Chapter 3 of The Chronic Loafer is here in full — 126 sentences across 26 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter III
Chapter 3 of The Chronic Loafer is here in full — 126 sentences across 26 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
_Absalom Bunkel._ The Patriarch flattened his nose against the grimy windowpane and peered out into the storm. “Mighty souls!” he cried. “Jest look at it a-comin’ down! Hed I a-knowd we was goin’ to hev it like this, you’d ’a’ seen me a-leavin’ home--you’d ’a’ seen me a-leavin’ home.” The old man thoughtfully stroked his beard.
Chapter 3 of The Chronic Loafer is here in full — 126 sentences across 26 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/25 · 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.
having been flattened
From this reading “_Absalom Bunkel._ The Patriarch flattened his nose against the grimy windowpane and peered out into the storm.”
thickly covered with ingrained dirt or soot
From this reading “_Absalom Bunkel._ The Patriarch flattened his nose against the grimy windowpane and peered out into the storm.”
title for the heads of the Eastern Orthodox Churches (in Istanbul and Alexandria and Moscow and Jerusalem)
From this reading “_Absalom Bunkel._ The Patriarch flattened his nose against the grimy windowpane and peered out into the storm.”
past form of “peer” — look searchingly
From this reading “_Absalom Bunkel._ The Patriarch flattened his nose against the grimy windowpane and peered out into the storm.”
plural of “soul” — the immaterial part of a person; the actuating cause of an individual life
From this reading ““Mighty souls!” he cried.”
past form of “stroke” — touch lightly and repeatedly, as with brushing motions
From this reading “The old man thoughtfully stroked his beard.”
in a thoughtful manner
From this reading “The old man thoughtfully stroked his beard.”
a pane of glass in a window
From this reading “_Absalom Bunkel._ The Patriarch flattened his nose against the grimy windowpane and peered out into the storm.”
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 man who is very old
In this reading “The old man thoughtfully stroked his beard.”
take into consideration for exemplifying purposes
In this reading ““Jest look at it a-comin’ down!”
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 Hed I a-knowd we was goin’ to hev it like this, you’d ’a’ seen me a-leavin’ home--you’d ’a’ seen me a-leavin’ home.”
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Jest look at it a-comin’ down!
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Hed I a-knowd we was goin’ to hev it like this, you’d ’a’ seen me a-leavin’ home--you’d ’a’ seen me a-leavin’ home.”
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Hed I a-knowd we was goin’ to hev it like this, you’d ’a’ seen me a-leavin’ home--you’d ’a’ seen me a-leavin’ home.”
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading _Absalom Bunkel._ The Patriarch flattened his nose against the grimy windowpane and peered out into the storm.
touching and pressing; in opposition to
From this reading _Absalom Bunkel._ The Patriarch flattened his nose against the grimy windowpane and peered out into the storm.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading _Absalom Bunkel._ The Patriarch flattened his nose against the grimy windowpane and peered out into the storm.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading “Jest look at it a-comin’ down!
the hair growing on the lower part of a man's face
From this reading The old man thoughtfully stroked his beard.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading _Absalom Bunkel._ The Patriarch flattened his nose against the grimy windowpane and peered out into the storm.
inflected form of “cry” — utter a sudden loud cry
From this reading “Mighty souls!” he cried.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading “Jest look at it a-comin’ down!
having been flattened
From this reading _Absalom Bunkel._ The Patriarch flattened his nose against the grimy windowpane and peered out into the storm.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Hed I a-knowd we was goin’ to hev it like this, you’d ’a’ seen me a-leavin’ home--you’d ’a’ seen me a-leavin’ home.”
thickly covered with ingrained dirt or soot
From this reading _Absalom Bunkel._ The Patriarch flattened his nose against the grimy windowpane and peered out into the storm.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading “Mighty souls!” he cried.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Hed I a-knowd we was goin’ to hev it like this, you’d ’a’ seen me a-leavin’ home--you’d ’a’ seen me a-leavin’ home.”
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Hed I a-knowd we was goin’ to hev it like this, you’d ’a’ seen me a-leavin’ home--you’d ’a’ seen me a-leavin’ home.”
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading _Absalom Bunkel._ The Patriarch flattened his nose against the grimy windowpane and peered out into the storm.
where you live at a particular time
From this reading Hed I a-knowd we was goin’ to hev it like this, you’d ’a’ seen me a-leavin’ home--you’d ’a’ seen me a-leavin’ home.”
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading Hed I a-knowd we was goin’ to hev it like this, you’d ’a’ seen me a-leavin’ home--you’d ’a’ seen me a-leavin’ home.”
moving to the inside of something
From this reading _Absalom Bunkel._ The Patriarch flattened his nose against the grimy windowpane and peered out into the storm.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading “Jest look at it a-comin’ down!
a humorous anecdote or remark intended to provoke laughter
From this reading “Jest look at it a-comin’ down!
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading Hed I a-knowd we was goin’ to hev it like this, you’d ’a’ seen me a-leavin’ home--you’d ’a’ seen me a-leavin’ home.”
perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading “Jest look at it a-comin’ down!
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading The old man thoughtfully stroked his beard.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Hed I a-knowd we was goin’ to hev it like this, you’d ’a’ seen me a-leavin’ home--you’d ’a’ seen me a-leavin’ home.”
having or showing great strength or force or intensity
From this reading “Mighty souls!” he cried.
the organ of smell and entrance to the respiratory tract; the prominent part of the face of man or other mammals
From this reading _Absalom Bunkel._ The Patriarch flattened his nose against the grimy windowpane and peered out into the storm.
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading The old man thoughtfully stroked his beard.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading _Absalom Bunkel._ The Patriarch flattened his nose against the grimy windowpane and peered out into the storm.
title for the heads of the Eastern Orthodox Churches (in Istanbul and Alexandria and Moscow and Jerusalem)
From this reading _Absalom Bunkel._ The Patriarch flattened his nose against the grimy windowpane and peered out into the storm.
past form of “peer” — look searchingly
From this reading _Absalom Bunkel._ The Patriarch flattened his nose against the grimy windowpane and peered out into the storm.
inflected form of “see” — perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading Hed I a-knowd we was goin’ to hev it like this, you’d ’a’ seen me a-leavin’ home--you’d ’a’ seen me a-leavin’ home.”
plural of “soul” — the immaterial part of a person; the actuating cause of an individual life
From this reading “Mighty souls!” he cried.
behave violently, as if in state of a great anger
From this reading _Absalom Bunkel._ The Patriarch flattened his nose against the grimy windowpane and peered out into the storm.
past form of “stroke” — touch lightly and repeatedly, as with brushing motions
From this reading The old man thoughtfully stroked his beard.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading _Absalom Bunkel._ The Patriarch flattened his nose against the grimy windowpane and peered out into the storm.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading Hed I a-knowd we was goin’ to hev it like this, you’d ’a’ seen me a-leavin’ home--you’d ’a’ seen me a-leavin’ home.”
in a thoughtful manner
From this reading The old man thoughtfully stroked his beard.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Hed I a-knowd we was goin’ to hev it like this, you’d ’a’ seen me a-leavin’ home--you’d ’a’ seen me a-leavin’ home.”
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Hed I a-knowd we was goin’ to hev it like this, you’d ’a’ seen me a-leavin’ home--you’d ’a’ seen me a-leavin’ home.”
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading Hed I a-knowd we was goin’ to hev it like this, you’d ’a’ seen me a-leavin’ home--you’d ’a’ seen me a-leavin’ home.”
a pane of glass in a window
From this reading _Absalom Bunkel._ The Patriarch flattened his nose against the grimy windowpane and peered out into the storm.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Hed I a-knowd we was goin’ to hev it like this, you’d ’a’ seen me a-leavin’ home--you’d ’a’ seen me a-leavin’ home.”
Chapter 3 of The Chronic Loafer by Nelson Lloyd holds 126 sentences, grouped into 26 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 3 holds 126 sentences of The Chronic Loafer, unabridged, divided into 26 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 3 of The Chronic Loafer by Nelson Lloyd exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 126 sentences, grouped into 26 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 26 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 26 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 3 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 Chronic Loafer by Nelson Lloyd on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 3819 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #54572 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #54572, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 318 minutes of reading across 764 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Chronic Loafer section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 22 chapters of The Chronic Loafer 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 Chronic Loafer, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
