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Taking Chances
Taking Chances

Chapter VIII

Chapter 8 of Taking Chances is here in full — 421 sentences across 85 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Taking Chances
Context Illustration Reading 1/84 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
"’Oh, you’d better take it out in sleeping, Fat,’ replied Dunwoody.
You look just a bit tired, and we’re going to make a night of it, most likely, with whisky trimmings.
You can’t do that very well without hurting yourself, and if you came in and we got into you you’d feel like playing until you evened up, and ud get no rest.
Better not come in, Fat.
Better hit your bunk for a long snooze.
0:00 / 0:00
Speed 0.75x
AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Taking Chances

Chapter VIII

Chapter 8 of Taking Chances is here in full — 421 sentences across 85 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/84 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
"’Oh, you’d better take it out in sleeping, Fat,’ replied Dunwoody.
Line 2
You look just a bit tired, and we’re going to make a night of it, most likely, with whisky trimmings.
Line 3
You can’t do that very well without hurting yourself, and if you came in and we got into you you’d feel like playing until you evened up, andud get no rest.
Line 4
Better not come in, Fat.
/ˈbetər nɑːt kʌm ɪn fæt/
Line 5
Better hit your bunk for a long snooze.
/ˈbetər hɪt jɔːr bʌŋk fɔːr ə lɔːŋ snuːz/

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.

bunk noun US /bʌŋk/

a long trough for feeding cattle

From this reading “Better hit your bunk for a long snooze.”

evened verb US /ˈiːvənd/

past form of “even” — make level or straight

From this reading “You can’t do that very well without hurting yourself, and if you came in and we got into you you’d feel like playing until you evened up, and ’ud get no rest.”

Fat adjective US /fæt/

having an (over)abundance of flesh

From this reading “"’Oh, you’d better take it out in sleeping, Fat,’ replied Dunwoody.”

hurting noun US /ˈhɜːrtɪŋ/

a symptom of some physical hurt or disorder

From this reading “You can’t do that very well without hurting yourself, and if you came in and we got into you you’d feel like playing until you evened up, and ’ud get no rest.”

sleeping noun US /ˈsliːpɪŋ/

the state of being asleep

From this reading “"’Oh, you’d better take it out in sleeping, Fat,’ replied Dunwoody.”

snooze noun US /snuːz/

sleeping for a short period of time (usually not in bed)

From this reading “Better hit your bunk for a long snooze.”

trimmings noun US /ˈtrɪmɪŋz/

the accessories that normally accompany (something or some activity)

From this reading “’You look just a bit tired, and we’re going to make a night of it, most likely, with whisky trimmings.”

whisky noun US /ˈwɪski/

a liquor made from fermented mash of grain

From this reading “’You look just a bit tired, and we’re going to make a night of it, most likely, with whisky trimmings.”

Word partnerships in these lines

English keeps certain words together, and knowing the pair is worth more than knowing each word alone. Every partnership below was counted across our whole published library, and earns its place by appearing far more often than two unrelated words of the same frequency would.

Shown as this reading writes them, with the form the library counts, what kind of pairing it is, and how often it occurs.

without hurting preposition + noun

In this reading “You can’t do that very well without hurting yourself, and if you came in and we got into you you’d feel like playing until you evened up, and ’ud get no rest.”

most likely adverb + adjective

In this reading “’You look just a bit tired, and we’re going to make a night of it, most likely, with whisky trimmings.”

got into verb + particle counted as “get into”

get involved in or with

In this reading “You can’t do that very well without hurting yourself, and if you came in and we got into you you’d feel like playing until you evened up, and ’ud get no rest.”

came in verb + particle counted as “come in”

to come or go into

In this reading “You can’t do that very well without hurting yourself, and if you came in and we got into you you’d feel like playing until you evened up, and ’ud get no rest.”

All words in this reading · 60

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 ’You look just a bit tired, and we’re going to make a night of it, most likely, with whisky trimmings.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading ’You look just a bit tired, and we’re going to make a night of it, most likely, with whisky trimmings.

betteradjectiveUS /ˈbetər/

(comparative of “good”) superior to another (of the same class or set or kind) in excellence or quality or desirability or suitability; more highly skilled than another

From this reading "’Oh, you’d better take it out in sleeping, Fat,’ replied Dunwoody.

bitnounUS /bɪt/

a small piece or quantity of something

From this reading ’You look just a bit tired, and we’re going to make a night of it, most likely, with whisky trimmings.

bunknounUS /bʌŋk/

a long trough for feeding cattle

From this reading Better hit your bunk for a long snooze.

cameverbUS /keɪm/

inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading You can’t do that very well without hurting yourself, and if you came in and we got into you you’d feel like playing until you evened up, and ’ud get no rest.

can't

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

From this reading You can’t do that very well without hurting yourself, and if you came in and we got into you you’d feel like playing until you evened up, and ’ud get no rest.

comeverbUS /kʌm/

move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading Better not come in, Fat.

doauxiliary verbUS /duː/

used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis

From this reading You can’t do that very well without hurting yourself, and if you came in and we got into you you’d feel like playing until you evened up, and ’ud get no rest.

Dunwoody

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

From this reading "’Oh, you’d better take it out in sleeping, Fat,’ replied Dunwoody.

evenedverbUS /ˈiːvənd/

past form of “even” — make level or straight

From this reading You can’t do that very well without hurting yourself, and if you came in and we got into you you’d feel like playing until you evened up, and ’ud get no rest.

FatadjectiveUS /fæt/

having an (over)abundance of flesh

From this reading "’Oh, you’d better take it out in sleeping, Fat,’ replied Dunwoody.

feelverbUS /fiːl/

undergo an emotional sensation or be in a particular state of mind

From this reading You can’t do that very well without hurting yourself, and if you came in and we got into you you’d feel like playing until you evened up, and ’ud get no rest.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading Better hit your bunk for a long snooze.

getverbUS /ɡet/

come into the possession of something concrete or abstract

From this reading You can’t do that very well without hurting yourself, and if you came in and we got into you you’d feel like playing until you evened up, and ’ud get no rest.

goingnounUS /ˈɡoʊɪŋ/

the act of departing

From this reading ’You look just a bit tired, and we’re going to make a night of it, most likely, with whisky trimmings.

gotverbUS /ɡɑːt/

inflected form of “get” — come into the possession of something concrete or abstract

From this reading You can’t do that very well without hurting yourself, and if you came in and we got into you you’d feel like playing until you evened up, and ’ud get no rest.

hitverbUS /hɪt/

cause to move by striking

From this reading Better hit your bunk for a long snooze.

hurtingnounUS /ˈhɜːrtɪŋ/

a symptom of some physical hurt or disorder

From this reading You can’t do that very well without hurting yourself, and if you came in and we got into you you’d feel like playing until you evened up, and ’ud get no rest.

ifconjunctionUS /ɪf/

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading You can’t do that very well without hurting yourself, and if you came in and we got into you you’d feel like playing until you evened up, and ’ud get no rest.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading "’Oh, you’d better take it out in sleeping, Fat,’ replied Dunwoody.

intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/

moving to the inside of something

From this reading You can’t do that very well without hurting yourself, and if you came in and we got into you you’d feel like playing until you evened up, and ’ud get no rest.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading "’Oh, you’d better take it out in sleeping, Fat,’ replied Dunwoody.

justadverbUS /dʒʌst/

and nothing more

From this reading ’You look just a bit tired, and we’re going to make a night of it, most likely, with whisky trimmings.

likeverbUS /laɪk/

prefer or wish to do something

From this reading You can’t do that very well without hurting yourself, and if you came in and we got into you you’d feel like playing until you evened up, and ’ud get no rest.

likelyadjectiveUS /ˈlaɪkli/

has a good chance of being the case or of coming about

From this reading ’You look just a bit tired, and we’re going to make a night of it, most likely, with whisky trimmings.

longadjectiveUS /lɔːŋ/

primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified

From this reading Better hit your bunk for a long snooze.

lookverbUS /lʊk/

perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards

From this reading ’You look just a bit tired, and we’re going to make a night of it, most likely, with whisky trimmings.

makeverbUS /meɪk/

engage in

From this reading ’You look just a bit tired, and we’re going to make a night of it, most likely, with whisky trimmings.

mostadverbUS /moʊst/

used to form the superlative

From this reading ’You look just a bit tired, and we’re going to make a night of it, most likely, with whisky trimmings.

nightnounUS /naɪt/

the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside

From this reading ’You look just a bit tired, and we’re going to make a night of it, most likely, with whisky trimmings.

nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading You can’t do that very well without hurting yourself, and if you came in and we got into you you’d feel like playing until you evened up, and ’ud get no rest.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading Better not come in, Fat.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading ’You look just a bit tired, and we’re going to make a night of it, most likely, with whisky trimmings.

OhnounUS /oʊ/

a midwestern state in north central United States in the Great Lakes region

From this reading "’Oh, you’d better take it out in sleeping, Fat,’ replied Dunwoody.

outadjectiveUS /aʊt/

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading "’Oh, you’d better take it out in sleeping, Fat,’ replied Dunwoody.

playingnounUS /ˈpleɪɪŋ/

the act of playing a musical instrument

From this reading You can’t do that very well without hurting yourself, and if you came in and we got into you you’d feel like playing until you evened up, and ’ud get no rest.

repliedverbUS /rɪˈplaɪd/

inflected form of “reply” — react verbally

From this reading "’Oh, you’d better take it out in sleeping, Fat,’ replied Dunwoody.

restverbUS /rest/

not move; be in a resting position

From this reading You can’t do that very well without hurting yourself, and if you came in and we got into you you’d feel like playing until you evened up, and ’ud get no rest.

sleepingnounUS /ˈsliːpɪŋ/

the state of being asleep

From this reading "’Oh, you’d better take it out in sleeping, Fat,’ replied Dunwoody.

snoozenounUS /snuːz/

sleeping for a short period of time (usually not in bed)

From this reading Better hit your bunk for a long snooze.

takeverbUS /teɪk/

carry out

From this reading "’Oh, you’d better take it out in sleeping, Fat,’ replied Dunwoody.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading You can’t do that very well without hurting yourself, and if you came in and we got into you you’d feel like playing until you evened up, and ’ud get no rest.

tiredadjectiveUS /ˈtaɪərd/

depleted of strength or energy

From this reading ’You look just a bit tired, and we’re going to make a night of it, most likely, with whisky trimmings.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading ’You look just a bit tired, and we’re going to make a night of it, most likely, with whisky trimmings.

trimmingsnounUS /ˈtrɪmɪŋz/

the accessories that normally accompany (something or some activity)

From this reading ’You look just a bit tired, and we’re going to make a night of it, most likely, with whisky trimmings.

ud

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

From this reading You can’t do that very well without hurting yourself, and if you came in and we got into you you’d feel like playing until you evened up, and ’ud get no rest.

untilprepositionUS /ənˈtɪl/

up to a particular time

From this reading You can’t do that very well without hurting yourself, and if you came in and we got into you you’d feel like playing until you evened up, and ’ud get no rest.

upadjectiveUS /ʌp/

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

From this reading You can’t do that very well without hurting yourself, and if you came in and we got into you you’d feel like playing until you evened up, and ’ud get no rest.

veryadjectiveUS /ˈveri/

precisely as stated

From this reading You can’t do that very well without hurting yourself, and if you came in and we got into you you’d feel like playing until you evened up, and ’ud get no rest.

wepronounUS /wiː/

the speaker together with one or more other people

From this reading You can’t do that very well without hurting yourself, and if you came in and we got into you you’d feel like playing until you evened up, and ’ud get no rest.

we're

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

From this reading ’You look just a bit tired, and we’re going to make a night of it, most likely, with whisky trimmings.

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 You can’t do that very well without hurting yourself, and if you came in and we got into you you’d feel like playing until you evened up, and ’ud get no rest.

whiskynounUS /ˈwɪski/

a liquor made from fermented mash of grain

From this reading ’You look just a bit tired, and we’re going to make a night of it, most likely, with whisky trimmings.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading ’You look just a bit tired, and we’re going to make a night of it, most likely, with whisky trimmings.

withoutprepositionUS /wɪˈθaʊt/

not having, not using, or not accompanied by

From this reading You can’t do that very well without hurting yourself, and if you came in and we got into you you’d feel like playing until you evened up, and ’ud get no rest.

YoupronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading ’You look just a bit tired, and we’re going to make a night of it, most likely, with whisky trimmings.

you'd

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

From this reading "’Oh, you’d better take it out in sleeping, Fat,’ replied Dunwoody.

yourdeterminerUS /jɔːr/

belonging to the person or people being spoken to

From this reading Better hit your bunk for a long snooze.

yourselfpronounUS /jərˈself/

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

From this reading You can’t do that very well without hurting yourself, and if you came in and we got into you you’d feel like playing until you evened up, and ’ud get no rest.

Chapter 8 of Taking Chances by Clarence Louis, -1922 Cullen holds 421 sentences, grouped into 85 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 8 of Taking Chances contain?

Chapter 8 holds 421 sentences of Taking Chances, unabridged, divided into 85 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 8 of Taking Chances by Clarence Louis, -1922 Cullen exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 421 sentences, grouped into 85 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 8 of Taking Chances?

Work through the 85 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 85 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 8 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 8 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 Taking Chances

Common questions about reading Taking Chances by Clarence Louis, -1922 Cullen on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Taking Chances?

Yes. All 4035 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #37477 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Taking Chances is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #37477, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Taking Chances take to read?

About 336 minutes of reading across 807 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Taking Chances section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 10 chapters of Taking Chances 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 Taking Chances

Words and structures a reader meets early in Taking Chances, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Author
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Taking Chances; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Tales
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Taking Chances; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Ex-tanks
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Taking Chances; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Introductory
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Taking Chances; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.