Chapter 22 of Strictly Business is here in full — 207 sentences across 42 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XXII
Chapter 22 of Strictly Business is here in full — 207 sentences across 42 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
“See here, Fanny,” said the Cop, red and angry, “I’ll take you, too, if you don’t look out! How do you know this ain’t the man I want? What are you doing in here with him?” “How do I know?” said the girl, flaming red and white by turns. “Because I’ve known him a year.
Chapter 22 of Strictly Business is here in full — 207 sentences across 42 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/41 · 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.
feeling or showing anger
From this reading ““See here, Fanny,” said the Cop, red and angry, “I’ll take you, too, if you don’t look out!”
uncomplimentary terms for a policeman
From this reading ““See here, Fanny,” said the Cop, red and angry, “I’ll take you, too, if you don’t look out!”
-ing form of “do” — engage in
From this reading “What are you doing in here with him?””
the fleshy part of the human body that you sit on
From this reading ““See here, Fanny,” said the Cop, red and angry, “I’ll take you, too, if you don’t look out!”
informal intensifiers
From this reading ““How do I know?” said the girl, flaming red and white by turns.”
red color or pigment; the chromatic color resembling the hue of blood
From this reading ““See here, Fanny,” said the Cop, red and angry, “I’ll take you, too, if you don’t look out!”
plural of “turn” — a circular segment of a curve
From this reading ““How do I know?” said the girl, flaming red and white by turns.”
a period of time containing 365 (or 366) days
From this reading ““Because I’ve known him a year.”
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 “Because I’ve known him a year.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading How do you know this ain’t the man I want?
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading “See here, Fanny,” said the Cop, red and angry, “I’ll take you, too, if you don’t look out!
feeling or showing anger
From this reading “See here, Fanny,” said the Cop, red and angry, “I’ll take you, too, if you don’t look out!
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading What are you doing in here with him?”
for the reason that
From this reading “Because I’ve known him a year.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading “How do I know?” said the girl, flaming red and white by turns.
uncomplimentary terms for a policeman
From this reading “See here, Fanny,” said the Cop, red and angry, “I’ll take you, too, if you don’t look out!
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading How do you know this ain’t the man I want?
-ing form of “do” — engage in
From this reading What are you doing in here with him?”
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “See here, Fanny,” said the Cop, red and angry, “I’ll take you, too, if you don’t look out!
the fleshy part of the human body that you sit on
From this reading “See here, Fanny,” said the Cop, red and angry, “I’ll take you, too, if you don’t look out!
informal intensifiers
From this reading “How do I know?” said the girl, flaming red and white by turns.
a young female
From this reading “How do I know?” said the girl, flaming red and white by turns.
in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is
From this reading “See here, Fanny,” said the Cop, red and angry, “I’ll take you, too, if you don’t look out!
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading What are you doing in here with him?”
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading How do you know this ain’t the man I want?
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading How do you know this ain’t the man I want?
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “See here, Fanny,” said the Cop, red and angry, “I’ll take you, too, if you don’t look out!
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Because I’ve known him a year.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading “See here, Fanny,” said the Cop, red and angry, “I’ll take you, too, if you don’t look out!
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading What are you doing in here with him?”
be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading How do you know this ain’t the man I want?
apprehended with certainty
From this reading “Because I’ve known him a year.
perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading “See here, Fanny,” said the Cop, red and angry, “I’ll take you, too, if you don’t look out!
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading How do you know this ain’t the man I want?
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading “See here, Fanny,” said the Cop, red and angry, “I’ll take you, too, if you don’t look out!
red color or pigment; the chromatic color resembling the hue of blood
From this reading “See here, Fanny,” said the Cop, red and angry, “I’ll take you, too, if you don’t look out!
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading “See here, Fanny,” said the Cop, red and angry, “I’ll take you, too, if you don’t look out!
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading “See here, Fanny,” said the Cop, red and angry, “I’ll take you, too, if you don’t look out!
carry out
From this reading “See here, Fanny,” said the Cop, red and angry, “I’ll take you, too, if you don’t look out!
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading “See here, Fanny,” said the Cop, red and angry, “I’ll take you, too, if you don’t look out!
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading How do you know this ain’t the man I want?
to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits
From this reading “See here, Fanny,” said the Cop, red and angry, “I’ll take you, too, if you don’t look out!
plural of “turn” — a circular segment of a curve
From this reading “How do I know?” said the girl, flaming red and white by turns.
feel or have a desire for; want strongly
From this reading How do you know this ain’t the man I want?
used to ask for information about something
From this reading What are you doing in here with him?”
a Caucasian
From this reading “How do I know?” said the girl, flaming red and white by turns.
in the company of; together with
From this reading What are you doing in here with him?”
a period of time containing 365 (or 366) days
From this reading “Because I’ve known him a year.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading “See here, Fanny,” said the Cop, red and angry, “I’ll take you, too, if you don’t look out!
Chapter 22 of Strictly Business by O. Henry holds 207 sentences, grouped into 42 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the public-domain source, 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 22 holds 207 sentences of Strictly Business, unabridged, divided into 42 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 22 of Strictly Business by O. Henry exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 207 sentences, grouped into 42 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 42 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 42 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 22 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 Strictly Business by O. Henry on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 4844 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #2141 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #2141, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 403 minutes of reading across 969 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Strictly Business section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 24 chapters of Strictly Business 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 Strictly Business, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
