of “absurdity” — a message whose content is at variance with reason

From this reading “We had been urging all the absurdities of his conduct and conversation, and dwelling upon the impossibilities he constantly recounted—to which indeed we had not scrupled to prefix a certain hard little word of one syllable and three letters—when our fair friend, unable to maintain the contest any longer, reluctantly cried, ‘Well; he certainly has a habit of throwing-off, but then—’ What then?”

bragging noun US /ˈbræɡɪŋ/

an instance of boastful talk

From this reading “THE ‘THROWING-OFF’ YOUNG GENTLEMAN THERE is a certain kind of impostor—a bragging, vaunting, puffing young gentleman—against whom we are desirous to warn that fairer part of the creation, to whom we more peculiarly devote these our labours.”

fairer adjective US /ˈferər/

comparative of “fair” — free from favoritism or self-interest or bias or deception; conforming with established standards or rules

From this reading “THE ‘THROWING-OFF’ YOUNG GENTLEMAN THERE is a certain kind of impostor—a bragging, vaunting, puffing young gentleman—against whom we are desirous to warn that fairer part of the creation, to whom we more peculiarly devote these our labours.”

impostor noun US /ˌɪmˈpɔːstər/

a person who makes deceitful pretenses

From this reading “THE ‘THROWING-OFF’ YOUNG GENTLEMAN THERE is a certain kind of impostor—a bragging, vaunting, puffing young gentleman—against whom we are desirous to warn that fairer part of the creation, to whom we more peculiarly devote these our labours.”

prefix noun US /ˈpriːfɪks/

an affix that is added in front of the word

From this reading “We had been urging all the absurdities of his conduct and conversation, and dwelling upon the impossibilities he constantly recounted—to which indeed we had not scrupled to prefix a certain hard little word of one syllable and three letters—when our fair friend, unable to maintain the contest any longer, reluctantly cried, ‘Well; he certainly has a habit of throwing-off, but then—’ What then?”

puffing noun US /ˈpʌfɪŋ/

blowing tobacco smoke out into the air

From this reading “THE ‘THROWING-OFF’ YOUNG GENTLEMAN THERE is a certain kind of impostor—a bragging, vaunting, puffing young gentleman—against whom we are desirous to warn that fairer part of the creation, to whom we more peculiarly devote these our labours.”

recounted verb US /rɪˈkaʊntɪd/

past form of “recount” — narrate or give a detailed account of

From this reading “We had been urging all the absurdities of his conduct and conversation, and dwelling upon the impossibilities he constantly recounted—to which indeed we had not scrupled to prefix a certain hard little word of one syllable and three letters—when our fair friend, unable to maintain the contest any longer, reluctantly cried, ‘Well; he certainly has a habit of throwing-off, but then—’ What then?”

signifying verb US /ˈsɪɡnəfaɪɪŋ/

-ing form of “signify” — denote or connote

From this reading “With this, the poetical young gentleman laughs a laugh belonging only to poets and Mr. O. Smith of the Adelphi Theatre, and sits down, pen in hand, to throw off a page or two of verse in the biting, semi-atheistical demoniac style, which, like the poetical young gentleman himself, is full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.”

All words in this reading · 137

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 With this, the poetical young gentleman laughs a laugh belonging only to poets and Mr. O. Smith of the Adelphi Theatre, and sits down, pen in hand, to throw off a page or two of verse in the biting, semi-atheistical demoniac style, which, like the poetical young gentleman himself, is full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.

absurditiesnounUS /əbˈsɜːrdətiz/

plural of “absurdity” — a message whose content is at variance with reason

From this reading We had been urging all the absurdities of his conduct and conversation, and dwelling upon the impossibilities he constantly recounted—to which indeed we had not scrupled to prefix a certain hard little word of one syllable and three letters—when our fair friend, unable to maintain the contest any longer, reluctantly cried, ‘Well; he certainly has a habit of throwing-off, but then—’ What then?

acquaintancenounUS /əˈkweɪntəns/

personal knowledge or information about someone or something

From this reading And we are particularly induced to lay especial stress upon this division of our subject, by a little dialogue we held some short time ago, with an esteemed young lady of our acquaintance, touching a most gross specimen of this class of men.

Adelphi

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

From this reading With this, the poetical young gentleman laughs a laugh belonging only to poets and Mr. O. Smith of the Adelphi Theatre, and sits down, pen in hand, to throw off a page or two of verse in the biting, semi-atheistical demoniac style, which, like the poetical young gentleman himself, is full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.

againstprepositionUS /əˈɡenst/

touching and pressing; in opposition to

From this reading THE ‘THROWING-OFF’ YOUNG GENTLEMAN THERE is a certain kind of impostor—a bragging, vaunting, puffing young gentleman—against whom we are desirous to warn that fairer part of the creation, to whom we more peculiarly devote these our labours.

agoadverbUS /əˈɡoʊ/

in the past

From this reading And we are particularly induced to lay especial stress upon this division of our subject, by a little dialogue we held some short time ago, with an esteemed young lady of our acquaintance, touching a most gross specimen of this class of men.

alladjectiveUS /ɔːl/

(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class

From this reading We had been urging all the absurdities of his conduct and conversation, and dwelling upon the impossibilities he constantly recounted—to which indeed we had not scrupled to prefix a certain hard little word of one syllable and three letters—when our fair friend, unable to maintain the contest any longer, reluctantly cried, ‘Well; he certainly has a habit of throwing-off, but then—’ What then?

andeterminerUS /æn/

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading And we are particularly induced to lay especial stress upon this division of our subject, by a little dialogue we held some short time ago, with an esteemed young lady of our acquaintance, touching a most gross specimen of this class of men.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading With this, the poetical young gentleman laughs a laugh belonging only to poets and Mr. O. Smith of the Adelphi Theatre, and sits down, pen in hand, to throw off a page or two of verse in the biting, semi-atheistical demoniac style, which, like the poetical young gentleman himself, is full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.

anyadjectiveUS /ˈeni/

one or some or every or all without specification

From this reading We had been urging all the absurdities of his conduct and conversation, and dwelling upon the impossibilities he constantly recounted—to which indeed we had not scrupled to prefix a certain hard little word of one syllable and three letters—when our fair friend, unable to maintain the contest any longer, reluctantly cried, ‘Well; he certainly has a habit of throwing-off, but then—’ What then?

areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/

the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading THE ‘THROWING-OFF’ YOUNG GENTLEMAN THERE is a certain kind of impostor—a bragging, vaunting, puffing young gentleman—against whom we are desirous to warn that fairer part of the creation, to whom we more peculiarly devote these our labours.

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading We had been urging all the absurdities of his conduct and conversation, and dwelling upon the impossibilities he constantly recounted—to which indeed we had not scrupled to prefix a certain hard little word of one syllable and three letters—when our fair friend, unable to maintain the contest any longer, reluctantly cried, ‘Well; he certainly has a habit of throwing-off, but then—’ What then?

belongingnounUS /bɪˈlɔːŋɪŋ/

happiness felt in a secure relationship

From this reading With this, the poetical young gentleman laughs a laugh belonging only to poets and Mr. O. Smith of the Adelphi Theatre, and sits down, pen in hand, to throw off a page or two of verse in the biting, semi-atheistical demoniac style, which, like the poetical young gentleman himself, is full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.

bitingadjectiveUS /ˈbaɪtɪŋ/

capable of wounding

From this reading With this, the poetical young gentleman laughs a laugh belonging only to poets and Mr. O. Smith of the Adelphi Theatre, and sits down, pen in hand, to throw off a page or two of verse in the biting, semi-atheistical demoniac style, which, like the poetical young gentleman himself, is full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.

braggingnounUS /ˈbræɡɪŋ/

an instance of boastful talk

From this reading THE ‘THROWING-OFF’ YOUNG GENTLEMAN THERE is a certain kind of impostor—a bragging, vaunting, puffing young gentleman—against whom we are desirous to warn that fairer part of the creation, to whom we more peculiarly devote these our labours.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading We had been urging all the absurdities of his conduct and conversation, and dwelling upon the impossibilities he constantly recounted—to which indeed we had not scrupled to prefix a certain hard little word of one syllable and three letters—when our fair friend, unable to maintain the contest any longer, reluctantly cried, ‘Well; he certainly has a habit of throwing-off, but then—’ What then?

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading And we are particularly induced to lay especial stress upon this division of our subject, by a little dialogue we held some short time ago, with an esteemed young lady of our acquaintance, touching a most gross specimen of this class of men.

certainadjectiveUS /ˈsɜːrtən/

definite but not specified or identified

From this reading THE ‘THROWING-OFF’ YOUNG GENTLEMAN THERE is a certain kind of impostor—a bragging, vaunting, puffing young gentleman—against whom we are desirous to warn that fairer part of the creation, to whom we more peculiarly devote these our labours.

certainlyadverbUS /ˈsɜːrtənli/

definitely or positively (“sure” is sometimes used informally for “surely”)

From this reading We had been urging all the absurdities of his conduct and conversation, and dwelling upon the impossibilities he constantly recounted—to which indeed we had not scrupled to prefix a certain hard little word of one syllable and three letters—when our fair friend, unable to maintain the contest any longer, reluctantly cried, ‘Well; he certainly has a habit of throwing-off, but then—’ What then?

classnounUS /klæs/

a collection of things sharing a common attribute

From this reading And we are particularly induced to lay especial stress upon this division of our subject, by a little dialogue we held some short time ago, with an esteemed young lady of our acquaintance, touching a most gross specimen of this class of men.

conductverbUS /ˈkɑːndəkt/

direct the course of; manage or control

From this reading We had been urging all the absurdities of his conduct and conversation, and dwelling upon the impossibilities he constantly recounted—to which indeed we had not scrupled to prefix a certain hard little word of one syllable and three letters—when our fair friend, unable to maintain the contest any longer, reluctantly cried, ‘Well; he certainly has a habit of throwing-off, but then—’ What then?

constantlyadverbUS /ˈkɑːnstəntli/

without variation or change, in every case

From this reading We had been urging all the absurdities of his conduct and conversation, and dwelling upon the impossibilities he constantly recounted—to which indeed we had not scrupled to prefix a certain hard little word of one syllable and three letters—when our fair friend, unable to maintain the contest any longer, reluctantly cried, ‘Well; he certainly has a habit of throwing-off, but then—’ What then?

contestnounUS /ˈkɑːntest/

an occasion on which a winner is selected from among two or more contestants

From this reading We had been urging all the absurdities of his conduct and conversation, and dwelling upon the impossibilities he constantly recounted—to which indeed we had not scrupled to prefix a certain hard little word of one syllable and three letters—when our fair friend, unable to maintain the contest any longer, reluctantly cried, ‘Well; he certainly has a habit of throwing-off, but then—’ What then?

conversationnounUS /ˌkɑːnvərˈseɪʃən/

the use of speech for informal exchange of views or ideas or information etc.

From this reading We had been urging all the absurdities of his conduct and conversation, and dwelling upon the impossibilities he constantly recounted—to which indeed we had not scrupled to prefix a certain hard little word of one syllable and three letters—when our fair friend, unable to maintain the contest any longer, reluctantly cried, ‘Well; he certainly has a habit of throwing-off, but then—’ What then?

creationnounUS /kriˈeɪʃən/

the human act of creating

From this reading THE ‘THROWING-OFF’ YOUNG GENTLEMAN THERE is a certain kind of impostor—a bragging, vaunting, puffing young gentleman—against whom we are desirous to warn that fairer part of the creation, to whom we more peculiarly devote these our labours.

criedverbUS /kraɪd/

inflected form of “cry” — utter a sudden loud cry

From this reading We had been urging all the absurdities of his conduct and conversation, and dwelling upon the impossibilities he constantly recounted—to which indeed we had not scrupled to prefix a certain hard little word of one syllable and three letters—when our fair friend, unable to maintain the contest any longer, reluctantly cried, ‘Well; he certainly has a habit of throwing-off, but then—’ What then?

demoniacnoun

someone who acts as if possessed by a demon

From this reading With this, the poetical young gentleman laughs a laugh belonging only to poets and Mr. O. Smith of the Adelphi Theatre, and sits down, pen in hand, to throw off a page or two of verse in the biting, semi-atheistical demoniac style, which, like the poetical young gentleman himself, is full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.

desirousadjectiveUS /dɪˈzaɪrəs/

having or expressing desire for something

From this reading THE ‘THROWING-OFF’ YOUNG GENTLEMAN THERE is a certain kind of impostor—a bragging, vaunting, puffing young gentleman—against whom we are desirous to warn that fairer part of the creation, to whom we more peculiarly devote these our labours.

devoteverbUS /dɪˈvoʊt/

give entirely to a specific person, activity, or cause

From this reading THE ‘THROWING-OFF’ YOUNG GENTLEMAN THERE is a certain kind of impostor—a bragging, vaunting, puffing young gentleman—against whom we are desirous to warn that fairer part of the creation, to whom we more peculiarly devote these our labours.

dialoguenounUS /ˈdaɪəlɔːɡ/

a conversation between two persons

From this reading And we are particularly induced to lay especial stress upon this division of our subject, by a little dialogue we held some short time ago, with an esteemed young lady of our acquaintance, touching a most gross specimen of this class of men.

divisionnounUS /dɪˈvɪʒən/

an army unit large enough to sustain combat

From this reading And we are particularly induced to lay especial stress upon this division of our subject, by a little dialogue we held some short time ago, with an esteemed young lady of our acquaintance, touching a most gross specimen of this class of men.

downadjectiveUS /daʊn/

being or moving lower in position or less in some value

From this reading With this, the poetical young gentleman laughs a laugh belonging only to poets and Mr. O. Smith of the Adelphi Theatre, and sits down, pen in hand, to throw off a page or two of verse in the biting, semi-atheistical demoniac style, which, like the poetical young gentleman himself, is full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.

dwellingnounUS /ˈdwelɪŋ/

housing that someone is living in

From this reading We had been urging all the absurdities of his conduct and conversation, and dwelling upon the impossibilities he constantly recounted—to which indeed we had not scrupled to prefix a certain hard little word of one syllable and three letters—when our fair friend, unable to maintain the contest any longer, reluctantly cried, ‘Well; he certainly has a habit of throwing-off, but then—’ What then?

especialadjectiveUS /əˈspeʃəl/

surpassing what is common or usual or expected

From this reading And we are particularly induced to lay especial stress upon this division of our subject, by a little dialogue we held some short time ago, with an esteemed young lady of our acquaintance, touching a most gross specimen of this class of men.

esteemedadjectiveUS /ɪˈstiːmd/

having an illustrious reputation; respected

From this reading And we are particularly induced to lay especial stress upon this division of our subject, by a little dialogue we held some short time ago, with an esteemed young lady of our acquaintance, touching a most gross specimen of this class of men.

fairadjectiveUS /fer/

free from favoritism or self-interest or bias or deception; conforming with established standards or rules

From this reading We had been urging all the absurdities of his conduct and conversation, and dwelling upon the impossibilities he constantly recounted—to which indeed we had not scrupled to prefix a certain hard little word of one syllable and three letters—when our fair friend, unable to maintain the contest any longer, reluctantly cried, ‘Well; he certainly has a habit of throwing-off, but then—’ What then?

faireradjectiveUS /ˈferər/

comparative of “fair” — free from favoritism or self-interest or bias or deception; conforming with established standards or rules

From this reading THE ‘THROWING-OFF’ YOUNG GENTLEMAN THERE is a certain kind of impostor—a bragging, vaunting, puffing young gentleman—against whom we are desirous to warn that fairer part of the creation, to whom we more peculiarly devote these our labours.

friendnounUS /frend/

a person you know well and regard with affection and trust

From this reading We had been urging all the absurdities of his conduct and conversation, and dwelling upon the impossibilities he constantly recounted—to which indeed we had not scrupled to prefix a certain hard little word of one syllable and three letters—when our fair friend, unable to maintain the contest any longer, reluctantly cried, ‘Well; he certainly has a habit of throwing-off, but then—’ What then?

fulladjectiveUS /fʊl/

containing as much or as many as is possible or normal

From this reading With this, the poetical young gentleman laughs a laugh belonging only to poets and Mr. O. Smith of the Adelphi Theatre, and sits down, pen in hand, to throw off a page or two of verse in the biting, semi-atheistical demoniac style, which, like the poetical young gentleman himself, is full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.

furynounUS /ˈfjʊri/

a feeling of intense anger

From this reading With this, the poetical young gentleman laughs a laugh belonging only to poets and Mr. O. Smith of the Adelphi Theatre, and sits down, pen in hand, to throw off a page or two of verse in the biting, semi-atheistical demoniac style, which, like the poetical young gentleman himself, is full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.

gentlemannounUS /ˈdʒentəlmən/

a man of refinement

From this reading With this, the poetical young gentleman laughs a laugh belonging only to poets and Mr. O. Smith of the Adelphi Theatre, and sits down, pen in hand, to throw off a page or two of verse in the biting, semi-atheistical demoniac style, which, like the poetical young gentleman himself, is full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.

grossadjectiveUS /ɡroʊs/

before any deductions

From this reading And we are particularly induced to lay especial stress upon this division of our subject, by a little dialogue we held some short time ago, with an esteemed young lady of our acquaintance, touching a most gross specimen of this class of men.

habitnounUS /ˈhæbət/

an established custom

From this reading We had been urging all the absurdities of his conduct and conversation, and dwelling upon the impossibilities he constantly recounted—to which indeed we had not scrupled to prefix a certain hard little word of one syllable and three letters—when our fair friend, unable to maintain the contest any longer, reluctantly cried, ‘Well; he certainly has a habit of throwing-off, but then—’ What then?

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading We had been urging all the absurdities of his conduct and conversation, and dwelling upon the impossibilities he constantly recounted—to which indeed we had not scrupled to prefix a certain hard little word of one syllable and three letters—when our fair friend, unable to maintain the contest any longer, reluctantly cried, ‘Well; he certainly has a habit of throwing-off, but then—’ What then?

handnounUS /hænd/

the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb

From this reading With this, the poetical young gentleman laughs a laugh belonging only to poets and Mr. O. Smith of the Adelphi Theatre, and sits down, pen in hand, to throw off a page or two of verse in the biting, semi-atheistical demoniac style, which, like the poetical young gentleman himself, is full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.

hardadjectiveUS /hɑːrd/

not easy; requiring great physical or mental effort to accomplish or comprehend or endure

From this reading We had been urging all the absurdities of his conduct and conversation, and dwelling upon the impossibilities he constantly recounted—to which indeed we had not scrupled to prefix a certain hard little word of one syllable and three letters—when our fair friend, unable to maintain the contest any longer, reluctantly cried, ‘Well; he certainly has a habit of throwing-off, but then—’ What then?

hasauxiliary verbUS /hæz/

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

From this reading We had been urging all the absurdities of his conduct and conversation, and dwelling upon the impossibilities he constantly recounted—to which indeed we had not scrupled to prefix a certain hard little word of one syllable and three letters—when our fair friend, unable to maintain the contest any longer, reluctantly cried, ‘Well; he certainly has a habit of throwing-off, but then—’ What then?

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading We had been urging all the absurdities of his conduct and conversation, and dwelling upon the impossibilities he constantly recounted—to which indeed we had not scrupled to prefix a certain hard little word of one syllable and three letters—when our fair friend, unable to maintain the contest any longer, reluctantly cried, ‘Well; he certainly has a habit of throwing-off, but then—’ What then?

heldadjectiveUS /held/

occupied or in the control of; often used in combination

From this reading And we are particularly induced to lay especial stress upon this division of our subject, by a little dialogue we held some short time ago, with an esteemed young lady of our acquaintance, touching a most gross specimen of this class of men.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

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

From this reading Throw him off yourself, said we.

himselfpronounUS /hɪmˈself/

used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object

From this reading With this, the poetical young gentleman laughs a laugh belonging only to poets and Mr. O. Smith of the Adelphi Theatre, and sits down, pen in hand, to throw off a page or two of verse in the biting, semi-atheistical demoniac style, which, like the poetical young gentleman himself, is full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading We had been urging all the absurdities of his conduct and conversation, and dwelling upon the impossibilities he constantly recounted—to which indeed we had not scrupled to prefix a certain hard little word of one syllable and three letters—when our fair friend, unable to maintain the contest any longer, reluctantly cried, ‘Well; he certainly has a habit of throwing-off, but then—’ What then?

impossibilities

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

From this reading We had been urging all the absurdities of his conduct and conversation, and dwelling upon the impossibilities he constantly recounted—to which indeed we had not scrupled to prefix a certain hard little word of one syllable and three letters—when our fair friend, unable to maintain the contest any longer, reluctantly cried, ‘Well; he certainly has a habit of throwing-off, but then—’ What then?

impostornounUS /ˌɪmˈpɔːstər/

a person who makes deceitful pretenses

From this reading THE ‘THROWING-OFF’ YOUNG GENTLEMAN THERE is a certain kind of impostor—a bragging, vaunting, puffing young gentleman—against whom we are desirous to warn that fairer part of the creation, to whom we more peculiarly devote these our labours.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading With this, the poetical young gentleman laughs a laugh belonging only to poets and Mr. O. Smith of the Adelphi Theatre, and sits down, pen in hand, to throw off a page or two of verse in the biting, semi-atheistical demoniac style, which, like the poetical young gentleman himself, is full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.

indeedadverbUS /ˌɪnˈdiːd/

in truth (often tends to intensify)

From this reading We had been urging all the absurdities of his conduct and conversation, and dwelling upon the impossibilities he constantly recounted—to which indeed we had not scrupled to prefix a certain hard little word of one syllable and three letters—when our fair friend, unable to maintain the contest any longer, reluctantly cried, ‘Well; he certainly has a habit of throwing-off, but then—’ What then?

inducedadjectiveUS /ˌɪnˈduːst/

brought about or caused; not spontaneous

From this reading And we are particularly induced to lay especial stress upon this division of our subject, by a little dialogue we held some short time ago, with an esteemed young lady of our acquaintance, touching a most gross specimen of this class of men.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading With this, the poetical young gentleman laughs a laugh belonging only to poets and Mr. O. Smith of the Adelphi Theatre, and sits down, pen in hand, to throw off a page or two of verse in the biting, semi-atheistical demoniac style, which, like the poetical young gentleman himself, is full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.

kindadjectiveUS /kaɪnd/

having or showing a tender and considerate and helpful nature; used especially of persons and their behavior

From this reading THE ‘THROWING-OFF’ YOUNG GENTLEMAN THERE is a certain kind of impostor—a bragging, vaunting, puffing young gentleman—against whom we are desirous to warn that fairer part of the creation, to whom we more peculiarly devote these our labours.

labours

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

From this reading THE ‘THROWING-OFF’ YOUNG GENTLEMAN THERE is a certain kind of impostor—a bragging, vaunting, puffing young gentleman—against whom we are desirous to warn that fairer part of the creation, to whom we more peculiarly devote these our labours.

ladynounUS /ˈleɪdi/

a polite name for any woman

From this reading And we are particularly induced to lay especial stress upon this division of our subject, by a little dialogue we held some short time ago, with an esteemed young lady of our acquaintance, touching a most gross specimen of this class of men.

laughnounUS /læf/

the sound of laughing

From this reading With this, the poetical young gentleman laughs a laugh belonging only to poets and Mr. O. Smith of the Adelphi Theatre, and sits down, pen in hand, to throw off a page or two of verse in the biting, semi-atheistical demoniac style, which, like the poetical young gentleman himself, is full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.

laughsnounUS /læfs/

plural of “laugh” — the sound of laughing

From this reading With this, the poetical young gentleman laughs a laugh belonging only to poets and Mr. O. Smith of the Adelphi Theatre, and sits down, pen in hand, to throw off a page or two of verse in the biting, semi-atheistical demoniac style, which, like the poetical young gentleman himself, is full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.

layverbUS /leɪ/

put into a certain place or abstract location

From this reading And we are particularly induced to lay especial stress upon this division of our subject, by a little dialogue we held some short time ago, with an esteemed young lady of our acquaintance, touching a most gross specimen of this class of men.

lettersnounUS /ˈletərz/

the literary culture

From this reading We had been urging all the absurdities of his conduct and conversation, and dwelling upon the impossibilities he constantly recounted—to which indeed we had not scrupled to prefix a certain hard little word of one syllable and three letters—when our fair friend, unable to maintain the contest any longer, reluctantly cried, ‘Well; he certainly has a habit of throwing-off, but then—’ What then?

likeverbUS /laɪk/

prefer or wish to do something

From this reading With this, the poetical young gentleman laughs a laugh belonging only to poets and Mr. O. Smith of the Adelphi Theatre, and sits down, pen in hand, to throw off a page or two of verse in the biting, semi-atheistical demoniac style, which, like the poetical young gentleman himself, is full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.

littleadjectiveUS /ˈlɪtəl/

limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading And we are particularly induced to lay especial stress upon this division of our subject, by a little dialogue we held some short time ago, with an esteemed young lady of our acquaintance, touching a most gross specimen of this class of men.

longeradverbUS /ˈlɔːŋɡər/

for more time

From this reading We had been urging all the absurdities of his conduct and conversation, and dwelling upon the impossibilities he constantly recounted—to which indeed we had not scrupled to prefix a certain hard little word of one syllable and three letters—when our fair friend, unable to maintain the contest any longer, reluctantly cried, ‘Well; he certainly has a habit of throwing-off, but then—’ What then?

maintainverbUS /meɪnˈteɪn/

cause to continue in a certain state, position, or activity; e.g., “keep clean”

From this reading We had been urging all the absurdities of his conduct and conversation, and dwelling upon the impossibilities he constantly recounted—to which indeed we had not scrupled to prefix a certain hard little word of one syllable and three letters—when our fair friend, unable to maintain the contest any longer, reluctantly cried, ‘Well; he certainly has a habit of throwing-off, but then—’ What then?

mennounUS /men/

the force of workers available

From this reading And we are particularly induced to lay especial stress upon this division of our subject, by a little dialogue we held some short time ago, with an esteemed young lady of our acquaintance, touching a most gross specimen of this class of men.

moreadjectiveUS /mɔːr/

(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree

From this reading THE ‘THROWING-OFF’ YOUNG GENTLEMAN THERE is a certain kind of impostor—a bragging, vaunting, puffing young gentleman—against whom we are desirous to warn that fairer part of the creation, to whom we more peculiarly devote these our labours.

mostadverbUS /moʊst/

used to form the superlative

From this reading And we are particularly induced to lay especial stress upon this division of our subject, by a little dialogue we held some short time ago, with an esteemed young lady of our acquaintance, touching a most gross specimen of this class of men.

MrnounUS /ˈmɪstər/

a form of address for a man

From this reading With this, the poetical young gentleman laughs a laugh belonging only to poets and Mr. O. Smith of the Adelphi Theatre, and sits down, pen in hand, to throw off a page or two of verse in the biting, semi-atheistical demoniac style, which, like the poetical young gentleman himself, is full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading We had been urging all the absurdities of his conduct and conversation, and dwelling upon the impossibilities he constantly recounted—to which indeed we had not scrupled to prefix a certain hard little word of one syllable and three letters—when our fair friend, unable to maintain the contest any longer, reluctantly cried, ‘Well; he certainly has a habit of throwing-off, but then—’ What then?

nothingpronounUS /ˈnʌθɪŋ/

not one thing; not anything

From this reading With this, the poetical young gentleman laughs a laugh belonging only to poets and Mr. O. Smith of the Adelphi Theatre, and sits down, pen in hand, to throw off a page or two of verse in the biting, semi-atheistical demoniac style, which, like the poetical young gentleman himself, is full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.

OnounUS /oʊ/

a nonmetallic bivalent element that is normally a colorless odorless tasteless nonflammable diatomic gas; constitutes 21 percent of the atmosphere by volume; the most abundant element in the earth's crust

From this reading With this, the poetical young gentleman laughs a laugh belonging only to poets and Mr. O. Smith of the Adelphi Theatre, and sits down, pen in hand, to throw off a page or two of verse in the biting, semi-atheistical demoniac style, which, like the poetical young gentleman himself, is full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading With this, the poetical young gentleman laughs a laugh belonging only to poets and Mr. O. Smith of the Adelphi Theatre, and sits down, pen in hand, to throw off a page or two of verse in the biting, semi-atheistical demoniac style, which, like the poetical young gentleman himself, is full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.

offadverbUS /ɔːf/

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

From this reading With this, the poetical young gentleman laughs a laugh belonging only to poets and Mr. O. Smith of the Adelphi Theatre, and sits down, pen in hand, to throw off a page or two of verse in the biting, semi-atheistical demoniac style, which, like the poetical young gentleman himself, is full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading We had been urging all the absurdities of his conduct and conversation, and dwelling upon the impossibilities he constantly recounted—to which indeed we had not scrupled to prefix a certain hard little word of one syllable and three letters—when our fair friend, unable to maintain the contest any longer, reluctantly cried, ‘Well; he certainly has a habit of throwing-off, but then—’ What then?

onlyadverbUS /ˈoʊnli/

and nothing more

From this reading With this, the poetical young gentleman laughs a laugh belonging only to poets and Mr. O. Smith of the Adelphi Theatre, and sits down, pen in hand, to throw off a page or two of verse in the biting, semi-atheistical demoniac style, which, like the poetical young gentleman himself, is full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading With this, the poetical young gentleman laughs a laugh belonging only to poets and Mr. O. Smith of the Adelphi Theatre, and sits down, pen in hand, to throw off a page or two of verse in the biting, semi-atheistical demoniac style, which, like the poetical young gentleman himself, is full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.

ourdeterminerUS /ˈaʊər/

belonging to the speaker and others

From this reading THE ‘THROWING-OFF’ YOUNG GENTLEMAN THERE is a certain kind of impostor—a bragging, vaunting, puffing young gentleman—against whom we are desirous to warn that fairer part of the creation, to whom we more peculiarly devote these our labours.

pagenounUS /peɪdʒ/

one side of one leaf (of a book or magazine or newspaper or letter etc.) or the written or pictorial matter it contains

From this reading With this, the poetical young gentleman laughs a laugh belonging only to poets and Mr. O. Smith of the Adelphi Theatre, and sits down, pen in hand, to throw off a page or two of verse in the biting, semi-atheistical demoniac style, which, like the poetical young gentleman himself, is full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.

partnounUS /pɑːrt/

something determined in relation to something that includes it

From this reading THE ‘THROWING-OFF’ YOUNG GENTLEMAN THERE is a certain kind of impostor—a bragging, vaunting, puffing young gentleman—against whom we are desirous to warn that fairer part of the creation, to whom we more peculiarly devote these our labours.

particularlyadverbUS /ˌpɑːrˈtɪkjələrli/

to a distinctly greater extent or degree than is common

From this reading And we are particularly induced to lay especial stress upon this division of our subject, by a little dialogue we held some short time ago, with an esteemed young lady of our acquaintance, touching a most gross specimen of this class of men.

peculiarlyadverbUS /pɪˈkjuːljərli/

uniquely or characteristically

From this reading THE ‘THROWING-OFF’ YOUNG GENTLEMAN THERE is a certain kind of impostor—a bragging, vaunting, puffing young gentleman—against whom we are desirous to warn that fairer part of the creation, to whom we more peculiarly devote these our labours.

pennounUS /pen/

a writing implement with a point from which ink flows

From this reading With this, the poetical young gentleman laughs a laugh belonging only to poets and Mr. O. Smith of the Adelphi Theatre, and sits down, pen in hand, to throw off a page or two of verse in the biting, semi-atheistical demoniac style, which, like the poetical young gentleman himself, is full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.

poeticaladjectiveUS /poʊˈetɪkəl/

of or relating to poetry

From this reading With this, the poetical young gentleman laughs a laugh belonging only to poets and Mr. O. Smith of the Adelphi Theatre, and sits down, pen in hand, to throw off a page or two of verse in the biting, semi-atheistical demoniac style, which, like the poetical young gentleman himself, is full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.

poetsnounUS /ˈpoʊəts/

plural of “poet” — a writer of poems (the term is usually reserved for writers of good poetry)

From this reading With this, the poetical young gentleman laughs a laugh belonging only to poets and Mr. O. Smith of the Adelphi Theatre, and sits down, pen in hand, to throw off a page or two of verse in the biting, semi-atheistical demoniac style, which, like the poetical young gentleman himself, is full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.

prefixnounUS /ˈpriːfɪks/

an affix that is added in front of the word

From this reading We had been urging all the absurdities of his conduct and conversation, and dwelling upon the impossibilities he constantly recounted—to which indeed we had not scrupled to prefix a certain hard little word of one syllable and three letters—when our fair friend, unable to maintain the contest any longer, reluctantly cried, ‘Well; he certainly has a habit of throwing-off, but then—’ What then?

puffingnounUS /ˈpʌfɪŋ/

blowing tobacco smoke out into the air

From this reading THE ‘THROWING-OFF’ YOUNG GENTLEMAN THERE is a certain kind of impostor—a bragging, vaunting, puffing young gentleman—against whom we are desirous to warn that fairer part of the creation, to whom we more peculiarly devote these our labours.

recountedverbUS /rɪˈkaʊntɪd/

past form of “recount” — narrate or give a detailed account of

From this reading We had been urging all the absurdities of his conduct and conversation, and dwelling upon the impossibilities he constantly recounted—to which indeed we had not scrupled to prefix a certain hard little word of one syllable and three letters—when our fair friend, unable to maintain the contest any longer, reluctantly cried, ‘Well; he certainly has a habit of throwing-off, but then—’ What then?

reluctantlyadverbUS /rɪˈlʌktəntli/

with reluctance

From this reading We had been urging all the absurdities of his conduct and conversation, and dwelling upon the impossibilities he constantly recounted—to which indeed we had not scrupled to prefix a certain hard little word of one syllable and three letters—when our fair friend, unable to maintain the contest any longer, reluctantly cried, ‘Well; he certainly has a habit of throwing-off, but then—’ What then?

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading Throw him off yourself, said we.

scrupled

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

From this reading We had been urging all the absurdities of his conduct and conversation, and dwelling upon the impossibilities he constantly recounted—to which indeed we had not scrupled to prefix a certain hard little word of one syllable and three letters—when our fair friend, unable to maintain the contest any longer, reluctantly cried, ‘Well; he certainly has a habit of throwing-off, but then—’ What then?

semi-atheistical

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

From this reading With this, the poetical young gentleman laughs a laugh belonging only to poets and Mr. O. Smith of the Adelphi Theatre, and sits down, pen in hand, to throw off a page or two of verse in the biting, semi-atheistical demoniac style, which, like the poetical young gentleman himself, is full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.

shortadjectiveUS /ʃɔːrt/

primarily temporal sense; indicating or being or seeming to be limited in duration

From this reading And we are particularly induced to lay especial stress upon this division of our subject, by a little dialogue we held some short time ago, with an esteemed young lady of our acquaintance, touching a most gross specimen of this class of men.

signifyingverbUS /ˈsɪɡnəfaɪɪŋ/

-ing form of “signify” — denote or connote

From this reading With this, the poetical young gentleman laughs a laugh belonging only to poets and Mr. O. Smith of the Adelphi Theatre, and sits down, pen in hand, to throw off a page or two of verse in the biting, semi-atheistical demoniac style, which, like the poetical young gentleman himself, is full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.

sitsverbUS /sɪts/

third-person singular of “sit” — be seated

From this reading With this, the poetical young gentleman laughs a laugh belonging only to poets and Mr. O. Smith of the Adelphi Theatre, and sits down, pen in hand, to throw off a page or two of verse in the biting, semi-atheistical demoniac style, which, like the poetical young gentleman himself, is full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.

SmithnounUS /smɪθ/

Rhodesian statesman who declared independence of Zimbabwe from Great Britain (born in 1919)

From this reading With this, the poetical young gentleman laughs a laugh belonging only to poets and Mr. O. Smith of the Adelphi Theatre, and sits down, pen in hand, to throw off a page or two of verse in the biting, semi-atheistical demoniac style, which, like the poetical young gentleman himself, is full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.

someadjectiveUS /sʌm/

(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity

From this reading And we are particularly induced to lay especial stress upon this division of our subject, by a little dialogue we held some short time ago, with an esteemed young lady of our acquaintance, touching a most gross specimen of this class of men.

soundnounUS /saʊnd/

the particular auditory effect produced by a given cause

From this reading With this, the poetical young gentleman laughs a laugh belonging only to poets and Mr. O. Smith of the Adelphi Theatre, and sits down, pen in hand, to throw off a page or two of verse in the biting, semi-atheistical demoniac style, which, like the poetical young gentleman himself, is full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.

specimennounUS /ˈspesəmən/

an example regarded as typical of its class

From this reading And we are particularly induced to lay especial stress upon this division of our subject, by a little dialogue we held some short time ago, with an esteemed young lady of our acquaintance, touching a most gross specimen of this class of men.

stressnounUS /stres/

the relative prominence of a syllable or musical note (especially with regard to stress or pitch)

From this reading And we are particularly induced to lay especial stress upon this division of our subject, by a little dialogue we held some short time ago, with an esteemed young lady of our acquaintance, touching a most gross specimen of this class of men.

stylenounUS /staɪl/

how something is done or how it happens

From this reading With this, the poetical young gentleman laughs a laugh belonging only to poets and Mr. O. Smith of the Adelphi Theatre, and sits down, pen in hand, to throw off a page or two of verse in the biting, semi-atheistical demoniac style, which, like the poetical young gentleman himself, is full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.

subjectnounUS /səbˈdʒekt/

the subject matter of a conversation or discussion

From this reading And we are particularly induced to lay especial stress upon this division of our subject, by a little dialogue we held some short time ago, with an esteemed young lady of our acquaintance, touching a most gross specimen of this class of men.

syllablenounUS /ˈsɪləbəl/

a unit of spoken language larger than a phoneme

From this reading We had been urging all the absurdities of his conduct and conversation, and dwelling upon the impossibilities he constantly recounted—to which indeed we had not scrupled to prefix a certain hard little word of one syllable and three letters—when our fair friend, unable to maintain the contest any longer, reluctantly cried, ‘Well; he certainly has a habit of throwing-off, but then—’ What then?

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading THE ‘THROWING-OFF’ YOUNG GENTLEMAN THERE is a certain kind of impostor—a bragging, vaunting, puffing young gentleman—against whom we are desirous to warn that fairer part of the creation, to whom we more peculiarly devote these our labours.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading With this, the poetical young gentleman laughs a laugh belonging only to poets and Mr. O. Smith of the Adelphi Theatre, and sits down, pen in hand, to throw off a page or two of verse in the biting, semi-atheistical demoniac style, which, like the poetical young gentleman himself, is full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.

TheatrenounUS /ˈθiːətər/

a building where theatrical performances or motion-picture shows can be presented

From this reading With this, the poetical young gentleman laughs a laugh belonging only to poets and Mr. O. Smith of the Adelphi Theatre, and sits down, pen in hand, to throw off a page or two of verse in the biting, semi-atheistical demoniac style, which, like the poetical young gentleman himself, is full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.

thenadverbUS /ðen/

subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)

From this reading We had been urging all the absurdities of his conduct and conversation, and dwelling upon the impossibilities he constantly recounted—to which indeed we had not scrupled to prefix a certain hard little word of one syllable and three letters—when our fair friend, unable to maintain the contest any longer, reluctantly cried, ‘Well; he certainly has a habit of throwing-off, but then—’ What then?

THEREadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading THE ‘THROWING-OFF’ YOUNG GENTLEMAN THERE is a certain kind of impostor—a bragging, vaunting, puffing young gentleman—against whom we are desirous to warn that fairer part of the creation, to whom we more peculiarly devote these our labours.

thesedeterminerUS /ðiːz/

the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned

From this reading THE ‘THROWING-OFF’ YOUNG GENTLEMAN THERE is a certain kind of impostor—a bragging, vaunting, puffing young gentleman—against whom we are desirous to warn that fairer part of the creation, to whom we more peculiarly devote these our labours.

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading With this, the poetical young gentleman laughs a laugh belonging only to poets and Mr. O. Smith of the Adelphi Theatre, and sits down, pen in hand, to throw off a page or two of verse in the biting, semi-atheistical demoniac style, which, like the poetical young gentleman himself, is full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.

threenounUS /θriː/

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one

From this reading We had been urging all the absurdities of his conduct and conversation, and dwelling upon the impossibilities he constantly recounted—to which indeed we had not scrupled to prefix a certain hard little word of one syllable and three letters—when our fair friend, unable to maintain the contest any longer, reluctantly cried, ‘Well; he certainly has a habit of throwing-off, but then—’ What then?

throwverbUS /θroʊ/

propel through the air

From this reading With this, the poetical young gentleman laughs a laugh belonging only to poets and Mr. O. Smith of the Adelphi Theatre, and sits down, pen in hand, to throw off a page or two of verse in the biting, semi-atheistical demoniac style, which, like the poetical young gentleman himself, is full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.

THROWING-OFF

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

From this reading THE ‘THROWING-OFF’ YOUNG GENTLEMAN THERE is a certain kind of impostor—a bragging, vaunting, puffing young gentleman—against whom we are desirous to warn that fairer part of the creation, to whom we more peculiarly devote these our labours.

timenounUS /taɪm/

an instance or single occasion for some event

From this reading And we are particularly induced to lay especial stress upon this division of our subject, by a little dialogue we held some short time ago, with an esteemed young lady of our acquaintance, touching a most gross specimen of this class of men.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading With this, the poetical young gentleman laughs a laugh belonging only to poets and Mr. O. Smith of the Adelphi Theatre, and sits down, pen in hand, to throw off a page or two of verse in the biting, semi-atheistical demoniac style, which, like the poetical young gentleman himself, is full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.

touchingadjectiveUS /ˈtʌtʃɪŋ/

arousing affect

From this reading And we are particularly induced to lay especial stress upon this division of our subject, by a little dialogue we held some short time ago, with an esteemed young lady of our acquaintance, touching a most gross specimen of this class of men.

twonounUS /tuː/

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number

From this reading With this, the poetical young gentleman laughs a laugh belonging only to poets and Mr. O. Smith of the Adelphi Theatre, and sits down, pen in hand, to throw off a page or two of verse in the biting, semi-atheistical demoniac style, which, like the poetical young gentleman himself, is full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.

unableadjectiveUS /əˈneɪbəl/

(usually followed by “to”) not having the necessary means or skill or know-how

From this reading We had been urging all the absurdities of his conduct and conversation, and dwelling upon the impossibilities he constantly recounted—to which indeed we had not scrupled to prefix a certain hard little word of one syllable and three letters—when our fair friend, unable to maintain the contest any longer, reluctantly cried, ‘Well; he certainly has a habit of throwing-off, but then—’ What then?

uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/

a formal word for “on”

From this reading And we are particularly induced to lay especial stress upon this division of our subject, by a little dialogue we held some short time ago, with an esteemed young lady of our acquaintance, touching a most gross specimen of this class of men.

urgingnounUS /ˈɜːrdʒɪŋ/

a verbalization that encourages you to attempt something

From this reading We had been urging all the absurdities of his conduct and conversation, and dwelling upon the impossibilities he constantly recounted—to which indeed we had not scrupled to prefix a certain hard little word of one syllable and three letters—when our fair friend, unable to maintain the contest any longer, reluctantly cried, ‘Well; he certainly has a habit of throwing-off, but then—’ What then?

vaunting

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

From this reading THE ‘THROWING-OFF’ YOUNG GENTLEMAN THERE is a certain kind of impostor—a bragging, vaunting, puffing young gentleman—against whom we are desirous to warn that fairer part of the creation, to whom we more peculiarly devote these our labours.

versenounUS /vɜːrs/

literature in metrical form

From this reading With this, the poetical young gentleman laughs a laugh belonging only to poets and Mr. O. Smith of the Adelphi Theatre, and sits down, pen in hand, to throw off a page or two of verse in the biting, semi-atheistical demoniac style, which, like the poetical young gentleman himself, is full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.

warnverbUS /wɔːrn/

notify of danger, potential harm, or risk

From this reading THE ‘THROWING-OFF’ YOUNG GENTLEMAN THERE is a certain kind of impostor—a bragging, vaunting, puffing young gentleman—against whom we are desirous to warn that fairer part of the creation, to whom we more peculiarly devote these our labours.

wepronounUS /wiː/

the speaker together with one or more other people

From this reading THE ‘THROWING-OFF’ YOUNG GENTLEMAN THERE is a certain kind of impostor—a bragging, vaunting, puffing young gentleman—against whom we are desirous to warn that fairer part of the creation, to whom we more peculiarly devote these our labours.

WelladverbUS /wel/

(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 We had been urging all the absurdities of his conduct and conversation, and dwelling upon the impossibilities he constantly recounted—to which indeed we had not scrupled to prefix a certain hard little word of one syllable and three letters—when our fair friend, unable to maintain the contest any longer, reluctantly cried, ‘Well; he certainly has a habit of throwing-off, but then—’ What then?

WhatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading We had been urging all the absurdities of his conduct and conversation, and dwelling upon the impossibilities he constantly recounted—to which indeed we had not scrupled to prefix a certain hard little word of one syllable and three letters—when our fair friend, unable to maintain the contest any longer, reluctantly cried, ‘Well; he certainly has a habit of throwing-off, but then—’ What then?

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading We had been urging all the absurdities of his conduct and conversation, and dwelling upon the impossibilities he constantly recounted—to which indeed we had not scrupled to prefix a certain hard little word of one syllable and three letters—when our fair friend, unable to maintain the contest any longer, reluctantly cried, ‘Well; he certainly has a habit of throwing-off, but then—’ What then?

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading With this, the poetical young gentleman laughs a laugh belonging only to poets and Mr. O. Smith of the Adelphi Theatre, and sits down, pen in hand, to throw off a page or two of verse in the biting, semi-atheistical demoniac style, which, like the poetical young gentleman himself, is full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.

whompronounUS /huːm/

the form of “who” used as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading THE ‘THROWING-OFF’ YOUNG GENTLEMAN THERE is a certain kind of impostor—a bragging, vaunting, puffing young gentleman—against whom we are desirous to warn that fairer part of the creation, to whom we more peculiarly devote these our labours.

WithprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading With this, the poetical young gentleman laughs a laugh belonging only to poets and Mr. O. Smith of the Adelphi Theatre, and sits down, pen in hand, to throw off a page or two of verse in the biting, semi-atheistical demoniac style, which, like the poetical young gentleman himself, is full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.

wordnounUS /wɜːrd/

a unit of language that native speakers can identify

From this reading We had been urging all the absurdities of his conduct and conversation, and dwelling upon the impossibilities he constantly recounted—to which indeed we had not scrupled to prefix a certain hard little word of one syllable and three letters—when our fair friend, unable to maintain the contest any longer, reluctantly cried, ‘Well; he certainly has a habit of throwing-off, but then—’ What then?

youngadjectiveUS /jʌŋ/

(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth

From this reading With this, the poetical young gentleman laughs a laugh belonging only to poets and Mr. O. Smith of the Adelphi Theatre, and sits down, pen in hand, to throw off a page or two of verse in the biting, semi-atheistical demoniac style, which, like the poetical young gentleman himself, is full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.

yourselfpronounUS /jərˈself/

used when the person spoken to is also the object of the action

From this reading Throw him off yourself, said we.

Chapter 4 of Sketches of Young Gentlemen by Charles Dickens holds 95 sentences, grouped into 19 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 4 of Sketches of Young Gentlemen contain?

Chapter 4 holds 95 sentences of Sketches of Young Gentlemen, unabridged, divided into 19 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 4 of Sketches of Young Gentlemen by Charles Dickens exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 95 sentences, grouped into 19 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 4 of Sketches of Young Gentlemen?

Work through the 19 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 19 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 4 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 4 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 Sketches of Young Gentlemen

Common questions about reading Sketches of Young Gentlemen by Charles Dickens on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Sketches of Young Gentlemen?

Yes. All 406 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #918 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Sketches of Young Gentlemen is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #918, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Sketches of Young Gentlemen take to read?

About 33 minutes of reading across 82 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Sketches of Young Gentlemen section by section

How to work through Sketches of Young Gentlemen section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 4 chapters of Sketches of Young Gentlemen 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 Sketches of Young Gentlemen

Words and structures a reader meets early in Sketches of Young Gentlemen, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Dedicator
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Sketches of Young Gentlemen; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Perused
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Sketches of Young Gentlemen; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Feelings
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Sketches of Young Gentlemen; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Virtuous
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Sketches of Young Gentlemen; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.