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The Autocrat of the Breakfast-Table
The Autocrat of the Breakfast-Table

Chapter XII · Chapter 12

Chapter 12 of The Autocrat of the Breakfast-Table is here in full — 417 sentences across 84 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Autocrat of the Breakfast-Table
Context Illustration Reading 1/83 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
[I did not think it probable that I should have a great many more talks with our company, and therefore I was anxious to get as much as I could into every conversation.
That is the reason why you will find some odd, miscellaneous facts here, which I wished to tell at least once, as I should not have a chance to tell them habitually at our breakfast-table.—We’re very free and easy, you know; we don’t read what we don’t like.
Our parish is so large, one can’t pretend to preach to all the pews at once.
One can’t be all the time trying to do the best of one’s best if a company works a steam fire-engine, the firemen needn’t be straining themselves all day to squirt over the top of the flagstaff.
Let them wash some of those lower-story windows a little.
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AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

The Autocrat of the Breakfast-Table

Chapter XII · Chapter 12

Chapter 12 of The Autocrat of the Breakfast-Table is here in full — 417 sentences across 84 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/83 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
[I did not think it probable that I should have a great many more talks with our company, and therefore I was anxious to get as much as I could into every conversation.
Line 2
That is the reason why you will find some odd, miscellaneous facts here, which I wished to tell at least once, as I should not have a chance to tell them habitually at our breakfast-table.—We’re very free and easy, you know; we don’t read what we don’t like.
Line 3
Our parish is so large, one can’t pretend to preach to all the pews at once.
Line 4
One can’t be all the time trying to do the best of one’s best if a company works a steam fire-engine, the firemen needn’t be straining themselves all day to squirt over the top of the flagstaff.
Line 5
Let them wash some of those lower-story windows a little.

All words in this reading · 96

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.

a

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

From this reading [I did not think it probable that I should have a great many more talks with our company, and therefore I was anxious to get as much as I could into every conversation.

all

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

From this reading Our parish is so large, one can’t pretend to preach to all the pews at once.

and

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

From this reading [I did not think it probable that I should have a great many more talks with our company, and therefore I was anxious to get as much as I could into every conversation.

anxious

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

From this reading [I did not think it probable that I should have a great many more talks with our company, and therefore I was anxious to get as much as I could into every conversation.

as

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

From this reading [I did not think it probable that I should have a great many more talks with our company, and therefore I was anxious to get as much as I could into every conversation.

at

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

From this reading That is the reason why you will find some odd, miscellaneous facts here, which I wished to tell at least once, as I should not have a chance to tell them habitually at our breakfast-table.—We’re very free and easy, you know; we don’t read what we don’t like.

be

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

From this reading One can’t be all the time trying to do the best of one’s best if a company works a steam fire-engine, the firemen needn’t be straining themselves all day to squirt over the top of the flagstaff.

best

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

From this reading One can’t be all the time trying to do the best of one’s best if a company works a steam fire-engine, the firemen needn’t be straining themselves all day to squirt over the top of the flagstaff.

breakfast-table

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

From this reading That is the reason why you will find some odd, miscellaneous facts here, which I wished to tell at least once, as I should not have a chance to tell them habitually at our breakfast-table.—We’re very free and easy, you know; we don’t read what we don’t like.

can't

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

From this reading Our parish is so large, one can’t pretend to preach to all the pews at once.

chance

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

From this reading That is the reason why you will find some odd, miscellaneous facts here, which I wished to tell at least once, as I should not have a chance to tell them habitually at our breakfast-table.—We’re very free and easy, you know; we don’t read what we don’t like.

company

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

From this reading [I did not think it probable that I should have a great many more talks with our company, and therefore I was anxious to get as much as I could into every conversation.

conversation

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

From this reading [I did not think it probable that I should have a great many more talks with our company, and therefore I was anxious to get as much as I could into every conversation.

could

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

From this reading [I did not think it probable that I should have a great many more talks with our company, and therefore I was anxious to get as much as I could into every conversation.

day

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

From this reading One can’t be all the time trying to do the best of one’s best if a company works a steam fire-engine, the firemen needn’t be straining themselves all day to squirt over the top of the flagstaff.

did

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

From this reading [I did not think it probable that I should have a great many more talks with our company, and therefore I was anxious to get as much as I could into every conversation.

do

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

From this reading One can’t be all the time trying to do the best of one’s best if a company works a steam fire-engine, the firemen needn’t be straining themselves all day to squirt over the top of the flagstaff.

don't

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

From this reading That is the reason why you will find some odd, miscellaneous facts here, which I wished to tell at least once, as I should not have a chance to tell them habitually at our breakfast-table.—We’re very free and easy, you know; we don’t read what we don’t like.

easy

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

From this reading That is the reason why you will find some odd, miscellaneous facts here, which I wished to tell at least once, as I should not have a chance to tell them habitually at our breakfast-table.—We’re very free and easy, you know; we don’t read what we don’t like.

every

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

From this reading [I did not think it probable that I should have a great many more talks with our company, and therefore I was anxious to get as much as I could into every conversation.

facts

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

From this reading That is the reason why you will find some odd, miscellaneous facts here, which I wished to tell at least once, as I should not have a chance to tell them habitually at our breakfast-table.—We’re very free and easy, you know; we don’t read what we don’t like.

find

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

From this reading That is the reason why you will find some odd, miscellaneous facts here, which I wished to tell at least once, as I should not have a chance to tell them habitually at our breakfast-table.—We’re very free and easy, you know; we don’t read what we don’t like.

fire-engine

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

From this reading One can’t be all the time trying to do the best of one’s best if a company works a steam fire-engine, the firemen needn’t be straining themselves all day to squirt over the top of the flagstaff.

firemen

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

From this reading One can’t be all the time trying to do the best of one’s best if a company works a steam fire-engine, the firemen needn’t be straining themselves all day to squirt over the top of the flagstaff.

flagstaff

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

From this reading One can’t be all the time trying to do the best of one’s best if a company works a steam fire-engine, the firemen needn’t be straining themselves all day to squirt over the top of the flagstaff.

free

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

From this reading That is the reason why you will find some odd, miscellaneous facts here, which I wished to tell at least once, as I should not have a chance to tell them habitually at our breakfast-table.—We’re very free and easy, you know; we don’t read what we don’t like.

get

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

From this reading [I did not think it probable that I should have a great many more talks with our company, and therefore I was anxious to get as much as I could into every conversation.

great

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

From this reading [I did not think it probable that I should have a great many more talks with our company, and therefore I was anxious to get as much as I could into every conversation.

habitually

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

From this reading That is the reason why you will find some odd, miscellaneous facts here, which I wished to tell at least once, as I should not have a chance to tell them habitually at our breakfast-table.—We’re very free and easy, you know; we don’t read what we don’t like.

have

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

From this reading [I did not think it probable that I should have a great many more talks with our company, and therefore I was anxious to get as much as I could into every conversation.

here

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

From this reading That is the reason why you will find some odd, miscellaneous facts here, which I wished to tell at least once, as I should not have a chance to tell them habitually at our breakfast-table.—We’re very free and easy, you know; we don’t read what we don’t like.

I

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

From this reading [I did not think it probable that I should have a great many more talks with our company, and therefore I was anxious to get as much as I could into every conversation.

if

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

From this reading One can’t be all the time trying to do the best of one’s best if a company works a steam fire-engine, the firemen needn’t be straining themselves all day to squirt over the top of the flagstaff.

into

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

From this reading [I did not think it probable that I should have a great many more talks with our company, and therefore I was anxious to get as much as I could into every conversation.

is

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

From this reading That is the reason why you will find some odd, miscellaneous facts here, which I wished to tell at least once, as I should not have a chance to tell them habitually at our breakfast-table.—We’re very free and easy, you know; we don’t read what we don’t like.

it

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

From this reading [I did not think it probable that I should have a great many more talks with our company, and therefore I was anxious to get as much as I could into every conversation.

know

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

From this reading That is the reason why you will find some odd, miscellaneous facts here, which I wished to tell at least once, as I should not have a chance to tell them habitually at our breakfast-table.—We’re very free and easy, you know; we don’t read what we don’t like.

large

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

From this reading Our parish is so large, one can’t pretend to preach to all the pews at once.

least

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

From this reading That is the reason why you will find some odd, miscellaneous facts here, which I wished to tell at least once, as I should not have a chance to tell them habitually at our breakfast-table.—We’re very free and easy, you know; we don’t read what we don’t like.

Let

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

From this reading Let them wash some of those lower-story windows a little.

like

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

From this reading That is the reason why you will find some odd, miscellaneous facts here, which I wished to tell at least once, as I should not have a chance to tell them habitually at our breakfast-table.—We’re very free and easy, you know; we don’t read what we don’t like.

little

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

From this reading Let them wash some of those lower-story windows a little.

lower-story

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

From this reading Let them wash some of those lower-story windows a little.

many

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

From this reading [I did not think it probable that I should have a great many more talks with our company, and therefore I was anxious to get as much as I could into every conversation.

miscellaneous

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

From this reading That is the reason why you will find some odd, miscellaneous facts here, which I wished to tell at least once, as I should not have a chance to tell them habitually at our breakfast-table.—We’re very free and easy, you know; we don’t read what we don’t like.

more

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

From this reading [I did not think it probable that I should have a great many more talks with our company, and therefore I was anxious to get as much as I could into every conversation.

much

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

From this reading [I did not think it probable that I should have a great many more talks with our company, and therefore I was anxious to get as much as I could into every conversation.

needn't

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

From this reading One can’t be all the time trying to do the best of one’s best if a company works a steam fire-engine, the firemen needn’t be straining themselves all day to squirt over the top of the flagstaff.

not

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

From this reading [I did not think it probable that I should have a great many more talks with our company, and therefore I was anxious to get as much as I could into every conversation.

odd

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

From this reading That is the reason why you will find some odd, miscellaneous facts here, which I wished to tell at least once, as I should not have a chance to tell them habitually at our breakfast-table.—We’re very free and easy, you know; we don’t read what we don’t like.

of

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

From this reading One can’t be all the time trying to do the best of one’s best if a company works a steam fire-engine, the firemen needn’t be straining themselves all day to squirt over the top of the flagstaff.

once

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

From this reading That is the reason why you will find some odd, miscellaneous facts here, which I wished to tell at least once, as I should not have a chance to tell them habitually at our breakfast-table.—We’re very free and easy, you know; we don’t read what we don’t like.

one

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

From this reading Our parish is so large, one can’t pretend to preach to all the pews at once.

one's

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

From this reading One can’t be all the time trying to do the best of one’s best if a company works a steam fire-engine, the firemen needn’t be straining themselves all day to squirt over the top of the flagstaff.

our

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

From this reading [I did not think it probable that I should have a great many more talks with our company, and therefore I was anxious to get as much as I could into every conversation.

over

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

From this reading One can’t be all the time trying to do the best of one’s best if a company works a steam fire-engine, the firemen needn’t be straining themselves all day to squirt over the top of the flagstaff.

parish

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

From this reading Our parish is so large, one can’t pretend to preach to all the pews at once.

pews

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

From this reading Our parish is so large, one can’t pretend to preach to all the pews at once.

preach

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

From this reading Our parish is so large, one can’t pretend to preach to all the pews at once.

pretend

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

From this reading Our parish is so large, one can’t pretend to preach to all the pews at once.

probable

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

From this reading [I did not think it probable that I should have a great many more talks with our company, and therefore I was anxious to get as much as I could into every conversation.

read

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

From this reading That is the reason why you will find some odd, miscellaneous facts here, which I wished to tell at least once, as I should not have a chance to tell them habitually at our breakfast-table.—We’re very free and easy, you know; we don’t read what we don’t like.

reason

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

From this reading That is the reason why you will find some odd, miscellaneous facts here, which I wished to tell at least once, as I should not have a chance to tell them habitually at our breakfast-table.—We’re very free and easy, you know; we don’t read what we don’t like.

should

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

From this reading [I did not think it probable that I should have a great many more talks with our company, and therefore I was anxious to get as much as I could into every conversation.

so

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

From this reading Our parish is so large, one can’t pretend to preach to all the pews at once.

some

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

From this reading That is the reason why you will find some odd, miscellaneous facts here, which I wished to tell at least once, as I should not have a chance to tell them habitually at our breakfast-table.—We’re very free and easy, you know; we don’t read what we don’t like.

squirt

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

From this reading One can’t be all the time trying to do the best of one’s best if a company works a steam fire-engine, the firemen needn’t be straining themselves all day to squirt over the top of the flagstaff.

steam

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

From this reading One can’t be all the time trying to do the best of one’s best if a company works a steam fire-engine, the firemen needn’t be straining themselves all day to squirt over the top of the flagstaff.

straining

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

From this reading One can’t be all the time trying to do the best of one’s best if a company works a steam fire-engine, the firemen needn’t be straining themselves all day to squirt over the top of the flagstaff.

talks

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

From this reading [I did not think it probable that I should have a great many more talks with our company, and therefore I was anxious to get as much as I could into every conversation.

tell

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

From this reading That is the reason why you will find some odd, miscellaneous facts here, which I wished to tell at least once, as I should not have a chance to tell them habitually at our breakfast-table.—We’re very free and easy, you know; we don’t read what we don’t like.

that

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

From this reading [I did not think it probable that I should have a great many more talks with our company, and therefore I was anxious to get as much as I could into every conversation.

the

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

From this reading That is the reason why you will find some odd, miscellaneous facts here, which I wished to tell at least once, as I should not have a chance to tell them habitually at our breakfast-table.—We’re very free and easy, you know; we don’t read what we don’t like.

them

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

From this reading That is the reason why you will find some odd, miscellaneous facts here, which I wished to tell at least once, as I should not have a chance to tell them habitually at our breakfast-table.—We’re very free and easy, you know; we don’t read what we don’t like.

themselves

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

From this reading One can’t be all the time trying to do the best of one’s best if a company works a steam fire-engine, the firemen needn’t be straining themselves all day to squirt over the top of the flagstaff.

therefore

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

From this reading [I did not think it probable that I should have a great many more talks with our company, and therefore I was anxious to get as much as I could into every conversation.

think

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

From this reading [I did not think it probable that I should have a great many more talks with our company, and therefore I was anxious to get as much as I could into every conversation.

those

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

From this reading Let them wash some of those lower-story windows a little.

time

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

From this reading One can’t be all the time trying to do the best of one’s best if a company works a steam fire-engine, the firemen needn’t be straining themselves all day to squirt over the top of the flagstaff.

to

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

From this reading [I did not think it probable that I should have a great many more talks with our company, and therefore I was anxious to get as much as I could into every conversation.

top

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

From this reading One can’t be all the time trying to do the best of one’s best if a company works a steam fire-engine, the firemen needn’t be straining themselves all day to squirt over the top of the flagstaff.

trying

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

From this reading One can’t be all the time trying to do the best of one’s best if a company works a steam fire-engine, the firemen needn’t be straining themselves all day to squirt over the top of the flagstaff.

very

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

From this reading That is the reason why you will find some odd, miscellaneous facts here, which I wished to tell at least once, as I should not have a chance to tell them habitually at our breakfast-table.—We’re very free and easy, you know; we don’t read what we don’t like.

was

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

From this reading [I did not think it probable that I should have a great many more talks with our company, and therefore I was anxious to get as much as I could into every conversation.

wash

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

From this reading Let them wash some of those lower-story windows a little.

we

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

From this reading That is the reason why you will find some odd, miscellaneous facts here, which I wished to tell at least once, as I should not have a chance to tell them habitually at our breakfast-table.—We’re very free and easy, you know; we don’t read what we don’t like.

We're

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

From this reading That is the reason why you will find some odd, miscellaneous facts here, which I wished to tell at least once, as I should not have a chance to tell them habitually at our breakfast-table.—We’re very free and easy, you know; we don’t read what we don’t like.

what

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

From this reading That is the reason why you will find some odd, miscellaneous facts here, which I wished to tell at least once, as I should not have a chance to tell them habitually at our breakfast-table.—We’re very free and easy, you know; we don’t read what we don’t like.

which

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

From this reading That is the reason why you will find some odd, miscellaneous facts here, which I wished to tell at least once, as I should not have a chance to tell them habitually at our breakfast-table.—We’re very free and easy, you know; we don’t read what we don’t like.

why

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

From this reading That is the reason why you will find some odd, miscellaneous facts here, which I wished to tell at least once, as I should not have a chance to tell them habitually at our breakfast-table.—We’re very free and easy, you know; we don’t read what we don’t like.

will

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

From this reading That is the reason why you will find some odd, miscellaneous facts here, which I wished to tell at least once, as I should not have a chance to tell them habitually at our breakfast-table.—We’re very free and easy, you know; we don’t read what we don’t like.

windows

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

From this reading Let them wash some of those lower-story windows a little.

wished

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

From this reading That is the reason why you will find some odd, miscellaneous facts here, which I wished to tell at least once, as I should not have a chance to tell them habitually at our breakfast-table.—We’re very free and easy, you know; we don’t read what we don’t like.

with

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

From this reading [I did not think it probable that I should have a great many more talks with our company, and therefore I was anxious to get as much as I could into every conversation.

works

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

From this reading One can’t be all the time trying to do the best of one’s best if a company works a steam fire-engine, the firemen needn’t be straining themselves all day to squirt over the top of the flagstaff.

you

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

From this reading That is the reason why you will find some odd, miscellaneous facts here, which I wished to tell at least once, as I should not have a chance to tell them habitually at our breakfast-table.—We’re very free and easy, you know; we don’t read what we don’t like.

Chapter 12 of The Autocrat of the Breakfast-Table by Oliver Wendell Holmes holds 417 sentences, grouped into 84 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.

What does chapter 12 of The Autocrat of the Breakfast-Table contain?

Chapter 12 holds 417 sentences of The Autocrat of the Breakfast-Table, unabridged, divided into 84 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 12 of The Autocrat of the Breakfast-Table by Oliver Wendell Holmes exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 417 sentences, grouped into 84 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 12 of The Autocrat of the Breakfast-Table?

Work through the 84 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 84 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 12 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 12 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 The Autocrat of the Breakfast-Table

Common questions about reading The Autocrat of the Breakfast-Table by Oliver Wendell Holmes on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Autocrat of the Breakfast-Table?

Yes. All 3590 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #751 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Autocrat of the Breakfast-Table is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #751, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Autocrat of the Breakfast-Table take to read?

About 299 minutes of reading across 718 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Autocrat of the Breakfast-Table section by section

How to work through The Autocrat of the Breakfast-Table section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 12 chapters of The Autocrat of the Breakfast-Table 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 The Autocrat of the Breakfast-Table

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Autocrat of the Breakfast-Table, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Going
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Autocrat of the Breakfast-Table; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Interrupted
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Autocrat of the Breakfast-Table; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Classifying
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Autocrat of the Breakfast-Table; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Minds
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Autocrat of the Breakfast-Table; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.