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The Diary of a Nobody
The Diary of a Nobody

Chapter XII · Chapter 12

Chapter 12 of The Diary of a Nobody is here in full — 79 sentences across 16 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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Context Illustration Reading 1/15 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
A serious discussion concerning the use and value of my diary.
Lupin’s opinion of Xmas.
Lupin’s unfortunate engagement is on again.
DECEMBER 17.—As I open my scribbling diary I find the words Oxford Michaelmas Term ends.”
Why this should induce me to indulge in retrospective I don’t know, but it does.
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

The Diary of a Nobody

Chapter XII · Chapter 12

Chapter 12 of The Diary of a Nobody is here in full — 79 sentences across 16 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/15 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
A serious discussion concerning the use and value of my diary.
/ə ˈsɪriəs dɪˈskʌʃən kənˈsɜːrnɪŋ ðə juːs ənd ˈvæljuː ʌv maɪ ˈdaɪəri/
Line 2
Lupin’s opinion ofXmas.
Line 3
Lupin’s unfortunate engagement is on again.
Line 4
DECEMBER 17.—As I open my scribbling diary I find the wordsOxford Michaelmas Term ends.”
Line 5
Why this should induce me to indulge in retrospective I don’t know, but it does.

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.

december noun US /dɪˈsembər/

the last (12th) month of the year

From this reading “DECEMBER 17.—As I open my scribbling diary I find the words “Oxford Michaelmas Term ends.””

diary noun US /ˈdaɪəri/

a daily written record of (usually personal) experiences and observations

From this reading “A serious discussion concerning the use and value of my diary.”

discussion noun US /dɪˈskʌʃən/

an extended communication (often interactive) dealing with some particular topic

From this reading “A serious discussion concerning the use and value of my diary.”

induce verb US /ˌɪnˈduːs/

cause to arise

From this reading “Why this should induce me to indulge in retrospective I don’t know, but it does.”

indulge verb US /ˌɪnˈdʌldʒ/

give free rein to

From this reading “Why this should induce me to indulge in retrospective I don’t know, but it does.”

Oxford noun US /ˈɑːksfərd/

a city in southern England to the northwest of London; site of Oxford University

From this reading “DECEMBER 17.—As I open my scribbling diary I find the words “Oxford Michaelmas Term ends.””

retrospective noun US /ˌretrəˈspektɪv/

an exhibition of a representative selection of an artist's life work

From this reading “Why this should induce me to indulge in retrospective I don’t know, but it does.”

scribbling verb US /ˈskrɪbəlɪŋ/

-ing form of “scribble” — write down quickly without much attention to detail

From this reading “DECEMBER 17.—As I open my scribbling diary I find the words “Oxford Michaelmas Term ends.””

All words in this reading · 45

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.

17

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

From this reading DECEMBER 17.—As I open my scribbling diary I find the words “Oxford Michaelmas Term ends.”

AdeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading A serious discussion concerning the use and value of my diary.

againadverbUS /əˈɡen/

anew

From this reading Lupin’s unfortunate engagement is on again.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading A serious discussion concerning the use and value of my diary.

AsconjunctionUS /æz/

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading DECEMBER 17.—As I open my scribbling diary I find the words “Oxford Michaelmas Term ends.”

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading Why this should induce me to indulge in retrospective I don’t know, but it does.

concerningverbUS /kənˈsɜːrnɪŋ/

-ing form of “concern” — be relevant to

From this reading A serious discussion concerning the use and value of my diary.

DECEMBERnounUS /dɪˈsembər/

the last (12th) month of the year

From this reading DECEMBER 17.—As I open my scribbling diary I find the words “Oxford Michaelmas Term ends.”

diarynounUS /ˈdaɪəri/

a daily written record of (usually personal) experiences and observations

From this reading A serious discussion concerning the use and value of my diary.

discussionnounUS /dɪˈskʌʃən/

an extended communication (often interactive) dealing with some particular topic

From this reading A serious discussion concerning the use and value of my diary.

doesauxiliary verbUS /dʌz/

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

From this reading Why this should induce me to indulge in retrospective I don’t know, but it does.

don't

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

From this reading Why this should induce me to indulge in retrospective I don’t know, but it does.

endsnounUS /endz/

plural of “end” — either extremity of something that has length

From this reading DECEMBER 17.—As I open my scribbling diary I find the words “Oxford Michaelmas Term ends.”

engagementnounUS /enˈɡeɪdʒmənt/

a hostile meeting of opposing military forces in the course of a war

From this reading Lupin’s unfortunate engagement is on again.

findverbUS /faɪnd/

come upon, as if by accident; meet with

From this reading DECEMBER 17.—As I open my scribbling diary I find the words “Oxford Michaelmas Term ends.”

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading DECEMBER 17.—As I open my scribbling diary I find the words “Oxford Michaelmas Term ends.”

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading Why this should induce me to indulge in retrospective I don’t know, but it does.

induceverbUS /ˌɪnˈduːs/

cause to arise

From this reading Why this should induce me to indulge in retrospective I don’t know, but it does.

indulgeverbUS /ˌɪnˈdʌldʒ/

give free rein to

From this reading Why this should induce me to indulge in retrospective I don’t know, but it does.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading Lupin’s unfortunate engagement is on again.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading Why this should induce me to indulge in retrospective I don’t know, but it does.

knowverbUS /noʊ/

be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about

From this reading Why this should induce me to indulge in retrospective I don’t know, but it does.

Lupin's

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

From this reading Lupin’s opinion of ’Xmas.

mepronounUS /miː/

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

From this reading Why this should induce me to indulge in retrospective I don’t know, but it does.

Michaelmasnoun

honoring the archangel Michael; a quarter day in England, Wales, and Ireland

From this reading DECEMBER 17.—As I open my scribbling diary I find the words “Oxford Michaelmas Term ends.”

mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading A serious discussion concerning the use and value of my diary.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading A serious discussion concerning the use and value of my diary.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading Lupin’s unfortunate engagement is on again.

openverbUS /ˈoʊ.pən/

To move from a closed position.

From this reading DECEMBER 17.—As I open my scribbling diary I find the words “Oxford Michaelmas Term ends.”

opinionnounUS /əˈpɪnjən/

a personal belief or judgment that is not founded on proof or certainty

From this reading Lupin’s opinion of ’Xmas.

OxfordnounUS /ˈɑːksfərd/

a city in southern England to the northwest of London; site of Oxford University

From this reading DECEMBER 17.—As I open my scribbling diary I find the words “Oxford Michaelmas Term ends.”

retrospectivenounUS /ˌretrəˈspektɪv/

an exhibition of a representative selection of an artist's life work

From this reading Why this should induce me to indulge in retrospective I don’t know, but it does.

scribblingverbUS /ˈskrɪbəlɪŋ/

-ing form of “scribble” — write down quickly without much attention to detail

From this reading DECEMBER 17.—As I open my scribbling diary I find the words “Oxford Michaelmas Term ends.”

seriousadjectiveUS /ˈsɪriəs/

concerned with work or important matters rather than play or trivialities

From this reading A serious discussion concerning the use and value of my diary.

shouldmodal verbUS /ʃʊd/

used to say what is right, expected, or advisable

From this reading Why this should induce me to indulge in retrospective I don’t know, but it does.

TermnounUS /tɜːrm/

a word or expression used for some particular thing

From this reading DECEMBER 17.—As I open my scribbling diary I find the words “Oxford Michaelmas Term ends.”

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading A serious discussion concerning the use and value of my diary.

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

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

From this reading Why this should induce me to indulge in retrospective I don’t know, but it does.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading Why this should induce me to indulge in retrospective I don’t know, but it does.

unfortunateadjectiveUS /ənˈfɔːrtʃənət/

not favored by fortune; marked or accompanied by or resulting in ill fortune

From this reading Lupin’s unfortunate engagement is on again.

usenounUS /juːs/

the act of using

From this reading A serious discussion concerning the use and value of my diary.

valuenounUS /ˈvæljuː/

a numerical quantity measured or assigned or computed

From this reading A serious discussion concerning the use and value of my diary.

WhynounUS /waɪ/

the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”

From this reading Why this should induce me to indulge in retrospective I don’t know, but it does.

wordsnounUS /wɜːrdz/

the words that are spoken

From this reading DECEMBER 17.—As I open my scribbling diary I find the words “Oxford Michaelmas Term ends.”

Xmasnoun

a Christian holiday celebrating the birth of Christ; a quarter day in England, Wales, and Ireland

From this reading Lupin’s opinion of ’Xmas.

Chapter 12 of The Diary of a Nobody by George Grossmith holds 79 sentences, grouped into 16 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 12 of The Diary of a Nobody contain?

Chapter 12 holds 79 sentences of The Diary of a Nobody, unabridged, divided into 16 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 12 of The Diary of a Nobody by George Grossmith exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 79 sentences, grouped into 16 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 Diary of a Nobody?

Work through the 16 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 16 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 Diary of a Nobody

Common questions about reading The Diary of a Nobody by George Grossmith on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Diary of a Nobody?

Yes. All 2463 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #1026 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Diary of a Nobody is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #1026, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Diary of a Nobody take to read?

About 205 minutes of reading across 493 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Diary of a Nobody section by section

How to work through The Diary of a Nobody section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 23 chapters of The Diary of a Nobody 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 Diary of a Nobody

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Diary of a Nobody, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Settle
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Diary of a Nobody; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Resolve
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Diary of a Nobody; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Diary
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Diary of a Nobody; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Tradesmen
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Diary of a Nobody; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.