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The Four Stragglers
The Four Stragglers

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of The Four Stragglers is here in full — 412 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Frank L. (Frank Lucius) Packard • Curated US English Learning Edition
Cover illustration for The Four Stragglers
Context Illustration Reading 1/82 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
--I-- THREE YEARS LATER The East End being, as it were, more akin to the technique and the mechanics of the thing, applauded the craftsmanship; the West End, a little grimly on the part of the men, and with a loquacity not wholly free from nervousness on the part of the women, wondered who would be next.
"The cove as is runnin' that show," said the East End, with its tongue delightedly in its cheek, "knows 'is wye abaht.
Wish I was 'im!"
"The police are nincompoops!" said the outraged masculine West End.
"Absolutely!"
0:00 / 0:00
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 Four Stragglers

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of The Four Stragglers is here in full — 412 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/82 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
--I-- THREE YEARS LATER The East End being, as it were, more akin to the technique and the mechanics of the thing, applauded the craftsmanship; the West End, a little grimly on the part of the men, and with a loquacity not wholly free from nervousness on the part of the women, wondered who would be next.
Line 2
"The cove as is runnin' that show," said the East End, with its tongue delightedly in its cheek, "knows 'is wye abaht.
Line 3
Wish I was 'im!"
Line 4
"The police are nincompoops!" said the outraged masculine West End.
/ðə pəˈliːs ɑːr ˈnɪŋkəmpuːps sed ðə ˈaʊtreɪdʒd ˈmæskjələn west end/
Line 5
"Absolutely!"
/ˌæbsəˈluːtli/

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.

applauded verb US /əˈplɔːdɪd/

past form of “applaud” — clap one's hands or shout after performances to indicate approval

From this reading “--I-- THREE YEARS LATER The East End being, as it were, more akin to the technique and the mechanics of the thing, applauded the craftsmanship; the West End, a little grimly on the part of the men, and with a loquacity not wholly free from nervousness on the part of the women, wondered who would be next.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
craftsmanship noun US /ˈkræftsmənʃɪp/

skill in an occupation or trade

From this reading “--I-- THREE YEARS LATER The East End being, as it were, more akin to the technique and the mechanics of the thing, applauded the craftsmanship; the West End, a little grimly on the part of the men, and with a loquacity not wholly free from nervousness on the part of the women, wondered who would be next.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
mechanics noun US /məˈkænɪks/

the branch of physics concerned with the motion of bodies in a frame of reference

From this reading “--I-- THREE YEARS LATER The East End being, as it were, more akin to the technique and the mechanics of the thing, applauded the craftsmanship; the West End, a little grimly on the part of the men, and with a loquacity not wholly free from nervousness on the part of the women, wondered who would be next.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
nervousness noun US /ˈnɜːrvəsnəs/

the anxious feeling you have when you have the jitters

From this reading “--I-- THREE YEARS LATER The East End being, as it were, more akin to the technique and the mechanics of the thing, applauded the craftsmanship; the West End, a little grimly on the part of the men, and with a loquacity not wholly free from nervousness on the part of the women, wondered who would be next.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
nincompoops noun US /ˈnɪŋkəmpuːps/

plural of “nincompoop” — a stupid foolish person

From this reading “"The police are nincompoops!" said the outraged masculine West End.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
outraged adjective US /ˈaʊtreɪdʒd/

angered at something unjust or wrong

From this reading “"The police are nincompoops!" said the outraged masculine West End.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
technique noun US /tekˈniːk/

a practical method or art applied to some particular task

From this reading “--I-- THREE YEARS LATER The East End being, as it were, more akin to the technique and the mechanics of the thing, applauded the craftsmanship; the West End, a little grimly on the part of the men, and with a loquacity not wholly free from nervousness on the part of the women, wondered who would be next.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
wye noun US /waɪ/

the 25th letter of the Roman alphabet

From this reading “"The cove as is runnin' that show," said the East End, with its tongue delightedly in its cheek, "knows 'is wye abaht.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

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.

THREE YEARS noun + noun

In this reading “--I-- THREE YEARS LATER The East End being, as it were, more akin to the technique and the mechanics of the thing, applauded the craftsmanship; the West End, a little grimly on the part of the men, and with a loquacity not wholly free from nervousness on the part of the women, wondered who would be next.”

21,834 times in 225,867 chapters
East End noun + noun

In this reading “--I-- THREE YEARS LATER The East End being, as it were, more akin to the technique and the mechanics of the thing, applauded the craftsmanship; the West End, a little grimly on the part of the men, and with a loquacity not wholly free from nervousness on the part of the women, wondered who would be next.”

1,282 times in 225,867 chapters
free from verb + particle

In this reading “--I-- THREE YEARS LATER The East End being, as it were, more akin to the technique and the mechanics of the thing, applauded the craftsmanship; the West End, a little grimly on the part of the men, and with a loquacity not wholly free from nervousness on the part of the women, wondered who would be next.”

19,939 times in 225,867 chapters
on the part preposition + article + noun counted as “on … part”

In this reading “--I-- THREE YEARS LATER The East End being, as it were, more akin to the technique and the mechanics of the thing, applauded the craftsmanship; the West End, a little grimly on the part of the men, and with a loquacity not wholly free from nervousness on the part of the women, wondered who would be next.”

18,607 times in 225,867 chapters

All words in this reading · 64

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.

adeterminerUS /ə/

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

From this reading --I-- THREE YEARS LATER The East End being, as it were, more akin to the technique and the mechanics of the thing, applauded the craftsmanship; the West End, a little grimly on the part of the men, and with a loquacity not wholly free from nervousness on the part of the women, wondered who would be next.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
abaht

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

From this reading "The cove as is runnin' that show," said the East End, with its tongue delightedly in its cheek, "knows 'is wye abaht.

Pending verification
AbsolutelyadverbUS /ˌæbsəˈluːtli/

completely and without qualification; used informally as intensifiers

From this reading "Absolutely!"

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
akinadjectiveUS /əˈkɪn/

similar in quality or character

From this reading --I-- THREE YEARS LATER The East End being, as it were, more akin to the technique and the mechanics of the thing, applauded the craftsmanship; the West End, a little grimly on the part of the men, and with a loquacity not wholly free from nervousness on the part of the women, wondered who would be next.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading --I-- THREE YEARS LATER The East End being, as it were, more akin to the technique and the mechanics of the thing, applauded the craftsmanship; the West End, a little grimly on the part of the men, and with a loquacity not wholly free from nervousness on the part of the women, wondered who would be next.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
applaudedverbUS /əˈplɔːdɪd/

past form of “applaud” — clap one's hands or shout after performances to indicate approval

From this reading --I-- THREE YEARS LATER The East End being, as it were, more akin to the technique and the mechanics of the thing, applauded the craftsmanship; the West End, a little grimly on the part of the men, and with a loquacity not wholly free from nervousness on the part of the women, wondered who would be next.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/

the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading "The police are nincompoops!" said the outraged masculine West End.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading --I-- THREE YEARS LATER The East End being, as it were, more akin to the technique and the mechanics of the thing, applauded the craftsmanship; the West End, a little grimly on the part of the men, and with a loquacity not wholly free from nervousness on the part of the women, wondered who would be next.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading --I-- THREE YEARS LATER The East End being, as it were, more akin to the technique and the mechanics of the thing, applauded the craftsmanship; the West End, a little grimly on the part of the men, and with a loquacity not wholly free from nervousness on the part of the women, wondered who would be next.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
beingauxiliary verbUS /ˈbiːɪŋ/

the -ing form of “be”

From this reading --I-- THREE YEARS LATER The East End being, as it were, more akin to the technique and the mechanics of the thing, applauded the craftsmanship; the West End, a little grimly on the part of the men, and with a loquacity not wholly free from nervousness on the part of the women, wondered who would be next.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
cheeknounUS /tʃiːk/

either side of the face below the eyes

From this reading "The cove as is runnin' that show," said the East End, with its tongue delightedly in its cheek, "knows 'is wye abaht.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
covenounUS /koʊv/

a small inlet

From this reading "The cove as is runnin' that show," said the East End, with its tongue delightedly in its cheek, "knows 'is wye abaht.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
craftsmanshipnounUS /ˈkræftsmənʃɪp/

skill in an occupation or trade

From this reading --I-- THREE YEARS LATER The East End being, as it were, more akin to the technique and the mechanics of the thing, applauded the craftsmanship; the West End, a little grimly on the part of the men, and with a loquacity not wholly free from nervousness on the part of the women, wondered who would be next.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
delightedlyadverb

with delight

From this reading "The cove as is runnin' that show," said the East End, with its tongue delightedly in its cheek, "knows 'is wye abaht.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
EastnounUS /iːst/

the cardinal compass point that is at 90 degrees

From this reading --I-- THREE YEARS LATER The East End being, as it were, more akin to the technique and the mechanics of the thing, applauded the craftsmanship; the West End, a little grimly on the part of the men, and with a loquacity not wholly free from nervousness on the part of the women, wondered who would be next.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
EndnounUS /end/

either extremity of something that has length

From this reading --I-- THREE YEARS LATER The East End being, as it were, more akin to the technique and the mechanics of the thing, applauded the craftsmanship; the West End, a little grimly on the part of the men, and with a loquacity not wholly free from nervousness on the part of the women, wondered who would be next.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
freeverbUS /friː/

grant freedom to; free from confinement

From this reading --I-- THREE YEARS LATER The East End being, as it were, more akin to the technique and the mechanics of the thing, applauded the craftsmanship; the West End, a little grimly on the part of the men, and with a loquacity not wholly free from nervousness on the part of the women, wondered who would be next.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading --I-- THREE YEARS LATER The East End being, as it were, more akin to the technique and the mechanics of the thing, applauded the craftsmanship; the West End, a little grimly on the part of the men, and with a loquacity not wholly free from nervousness on the part of the women, wondered who would be next.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
grimlyadverbUS /ˈɡrɪmli/

in a grim implacable manner

From this reading --I-- THREE YEARS LATER The East End being, as it were, more akin to the technique and the mechanics of the thing, applauded the craftsmanship; the West End, a little grimly on the part of the men, and with a loquacity not wholly free from nervousness on the part of the women, wondered who would be next.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading --I-- THREE YEARS LATER The East End being, as it were, more akin to the technique and the mechanics of the thing, applauded the craftsmanship; the West End, a little grimly on the part of the men, and with a loquacity not wholly free from nervousness on the part of the women, wondered who would be next.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
im

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

From this reading Wish I was 'im!"

Pending verification
inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading "The cove as is runnin' that show," said the East End, with its tongue delightedly in its cheek, "knows 'is wye abaht.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading "The cove as is runnin' that show," said the East End, with its tongue delightedly in its cheek, "knows 'is wye abaht.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading --I-- THREE YEARS LATER The East End being, as it were, more akin to the technique and the mechanics of the thing, applauded the craftsmanship; the West End, a little grimly on the part of the men, and with a loquacity not wholly free from nervousness on the part of the women, wondered who would be next.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
itsdeterminerUS /ɪts/

belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned

From this reading "The cove as is runnin' that show," said the East End, with its tongue delightedly in its cheek, "knows 'is wye abaht.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
knowsnounUS /noʊz/

plural of “know” — the fact of being aware of information that is known to few people

From this reading "The cove as is runnin' that show," said the East End, with its tongue delightedly in its cheek, "knows 'is wye abaht.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
LATERadverbUS /ˈleɪtər/

happening at a time subsequent to a reference time

From this reading --I-- THREE YEARS LATER The East End being, as it were, more akin to the technique and the mechanics of the thing, applauded the craftsmanship; the West End, a little grimly on the part of the men, and with a loquacity not wholly free from nervousness on the part of the women, wondered who would be next.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
littleadjectiveUS /ˈlɪtəl/

limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading --I-- THREE YEARS LATER The East End being, as it were, more akin to the technique and the mechanics of the thing, applauded the craftsmanship; the West End, a little grimly on the part of the men, and with a loquacity not wholly free from nervousness on the part of the women, wondered who would be next.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
loquacitynoun

the quality of being wordy and talkative

From this reading --I-- THREE YEARS LATER The East End being, as it were, more akin to the technique and the mechanics of the thing, applauded the craftsmanship; the West End, a little grimly on the part of the men, and with a loquacity not wholly free from nervousness on the part of the women, wondered who would be next.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
masculineadjectiveUS /ˈmæskjələn/

of grammatical gender

From this reading "The police are nincompoops!" said the outraged masculine West End.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
mechanicsnounUS /məˈkænɪks/

the branch of physics concerned with the motion of bodies in a frame of reference

From this reading --I-- THREE YEARS LATER The East End being, as it were, more akin to the technique and the mechanics of the thing, applauded the craftsmanship; the West End, a little grimly on the part of the men, and with a loquacity not wholly free from nervousness on the part of the women, wondered who would be next.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
mennounUS /men/

the force of workers available

From this reading --I-- THREE YEARS LATER The East End being, as it were, more akin to the technique and the mechanics of the thing, applauded the craftsmanship; the West End, a little grimly on the part of the men, and with a loquacity not wholly free from nervousness on the part of the women, wondered who would be next.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
moreadjectiveUS /mɔːr/

(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree

From this reading --I-- THREE YEARS LATER The East End being, as it were, more akin to the technique and the mechanics of the thing, applauded the craftsmanship; the West End, a little grimly on the part of the men, and with a loquacity not wholly free from nervousness on the part of the women, wondered who would be next.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
nervousnessnounUS /ˈnɜːrvəsnəs/

the anxious feeling you have when you have the jitters

From this reading --I-- THREE YEARS LATER The East End being, as it were, more akin to the technique and the mechanics of the thing, applauded the craftsmanship; the West End, a little grimly on the part of the men, and with a loquacity not wholly free from nervousness on the part of the women, wondered who would be next.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
nextadjectiveUS /nekst/

immediately following in time or order

From this reading --I-- THREE YEARS LATER The East End being, as it were, more akin to the technique and the mechanics of the thing, applauded the craftsmanship; the West End, a little grimly on the part of the men, and with a loquacity not wholly free from nervousness on the part of the women, wondered who would be next.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
nincompoopsnounUS /ˈnɪŋkəmpuːps/

plural of “nincompoop” — a stupid foolish person

From this reading "The police are nincompoops!" said the outraged masculine West End.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading --I-- THREE YEARS LATER The East End being, as it were, more akin to the technique and the mechanics of the thing, applauded the craftsmanship; the West End, a little grimly on the part of the men, and with a loquacity not wholly free from nervousness on the part of the women, wondered who would be next.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading --I-- THREE YEARS LATER The East End being, as it were, more akin to the technique and the mechanics of the thing, applauded the craftsmanship; the West End, a little grimly on the part of the men, and with a loquacity not wholly free from nervousness on the part of the women, wondered who would be next.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading --I-- THREE YEARS LATER The East End being, as it were, more akin to the technique and the mechanics of the thing, applauded the craftsmanship; the West End, a little grimly on the part of the men, and with a loquacity not wholly free from nervousness on the part of the women, wondered who would be next.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
outragedadjectiveUS /ˈaʊtreɪdʒd/

angered at something unjust or wrong

From this reading "The police are nincompoops!" said the outraged masculine West End.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
partnounUS /pɑːrt/

something determined in relation to something that includes it

From this reading --I-- THREE YEARS LATER The East End being, as it were, more akin to the technique and the mechanics of the thing, applauded the craftsmanship; the West End, a little grimly on the part of the men, and with a loquacity not wholly free from nervousness on the part of the women, wondered who would be next.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
policenounUS /pəˈliːs/

the force of policemen and officers

From this reading "The police are nincompoops!" said the outraged masculine West End.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
runnin

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

From this reading "The cove as is runnin' that show," said the East End, with its tongue delightedly in its cheek, "knows 'is wye abaht.

Pending verification
saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading "The cove as is runnin' that show," said the East End, with its tongue delightedly in its cheek, "knows 'is wye abaht.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
showverbUS /ʃoʊ/

give an exhibition of to an interested audience

From this reading "The cove as is runnin' that show," said the East End, with its tongue delightedly in its cheek, "knows 'is wye abaht.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
techniquenounUS /tekˈniːk/

a practical method or art applied to some particular task

From this reading --I-- THREE YEARS LATER The East End being, as it were, more akin to the technique and the mechanics of the thing, applauded the craftsmanship; the West End, a little grimly on the part of the men, and with a loquacity not wholly free from nervousness on the part of the women, wondered who would be next.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading "The cove as is runnin' that show," said the East End, with its tongue delightedly in its cheek, "knows 'is wye abaht.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
ThedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading --I-- THREE YEARS LATER The East End being, as it were, more akin to the technique and the mechanics of the thing, applauded the craftsmanship; the West End, a little grimly on the part of the men, and with a loquacity not wholly free from nervousness on the part of the women, wondered who would be next.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
thingnounUS /θɪŋ/

a special situation

From this reading --I-- THREE YEARS LATER The East End being, as it were, more akin to the technique and the mechanics of the thing, applauded the craftsmanship; the West End, a little grimly on the part of the men, and with a loquacity not wholly free from nervousness on the part of the women, wondered who would be next.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
THREEnounUS /θriː/

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one

From this reading --I-- THREE YEARS LATER The East End being, as it were, more akin to the technique and the mechanics of the thing, applauded the craftsmanship; the West End, a little grimly on the part of the men, and with a loquacity not wholly free from nervousness on the part of the women, wondered who would be next.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading --I-- THREE YEARS LATER The East End being, as it were, more akin to the technique and the mechanics of the thing, applauded the craftsmanship; the West End, a little grimly on the part of the men, and with a loquacity not wholly free from nervousness on the part of the women, wondered who would be next.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
tonguenounUS /tʌŋ/

a mobile mass of muscular tissue covered with mucous membrane and located in the oral cavity

From this reading "The cove as is runnin' that show," said the East End, with its tongue delightedly in its cheek, "knows 'is wye abaht.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading Wish I was 'im!"

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading --I-- THREE YEARS LATER The East End being, as it were, more akin to the technique and the mechanics of the thing, applauded the craftsmanship; the West End, a little grimly on the part of the men, and with a loquacity not wholly free from nervousness on the part of the women, wondered who would be next.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
WestnounUS /west/

the countries of (originally) Europe and (now including) North America and South America

From this reading --I-- THREE YEARS LATER The East End being, as it were, more akin to the technique and the mechanics of the thing, applauded the craftsmanship; the West End, a little grimly on the part of the men, and with a loquacity not wholly free from nervousness on the part of the women, wondered who would be next.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading --I-- THREE YEARS LATER The East End being, as it were, more akin to the technique and the mechanics of the thing, applauded the craftsmanship; the West End, a little grimly on the part of the men, and with a loquacity not wholly free from nervousness on the part of the women, wondered who would be next.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
whollyadverbUS /ˈhoʊli/

to a complete degree or to the full or entire extent (“whole” is often used informally for “wholly”)

From this reading --I-- THREE YEARS LATER The East End being, as it were, more akin to the technique and the mechanics of the thing, applauded the craftsmanship; the West End, a little grimly on the part of the men, and with a loquacity not wholly free from nervousness on the part of the women, wondered who would be next.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
WishverbUS /wɪʃ/

hope for; have a wish

From this reading Wish I was 'im!"

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading --I-- THREE YEARS LATER The East End being, as it were, more akin to the technique and the mechanics of the thing, applauded the craftsmanship; the West End, a little grimly on the part of the men, and with a loquacity not wholly free from nervousness on the part of the women, wondered who would be next.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
womennounUS /ˈwɪmən/

plural of “woman” — an adult female person (as opposed to a man)

From this reading --I-- THREE YEARS LATER The East End being, as it were, more akin to the technique and the mechanics of the thing, applauded the craftsmanship; the West End, a little grimly on the part of the men, and with a loquacity not wholly free from nervousness on the part of the women, wondered who would be next.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
wonderedverbUS /ˈwʌndərd/

past form of “wonder” — have a wish or desire to know something

From this reading --I-- THREE YEARS LATER The East End being, as it were, more akin to the technique and the mechanics of the thing, applauded the craftsmanship; the West End, a little grimly on the part of the men, and with a loquacity not wholly free from nervousness on the part of the women, wondered who would be next.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past

From this reading --I-- THREE YEARS LATER The East End being, as it were, more akin to the technique and the mechanics of the thing, applauded the craftsmanship; the West End, a little grimly on the part of the men, and with a loquacity not wholly free from nervousness on the part of the women, wondered who would be next.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
wyenounUS /waɪ/

the 25th letter of the Roman alphabet

From this reading "The cove as is runnin' that show," said the East End, with its tongue delightedly in its cheek, "knows 'is wye abaht.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
YEARSnounUS /jɪrz/

a late time of life

From this reading --I-- THREE YEARS LATER The East End being, as it were, more akin to the technique and the mechanics of the thing, applauded the craftsmanship; the West End, a little grimly on the part of the men, and with a loquacity not wholly free from nervousness on the part of the women, wondered who would be next.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

Chapter 1 of The Four Stragglers by Frank L. (Frank Lucius) Packard holds 412 sentences, grouped into 83 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 Four Stragglers contain?

Chapter 1 holds 412 sentences of The Four Stragglers, unabridged, divided into 83 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of The Four Stragglers by Frank L. (Frank Lucius) Packard exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 412 sentences, grouped into 83 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 Four Stragglers?

Work through the 83 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 83 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 Four Stragglers

Common questions about reading The Four Stragglers by Frank L. (Frank Lucius) Packard on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Four Stragglers?

Yes. All 0 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #? are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Four Stragglers is used?

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

How long does The Four Stragglers take to read?

About 5 minutes of reading across 0 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Four Stragglers section by section

How to work through The Four Stragglers section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

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Vocabulary met early in The Four Stragglers

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Four Stragglers, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Chapter 1
One of the 0 chapters of The Four Stragglers, divided into 5-sentence reading sections.
Chapter 2
One of the 0 chapters of The Four Stragglers, divided into 5-sentence reading sections.
Chapter 3
One of the 0 chapters of The Four Stragglers, divided into 5-sentence reading sections.