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The Choice Humorous Works, Ludicrous Adventures, Bons Mots, Puns
The Choice Humorous Works, Ludicrous Adventures, Bons Mots, Puns

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of The Choice Humorous Works, Ludicrous Adventures, Bons Mots, Puns is here in full — 324 sentences across 65 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Choice Humorous Works, Ludicrous Adventures, Bons Mots, Puns
Context Illustration Reading 1/64 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Italic text is denoted by _underscores_.
Bold text is denoted by =equal signs=.
The 3-star asterism symbol in the Catalog after the Index is denoted by ***.
Obvious typographical errors and punctuation errors have been corrected after careful comparison with other occurrences within the text and consultation of external sources.
Many passages have deliberate misspelling for humorous effect.
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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 Choice Humorous Works, Ludicrous Adventures, Bons Mots, Puns

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of The Choice Humorous Works, Ludicrous Adventures, Bons Mots, Puns is here in full — 324 sentences across 65 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/64 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
Italic text is denoted by _underscores_.
/aɪˈtælɪk tekst ɪz dɪˈnoʊtəd baɪ ˌʌndərˈskɔːrz/
Line 2
Bold text is denoted by =equal signs=.
/boʊld tekst ɪz dɪˈnoʊtəd baɪ ˈiːkwəl saɪnz/
Line 3
The 3-star asterism symbol in the Catalog after the Index is denoted by ***.
Line 4
Obvious typographical errors and punctuation errors have been corrected after careful comparison with other occurrences within the text and consultation of external sources.
/ˈɑːbviəs ˌtaɪpəˈɡræfɪkəl ˈerərz ənd ˌpʌŋktʃuːˈeɪʃən ˈerərz hæv bɪn kərˈektəd ˈæftər ˈkerfəl kəmˈperəsən wɪð ˈʌðər əˈkɜːrənsɪz wɪˈðɪn ðə tekst ənd ˌkɑːnsəlˈteɪʃən ʌv ɪkˈstɜːrnəl ˈsɔːrsəz/
Line 5
Many passages have deliberate misspelling for humorous effect.
/ˈmeni ˈpæsədʒəz hæv dɪˈlɪbərət mɪsˈspelɪŋ fɔːr ˈhjuːmərəs ɪˈfekt/

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.

Catalog noun US /ˈkætəlɔːɡ/

a book or pamphlet containing an enumeration of things

From this reading “The 3-star asterism symbol in the Catalog after the Index is denoted by ***.”

denoted verb US /dɪˈnoʊtəd/

past form of “denote” — be a sign or indication of

From this reading “Italic text is denoted by _underscores_.”

Italic noun US /aɪˈtælɪk/

a style of handwriting with the letters slanting to the right

From this reading “Italic text is denoted by _underscores_.”

misspelling noun US /mɪsˈspelɪŋ/

a spelling that is incorrect

From this reading “Many passages have deliberate misspelling for humorous effect.”

occurrences noun US /əˈkɜːrənsɪz/

plural of “occurrence” — an event that happens

From this reading “Obvious typographical errors and punctuation errors have been corrected after careful comparison with other occurrences within the text and consultation of external sources.”

punctuation noun US /ˌpʌŋktʃuːˈeɪʃən/

something that makes repeated and regular interruptions or divisions

From this reading “Obvious typographical errors and punctuation errors have been corrected after careful comparison with other occurrences within the text and consultation of external sources.”

typographical adjective US /ˌtaɪpəˈɡræfɪkəl/

relating to or occurring or used in typography

From this reading “Obvious typographical errors and punctuation errors have been corrected after careful comparison with other occurrences within the text and consultation of external sources.”

underscores noun US /ˌʌndərˈskɔːrz/

plural of “underscore” — a line drawn underneath (especially under written matter)

All words in this reading · 43

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.

3

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

From this reading The 3-star asterism symbol in the Catalog after the Index is denoted by ***.

afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/

later than; following

From this reading The 3-star asterism symbol in the Catalog after the Index is denoted by ***.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Obvious typographical errors and punctuation errors have been corrected after careful comparison with other occurrences within the text and consultation of external sources.

asterismnoun

(mineralogy) a star-shaped figure with six rays that is seen in some crystal structures under reflected or transmitted light

From this reading The 3-star asterism symbol in the Catalog after the Index is denoted by ***.

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading Obvious typographical errors and punctuation errors have been corrected after careful comparison with other occurrences within the text and consultation of external sources.

BoldadjectiveUS /boʊld/

fearless and daring

From this reading Bold text is denoted by =equal signs=.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading Italic text is denoted by _underscores_.

carefuladjectiveUS /ˈkerfəl/

exercising caution or showing care or attention

From this reading Obvious typographical errors and punctuation errors have been corrected after careful comparison with other occurrences within the text and consultation of external sources.

CatalognounUS /ˈkætəlɔːɡ/

a book or pamphlet containing an enumeration of things

From this reading The 3-star asterism symbol in the Catalog after the Index is denoted by ***.

comparisonnounUS /kəmˈperəsən/

the act of examining resemblances

From this reading Obvious typographical errors and punctuation errors have been corrected after careful comparison with other occurrences within the text and consultation of external sources.

consultationnounUS /ˌkɑːnsəlˈteɪʃən/

a conference (usually with someone important)

From this reading Obvious typographical errors and punctuation errors have been corrected after careful comparison with other occurrences within the text and consultation of external sources.

correctedadjectiveUS /kərˈektəd/

having something undesirable neutralized

From this reading Obvious typographical errors and punctuation errors have been corrected after careful comparison with other occurrences within the text and consultation of external sources.

deliberateadjectiveUS /dɪˈlɪbərət/

carefully thought out in advance

From this reading Many passages have deliberate misspelling for humorous effect.

denotedverbUS /dɪˈnoʊtəd/

past form of “denote” — be a sign or indication of

From this reading Italic text is denoted by _underscores_.

effectnounUS /ɪˈfekt/

a phenomenon that follows and is caused by some previous phenomenon

From this reading Many passages have deliberate misspelling for humorous effect.

equalverbUS /ˈiːkwəl/

be identical or equivalent to

From this reading Bold text is denoted by =equal signs=.

errorsnounUS /ˈerərz/

plural of “error” — a wrong action attributable to bad judgment or ignorance or inattention

From this reading Obvious typographical errors and punctuation errors have been corrected after careful comparison with other occurrences within the text and consultation of external sources.

externaladjectiveUS /ɪkˈstɜːrnəl/

happening or arising or located outside or beyond some limits or especially surface

From this reading Obvious typographical errors and punctuation errors have been corrected after careful comparison with other occurrences within the text and consultation of external sources.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading Many passages have deliberate misspelling for humorous effect.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading Obvious typographical errors and punctuation errors have been corrected after careful comparison with other occurrences within the text and consultation of external sources.

humorousadjectiveUS /ˈhjuːmərəs/

full of or characterized by humor

From this reading Many passages have deliberate misspelling for humorous effect.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading The 3-star asterism symbol in the Catalog after the Index is denoted by ***.

IndexnounUS /ˈɪndeks/

a numerical scale used to compare variables with one another or with some reference number

From this reading The 3-star asterism symbol in the Catalog after the Index is denoted by ***.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading Italic text is denoted by _underscores_.

ItalicnounUS /aɪˈtælɪk/

a style of handwriting with the letters slanting to the right

From this reading Italic text is denoted by _underscores_.

ManyadjectiveUS /ˈmeni/

a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “as” or “too” or “so” or “that”; amounting to a large but indefinite number

From this reading Many passages have deliberate misspelling for humorous effect.

misspellingnounUS /mɪsˈspelɪŋ/

a spelling that is incorrect

From this reading Many passages have deliberate misspelling for humorous effect.

ObviousadjectiveUS /ˈɑːbviəs/

easily perceived by the senses or grasped by the mind

From this reading Obvious typographical errors and punctuation errors have been corrected after careful comparison with other occurrences within the text and consultation of external sources.

occurrencesnounUS /əˈkɜːrənsɪz/

plural of “occurrence” — an event that happens

From this reading Obvious typographical errors and punctuation errors have been corrected after careful comparison with other occurrences within the text and consultation of external sources.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Obvious typographical errors and punctuation errors have been corrected after careful comparison with other occurrences within the text and consultation of external sources.

otheradjectiveUS /ˈʌðər/

not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied

From this reading Obvious typographical errors and punctuation errors have been corrected after careful comparison with other occurrences within the text and consultation of external sources.

passagesnounUS /ˈpæsədʒəz/

plural of “passage” — the act of passing from one state or place to the next

From this reading Many passages have deliberate misspelling for humorous effect.

punctuationnounUS /ˌpʌŋktʃuːˈeɪʃən/

something that makes repeated and regular interruptions or divisions

From this reading Obvious typographical errors and punctuation errors have been corrected after careful comparison with other occurrences within the text and consultation of external sources.

signsnounUS /saɪnz/

plural of “sign” — a perceptible indication of something not immediately apparent (as a visible clue that something has happened)

From this reading Bold text is denoted by =equal signs=.

sourcesnounUS /ˈsɔːrsəz/

plural of “source” — the place where something begins, where it springs into being

From this reading Obvious typographical errors and punctuation errors have been corrected after careful comparison with other occurrences within the text and consultation of external sources.

starnounUS /stɑːr/

(astronomy) a celestial body of hot gases that radiates energy derived from thermonuclear reactions in the interior

From this reading The 3-star asterism symbol in the Catalog after the Index is denoted by ***.

symbolnounUS /ˈsɪmbəl/

an arbitrary sign (written or printed) that has acquired a conventional significance

From this reading The 3-star asterism symbol in the Catalog after the Index is denoted by ***.

textnounUS /tekst/

the words of something written

From this reading Italic text is denoted by _underscores_.

ThedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading The 3-star asterism symbol in the Catalog after the Index is denoted by ***.

typographicaladjectiveUS /ˌtaɪpəˈɡræfɪkəl/

relating to or occurring or used in typography

From this reading Obvious typographical errors and punctuation errors have been corrected after careful comparison with other occurrences within the text and consultation of external sources.

underscoresnounUS /ˌʌndərˈskɔːrz/

plural of “underscore” — a line drawn underneath (especially under written matter)

From this reading Italic text is denoted by _underscores_.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading Obvious typographical errors and punctuation errors have been corrected after careful comparison with other occurrences within the text and consultation of external sources.

withinprepositionUS /wɪˈðɪn/

inside; before a period of time has passed

From this reading Obvious typographical errors and punctuation errors have been corrected after careful comparison with other occurrences within the text and consultation of external sources.

Chapter 1 of The Choice Humorous Works, Ludicrous Adventures, Bons Mots, Puns by Theodore Edward Hook holds 324 sentences, grouped into 65 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 1 of The Choice Humorous Works, Ludicrous Adventures, Bons Mots, Puns contain?

Chapter 1 holds 324 sentences of The Choice Humorous Works, Ludicrous Adventures, Bons Mots, Puns, unabridged, divided into 65 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of The Choice Humorous Works, Ludicrous Adventures, Bons Mots, Puns by Theodore Edward Hook exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 324 sentences, grouped into 65 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 1 of The Choice Humorous Works, Ludicrous Adventures, Bons Mots, Puns?

Work through the 65 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 65 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 1 be read aloud to me?

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.

Questions about reading The Choice Humorous Works, Ludicrous Adventures, Bons Mots, Puns

Common questions about reading The Choice Humorous Works, Ludicrous Adventures, Bons Mots, Puns by Theodore Edward Hook on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Choice Humorous Works, Ludicrous Adventures, Bons Mots, Puns?

Yes. All 6438 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #50401 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Choice Humorous Works, Ludicrous Adventures, Bons Mots, Puns is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #50401, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Choice Humorous Works, Ludicrous Adventures, Bons Mots, Puns take to read?

About 536 minutes of reading across 1288 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Choice Humorous Works, Ludicrous Adventures, Bons Mots, Puns section by section

How to work through The Choice Humorous Works, Ludicrous Adventures, Bons Mots, Puns section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 17 chapters of The Choice Humorous Works, Ludicrous Adventures, Bons Mots, Puns 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 Choice Humorous Works, Ludicrous Adventures, Bons Mots, Puns

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Choice Humorous Works, Ludicrous Adventures, Bons Mots, Puns, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Italic
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Choice Humorous Works, Ludicrous Adventures, Bons Mots, Puns; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Denoted
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Choice Humorous Works, Ludicrous Adventures, Bons Mots, Puns; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Underscores
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Choice Humorous Works, Ludicrous Adventures, Bons Mots, Puns; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Equal
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Choice Humorous Works, Ludicrous Adventures, Bons Mots, Puns; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.