Chapter 1 of The Big Time is here in full — 223 sentences across 45 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
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Chapter I
Chapter 1 of The Big Time is here in full — 223 sentences across 45 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
_You can't know there's a war on--for the Snakes coil and Spiders weave to keep you from knowing it's being fought over your live and dead body!_ When shall we three meet again In thunder, lightning, or in rain? When the hurlyburly's done. When the battle's lost and won. My name is Greta Forzane. Twenty-nine and a party girl would describe me.
Chapter 1 of The Big Time is here in full — 223 sentences across 45 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/44 · 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.
possessive form of “battle” — a hostile meeting of opposing military forces in the course of a war
From this reading “When the battle's lost and won.”
a structure consisting of something wound in a continuous series of loops
From this reading “_You can't know there's a war on--for the Snakes coil and Spiders weave to keep you from knowing it's being fought over your live and dead body!_ When shall we three meet again In thunder, lightning, or in rain?”
give a description of
From this reading “Twenty-nine and a party girl would describe me.”
abrupt electric discharge from cloud to cloud or from cloud to earth accompanied by the emission of light
From this reading “_You can't know there's a war on--for the Snakes coil and Spiders weave to keep you from knowing it's being fought over your live and dead body!_ When shall we three meet again In thunder, lightning, or in rain?”
plural of “snake” — limbless scaly elongate reptile; some are venomous
From this reading “_You can't know there's a war on--for the Snakes coil and Spiders weave to keep you from knowing it's being fought over your live and dead body!_ When shall we three meet again In thunder, lightning, or in rain?”
plural of “spider” — predatory arachnid with eight legs, two poison fangs, two feelers, and usually two silk-spinning organs at the back end of the body; they spin silk to make cocoons for eggs or traps for prey
From this reading “_You can't know there's a war on--for the Snakes coil and Spiders weave to keep you from knowing it's being fought over your live and dead body!_ When shall we three meet again In thunder, lightning, or in rain?”
move fast, noisily, and heavily
From this reading “_You can't know there's a war on--for the Snakes coil and Spiders weave to keep you from knowing it's being fought over your live and dead body!_ When shall we three meet again In thunder, lightning, or in rain?”
interlace by or as if by weaving
From this reading “_You can't know there's a war on--for the Snakes coil and Spiders weave to keep you from knowing it's being fought over your live and dead body!_ When shall we three meet again In thunder, lightning, or in rain?”
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.
a natural object consisting of a dead animal or person
In this reading “_You can't know there's a war on--for the Snakes coil and Spiders weave to keep you from knowing it's being fought over your live and dead body!_ When shall we three meet again In thunder, lightning, or in rain?”
In this reading “_You can't know there's a war on--for the Snakes coil and Spiders weave to keep you from knowing it's being fought over your live and dead body!_ When shall we three meet again In thunder, lightning, or in rain?”
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 _You can't know there's a war on--for the Snakes coil and Spiders weave to keep you from knowing it's being fought over your live and dead body!_ When shall we three meet again In thunder, lightning, or in rain?
anew
From this reading _You can't know there's a war on--for the Snakes coil and Spiders weave to keep you from knowing it's being fought over your live and dead body!_ When shall we three meet again In thunder, lightning, or in rain?
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading _You can't know there's a war on--for the Snakes coil and Spiders weave to keep you from knowing it's being fought over your live and dead body!_ When shall we three meet again In thunder, lightning, or in rain?
possessive form of “battle” — a hostile meeting of opposing military forces in the course of a war
From this reading When the battle's lost and won.
the -ing form of “be”
From this reading _You can't know there's a war on--for the Snakes coil and Spiders weave to keep you from knowing it's being fought over your live and dead body!_ When shall we three meet again In thunder, lightning, or in rain?
the entire physical structure of an organism (an animal, plant, or human being)
From this reading _You can't know there's a war on--for the Snakes coil and Spiders weave to keep you from knowing it's being fought over your live and dead body!_ When shall we three meet again In thunder, lightning, or in rain?
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading _You can't know there's a war on--for the Snakes coil and Spiders weave to keep you from knowing it's being fought over your live and dead body!_ When shall we three meet again In thunder, lightning, or in rain?
a structure consisting of something wound in a continuous series of loops
From this reading _You can't know there's a war on--for the Snakes coil and Spiders weave to keep you from knowing it's being fought over your live and dead body!_ When shall we three meet again In thunder, lightning, or in rain?
no longer having or seeming to have or expecting to have life
From this reading _You can't know there's a war on--for the Snakes coil and Spiders weave to keep you from knowing it's being fought over your live and dead body!_ When shall we three meet again In thunder, lightning, or in rain?
give a description of
From this reading Twenty-nine and a party girl would describe me.
having finished or arrived at completion
From this reading When the hurlyburly's done.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading _You can't know there's a war on--for the Snakes coil and Spiders weave to keep you from knowing it's being fought over your live and dead body!_ When shall we three meet again In thunder, lightning, or in rain?
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading My name is Greta Forzane.
inflected form of “fight” — be engaged in a fight; carry on a fight
From this reading _You can't know there's a war on--for the Snakes coil and Spiders weave to keep you from knowing it's being fought over your live and dead body!_ When shall we three meet again In thunder, lightning, or in rain?
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading _You can't know there's a war on--for the Snakes coil and Spiders weave to keep you from knowing it's being fought over your live and dead body!_ When shall we three meet again In thunder, lightning, or in rain?
a young female
From this reading Twenty-nine and a party girl would describe me.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading My name is Greta Forzane.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When the hurlyburly's done.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading _You can't know there's a war on--for the Snakes coil and Spiders weave to keep you from knowing it's being fought over your live and dead body!_ When shall we three meet again In thunder, lightning, or in rain?
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading My name is Greta Forzane.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading _You can't know there's a war on--for the Snakes coil and Spiders weave to keep you from knowing it's being fought over your live and dead body!_ When shall we three meet again In thunder, lightning, or in rain?
cause to continue in a certain state, position, or activity; e.g., “keep clean”
From this reading _You can't know there's a war on--for the Snakes coil and Spiders weave to keep you from knowing it's being fought over your live and dead body!_ When shall we three meet again In thunder, lightning, or in rain?
be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading _You can't know there's a war on--for the Snakes coil and Spiders weave to keep you from knowing it's being fought over your live and dead body!_ When shall we three meet again In thunder, lightning, or in rain?
evidencing the possession of inside information
From this reading _You can't know there's a war on--for the Snakes coil and Spiders weave to keep you from knowing it's being fought over your live and dead body!_ When shall we three meet again In thunder, lightning, or in rain?
abrupt electric discharge from cloud to cloud or from cloud to earth accompanied by the emission of light
From this reading _You can't know there's a war on--for the Snakes coil and Spiders weave to keep you from knowing it's being fought over your live and dead body!_ When shall we three meet again In thunder, lightning, or in rain?
be an inhabitant of or reside in
From this reading _You can't know there's a war on--for the Snakes coil and Spiders weave to keep you from knowing it's being fought over your live and dead body!_ When shall we three meet again In thunder, lightning, or in rain?
no longer in your possession or control; unable to be found or recovered
From this reading When the battle's lost and won.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Twenty-nine and a party girl would describe me.
come together
From this reading _You can't know there's a war on--for the Snakes coil and Spiders weave to keep you from knowing it's being fought over your live and dead body!_ When shall we three meet again In thunder, lightning, or in rain?
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading My name is Greta Forzane.
assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading My name is Greta Forzane.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading _You can't know there's a war on--for the Snakes coil and Spiders weave to keep you from knowing it's being fought over your live and dead body!_ When shall we three meet again In thunder, lightning, or in rain?
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading _You can't know there's a war on--for the Snakes coil and Spiders weave to keep you from knowing it's being fought over your live and dead body!_ When shall we three meet again In thunder, lightning, or in rain?
above and across; more than
From this reading _You can't know there's a war on--for the Snakes coil and Spiders weave to keep you from knowing it's being fought over your live and dead body!_ When shall we three meet again In thunder, lightning, or in rain?
an organization to gain political power
From this reading Twenty-nine and a party girl would describe me.
water falling in drops from vapor condensed in the atmosphere
From this reading _You can't know there's a war on--for the Snakes coil and Spiders weave to keep you from knowing it's being fought over your live and dead body!_ When shall we three meet again In thunder, lightning, or in rain?
used with I and we for the future, or to offer and suggest
From this reading _You can't know there's a war on--for the Snakes coil and Spiders weave to keep you from knowing it's being fought over your live and dead body!_ When shall we three meet again In thunder, lightning, or in rain?
plural of “snake” — limbless scaly elongate reptile; some are venomous
From this reading _You can't know there's a war on--for the Snakes coil and Spiders weave to keep you from knowing it's being fought over your live and dead body!_ When shall we three meet again In thunder, lightning, or in rain?
plural of “spider” — predatory arachnid with eight legs, two poison fangs, two feelers, and usually two silk-spinning organs at the back end of the body; they spin silk to make cocoons for eggs or traps for prey
From this reading _You can't know there's a war on--for the Snakes coil and Spiders weave to keep you from knowing it's being fought over your live and dead body!_ When shall we three meet again In thunder, lightning, or in rain?
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading _You can't know there's a war on--for the Snakes coil and Spiders weave to keep you from knowing it's being fought over your live and dead body!_ When shall we three meet again In thunder, lightning, or in rain?
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading _You can't know there's a war on--for the Snakes coil and Spiders weave to keep you from knowing it's being fought over your live and dead body!_ When shall we three meet again In thunder, lightning, or in rain?
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one
From this reading _You can't know there's a war on--for the Snakes coil and Spiders weave to keep you from knowing it's being fought over your live and dead body!_ When shall we three meet again In thunder, lightning, or in rain?
move fast, noisily, and heavily
From this reading _You can't know there's a war on--for the Snakes coil and Spiders weave to keep you from knowing it's being fought over your live and dead body!_ When shall we three meet again In thunder, lightning, or in rain?
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading _You can't know there's a war on--for the Snakes coil and Spiders weave to keep you from knowing it's being fought over your live and dead body!_ When shall we three meet again In thunder, lightning, or in rain?
the cardinal number that is the sum of twenty-eight and one
From this reading Twenty-nine and a party girl would describe me.
the waging of armed conflict against an enemy
From this reading _You can't know there's a war on--for the Snakes coil and Spiders weave to keep you from knowing it's being fought over your live and dead body!_ When shall we three meet again In thunder, lightning, or in rain?
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading _You can't know there's a war on--for the Snakes coil and Spiders weave to keep you from knowing it's being fought over your live and dead body!_ When shall we three meet again In thunder, lightning, or in rain?
interlace by or as if by weaving
From this reading _You can't know there's a war on--for the Snakes coil and Spiders weave to keep you from knowing it's being fought over your live and dead body!_ When shall we three meet again In thunder, lightning, or in rain?
at the time that
From this reading _You can't know there's a war on--for the Snakes coil and Spiders weave to keep you from knowing it's being fought over your live and dead body!_ When shall we three meet again In thunder, lightning, or in rain?
the basic unit of money in South Korea
From this reading When the battle's lost and won.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading Twenty-nine and a party girl would describe me.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading _You can't know there's a war on--for the Snakes coil and Spiders weave to keep you from knowing it's being fought over your live and dead body!_ When shall we three meet again In thunder, lightning, or in rain?
belonging to the person or people being spoken to
From this reading _You can't know there's a war on--for the Snakes coil and Spiders weave to keep you from knowing it's being fought over your live and dead body!_ When shall we three meet again In thunder, lightning, or in rain?
Chapter 1 of The Big Time by Fritz Leiber holds 223 sentences, grouped into 45 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.
Chapter 1 holds 223 sentences of The Big Time, unabridged, divided into 45 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 1 of The Big Time by Fritz Leiber exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 223 sentences, grouped into 45 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 45 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 45 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 1 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 The Big Time by Fritz Leiber on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 1875 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #32256 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #32256, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 156 minutes of reading across 375 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Big Time section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 16 chapters of The Big Time 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 The Big Time, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
