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The Comic Almanack, Volume 1
The Comic Almanack, Volume 1

Chapter XIV

Chapter 14 of The Comic Almanack, Volume 1 is here in full — 357 sentences across 72 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Comic Almanack, Volume 1
Context Illustration Reading 1/71 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
"And drive off poor Orlando," whimpered my girl.
"Silence, Miss," says Jemmy, fiercely.
"You insult the man whose father's property you inherited, and bring me into this prison, without hope of leaving it; for he never can help us after all your bad language."
I said all this very smartly; for the fact is, my blood was up at the time, and I determined to rate my dear girl soundly.
"Oh!
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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.

The Comic Almanack, Volume 1

Chapter XIV

Chapter 14 of The Comic Almanack, Volume 1 is here in full — 357 sentences across 72 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/71 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
"And drive off poor Orlando," whimpered my girl.
Line 2
"Silence, Miss," says Jemmy, fiercely.
Line 3
"You insult the man whose father's property you inherited, and bring me into this prison, without hope of leaving it; for he never can help us after all your bad language."
/juː ˌɪnˈsʌlt ðə mæn huːz ˈfɑːðərz ˈprɑːpərti juː ˌɪnˈherətɪd ənd brɪŋ miː ˈɪntuː ðɪs ˈprɪzən wɪˈθaʊt hoʊp ʌv ˈliːvɪŋ ɪt fɔːr hiː ˈnevər kæn help ʌs ˈæftər ɔːl jɔːr bæd ˈlæŋɡwədʒ/
Line 4
I said all this very smartly; for the fact is, my blood was up at the time, and I determined to rate my dear girl soundly.
/aɪ sed ɔːl ðɪs ˈveri ˈsmɑːrtli fɔːr ðə fækt ɪz maɪ blʌd wɑːz ʌp æt ðə taɪm ənd aɪ dɪˈtɜːrmənd tuː reɪt maɪ dɪr ɡɜːrl ˈsaʊndli/
Line 5
"Oh!
/oʊ/

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.

fiercely adverb US /ˈfɪrsli/

in a physically fierce manner

From this reading “"Silence, Miss," says Jemmy, fiercely.”

inherited adjective US /ˌɪnˈherətɪd/

occurring among members of a family usually by heredity

From this reading “"You insult the man whose father's property you inherited, and bring me into this prison, without hope of leaving it; for he never can help us after all your bad language."”

insult noun US /ˌɪnˈsʌlt/

a rude expression intended to offend or hurt

From this reading “"You insult the man whose father's property you inherited, and bring me into this prison, without hope of leaving it; for he never can help us after all your bad language."”

Orlando noun US /ɔːrˈlændoʊ/

a city in central Florida; site of Walt Disney World

From this reading “"And drive off poor Orlando," whimpered my girl.”

prison noun US /ˈprɪzən/

a correctional institution where persons are confined while on trial or for punishment

From this reading “"You insult the man whose father's property you inherited, and bring me into this prison, without hope of leaving it; for he never can help us after all your bad language."”

rate noun US /reɪt/

a magnitude or frequency relative to a time unit

From this reading “I said all this very smartly; for the fact is, my blood was up at the time, and I determined to rate my dear girl soundly.”

smartly adverb US /ˈsmɑːrtli/

in a clever manner

From this reading “I said all this very smartly; for the fact is, my blood was up at the time, and I determined to rate my dear girl soundly.”

soundly adverb US /ˈsaʊndli/

deeply or completely

From this reading “I said all this very smartly; for the fact is, my blood was up at the time, and I determined to rate my dear girl soundly.”

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.

bad language adjective + noun

In this reading “"You insult the man whose father's property you inherited, and bring me into this prison, without hope of leaving it; for he never can help us after all your bad language."”

drive off verb + particle

force to go away; used both with concrete and metaphoric meanings

In this reading “"And drive off poor Orlando," whimpered my girl.”

dear girl adjective + noun

In this reading “I said all this very smartly; for the fact is, my blood was up at the time, and I determined to rate my dear girl soundly.”

at the time preposition + article + noun counted as “at … time”

simultaneously

In this reading “I said all this very smartly; for the fact is, my blood was up at the time, and I determined to rate my dear girl soundly.”

without hope preposition + noun

In this reading “"You insult the man whose father's property you inherited, and bring me into this prison, without hope of leaving it; for he never can help us after all your bad language."”

All words in this reading · 59

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.

afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/

later than; following

From this reading "You insult the man whose father's property you inherited, and bring me into this prison, without hope of leaving it; for he never can help us after all your bad language."

alladjectiveUS /ɔːl/

(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class

From this reading "You insult the man whose father's property you inherited, and bring me into this prison, without hope of leaving it; for he never can help us after all your bad language."

AndconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading "And drive off poor Orlando," whimpered my girl.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading I said all this very smartly; for the fact is, my blood was up at the time, and I determined to rate my dear girl soundly.

badadjectiveUS /bæd/

having undesirable or negative qualities

From this reading "You insult the man whose father's property you inherited, and bring me into this prison, without hope of leaving it; for he never can help us after all your bad language."

bloodnounUS /blʌd/

The red fluid that circulates in the heart and blood vessels.

From this reading I said all this very smartly; for the fact is, my blood was up at the time, and I determined to rate my dear girl soundly.

bringverbUS /brɪŋ/

take something or somebody with oneself somewhere

From this reading "You insult the man whose father's property you inherited, and bring me into this prison, without hope of leaving it; for he never can help us after all your bad language."

canmodal verbUS /kæn/

to be able to, or to be allowed to

From this reading "You insult the man whose father's property you inherited, and bring me into this prison, without hope of leaving it; for he never can help us after all your bad language."

dearadjectiveUS /dɪr/

dearly loved

From this reading I said all this very smartly; for the fact is, my blood was up at the time, and I determined to rate my dear girl soundly.

determinedadjectiveUS /dɪˈtɜːrmənd/

characterized by great determination

From this reading I said all this very smartly; for the fact is, my blood was up at the time, and I determined to rate my dear girl soundly.

driveverbUS /draɪv/

operate or control a vehicle

From this reading "And drive off poor Orlando," whimpered my girl.

factnounUS /fækt/

a piece of information about circumstances that exist or events that have occurred

From this reading I said all this very smartly; for the fact is, my blood was up at the time, and I determined to rate my dear girl soundly.

father'snounUS /ˈfɑːðərz/

possessive form of “father” — a male parent (also used as a term of address to your father)

From this reading "You insult the man whose father's property you inherited, and bring me into this prison, without hope of leaving it; for he never can help us after all your bad language."

fiercelyadverbUS /ˈfɪrsli/

in a physically fierce manner

From this reading "Silence, Miss," says Jemmy, fiercely.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading "You insult the man whose father's property you inherited, and bring me into this prison, without hope of leaving it; for he never can help us after all your bad language."

girlnounUS /ɡɜːrl/

a young female

From this reading "And drive off poor Orlando," whimpered my girl.

hepronounUS /hiː/

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading "You insult the man whose father's property you inherited, and bring me into this prison, without hope of leaving it; for he never can help us after all your bad language."

helpverbUS /help/

give help or assistance; be of service

From this reading "You insult the man whose father's property you inherited, and bring me into this prison, without hope of leaving it; for he never can help us after all your bad language."

hopenounUS /hoʊp/

a specific instance of feeling hopeful

From this reading "You insult the man whose father's property you inherited, and bring me into this prison, without hope of leaving it; for he never can help us after all your bad language."

IpronounUS /aɪ/

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading I said all this very smartly; for the fact is, my blood was up at the time, and I determined to rate my dear girl soundly.

inheritedadjectiveUS /ˌɪnˈherətɪd/

occurring among members of a family usually by heredity

From this reading "You insult the man whose father's property you inherited, and bring me into this prison, without hope of leaving it; for he never can help us after all your bad language."

insultnounUS /ˌɪnˈsʌlt/

a rude expression intended to offend or hurt

From this reading "You insult the man whose father's property you inherited, and bring me into this prison, without hope of leaving it; for he never can help us after all your bad language."

intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/

moving to the inside of something

From this reading "You insult the man whose father's property you inherited, and bring me into this prison, without hope of leaving it; for he never can help us after all your bad language."

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading I said all this very smartly; for the fact is, my blood was up at the time, and I determined to rate my dear girl soundly.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading "You insult the man whose father's property you inherited, and bring me into this prison, without hope of leaving it; for he never can help us after all your bad language."

Jemmynoun

a short crowbar

From this reading "Silence, Miss," says Jemmy, fiercely.

languagenounUS /ˈlæŋɡwədʒ/

a systematic means of communicating by the use of sounds or conventional symbols

From this reading "You insult the man whose father's property you inherited, and bring me into this prison, without hope of leaving it; for he never can help us after all your bad language."

leavingnounUS /ˈliːvɪŋ/

the act of departing

From this reading "You insult the man whose father's property you inherited, and bring me into this prison, without hope of leaving it; for he never can help us after all your bad language."

mannounUS /mæn/

an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)

From this reading "You insult the man whose father's property you inherited, and bring me into this prison, without hope of leaving it; for he never can help us after all your bad language."

mepronounUS /miː/

the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading "You insult the man whose father's property you inherited, and bring me into this prison, without hope of leaving it; for he never can help us after all your bad language."

MissverbUS /mɪs/

fail to perceive or to catch with the senses or the mind

From this reading "Silence, Miss," says Jemmy, fiercely.

mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading "And drive off poor Orlando," whimpered my girl.

neveradverbUS /ˈnevər/

not ever; at no time in the past or future

From this reading "You insult the man whose father's property you inherited, and bring me into this prison, without hope of leaving it; for he never can help us after all your bad language."

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading "You insult the man whose father's property you inherited, and bring me into this prison, without hope of leaving it; for he never can help us after all your bad language."

offadverbUS /ɔːf/

from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)

From this reading "And drive off poor Orlando," whimpered my girl.

OhnounUS /oʊ/

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

From this reading "Oh!

OrlandonounUS /ɔːrˈlændoʊ/

a city in central Florida; site of Walt Disney World

From this reading "And drive off poor Orlando," whimpered my girl.

pooradjectiveUS /puːr/

deserving or inciting pity

From this reading "And drive off poor Orlando," whimpered my girl.

prisonnounUS /ˈprɪzən/

a correctional institution where persons are confined while on trial or for punishment

From this reading "You insult the man whose father's property you inherited, and bring me into this prison, without hope of leaving it; for he never can help us after all your bad language."

propertynounUS /ˈprɑːpərti/

something owned; any tangible or intangible possession that is owned by someone

From this reading "You insult the man whose father's property you inherited, and bring me into this prison, without hope of leaving it; for he never can help us after all your bad language."

ratenounUS /reɪt/

a magnitude or frequency relative to a time unit

From this reading I said all this very smartly; for the fact is, my blood was up at the time, and I determined to rate my dear girl soundly.

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading I said all this very smartly; for the fact is, my blood was up at the time, and I determined to rate my dear girl soundly.

saysnounUS /sez/

plural of “say” — the chance to speak

From this reading "Silence, Miss," says Jemmy, fiercely.

SilencenounUS /ˈsaɪ.ləns/

Complete absence of sound; a state of quietness and stillness.

From this reading "Silence, Miss," says Jemmy, fiercely.

smartlyadverbUS /ˈsmɑːrtli/

in a clever manner

From this reading I said all this very smartly; for the fact is, my blood was up at the time, and I determined to rate my dear girl soundly.

soundlyadverbUS /ˈsaʊndli/

deeply or completely

From this reading I said all this very smartly; for the fact is, my blood was up at the time, and I determined to rate my dear girl soundly.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading "You insult the man whose father's property you inherited, and bring me into this prison, without hope of leaving it; for he never can help us after all your bad language."

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading "You insult the man whose father's property you inherited, and bring me into this prison, without hope of leaving it; for he never can help us after all your bad language."

timenounUS /taɪm/

an instance or single occasion for some event

From this reading I said all this very smartly; for the fact is, my blood was up at the time, and I determined to rate my dear girl soundly.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading I said all this very smartly; for the fact is, my blood was up at the time, and I determined to rate my dear girl soundly.

upadjectiveUS /ʌp/

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

From this reading I said all this very smartly; for the fact is, my blood was up at the time, and I determined to rate my dear girl soundly.

uspronounUS /ʌs/

the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading "You insult the man whose father's property you inherited, and bring me into this prison, without hope of leaving it; for he never can help us after all your bad language."

veryadjectiveUS /ˈveri/

precisely as stated

From this reading I said all this very smartly; for the fact is, my blood was up at the time, and I determined to rate my dear girl soundly.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading I said all this very smartly; for the fact is, my blood was up at the time, and I determined to rate my dear girl soundly.

whimpered

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

From this reading "And drive off poor Orlando," whimpered my girl.

whosedeterminerUS /huːz/

belonging to which person

From this reading "You insult the man whose father's property you inherited, and bring me into this prison, without hope of leaving it; for he never can help us after all your bad language."

withoutprepositionUS /wɪˈθaʊt/

not having, not using, or not accompanied by

From this reading "You insult the man whose father's property you inherited, and bring me into this prison, without hope of leaving it; for he never can help us after all your bad language."

YoupronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading "You insult the man whose father's property you inherited, and bring me into this prison, without hope of leaving it; for he never can help us after all your bad language."

yourdeterminerUS /jɔːr/

belonging to the person or people being spoken to

From this reading "You insult the man whose father's property you inherited, and bring me into this prison, without hope of leaving it; for he never can help us after all your bad language."

Chapter 14 of The Comic Almanack, Volume 1 by William Makepeace Thackeray holds 357 sentences, grouped into 72 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 14 of The Comic Almanack, Volume 1 contain?

Chapter 14 holds 357 sentences of The Comic Almanack, Volume 1, unabridged, divided into 72 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 14 of The Comic Almanack, Volume 1 by William Makepeace Thackeray exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 357 sentences, grouped into 72 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 14 of The Comic Almanack, Volume 1?

Work through the 72 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 72 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 14 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 14 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 Comic Almanack, Volume 1

Common questions about reading The Comic Almanack, Volume 1 by William Makepeace Thackeray on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Comic Almanack, Volume 1?

Yes. All 6631 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #52203 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Comic Almanack, Volume 1 is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #52203, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Comic Almanack, Volume 1 take to read?

About 552 minutes of reading across 1327 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Comic Almanack, Volume 1 section by section

How to work through The Comic Almanack, Volume 1 section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 19 chapters of The Comic Almanack, Volume 1 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 Comic Almanack, Volume 1

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Comic Almanack, Volume 1, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Comic
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Comic Almanack, Volume 1; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Almanack
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Comic Almanack, Volume 1; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Series
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Comic Almanack, Volume 1; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Notice
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Comic Almanack, Volume 1; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.