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The Idle Thoughts of an Idle Fellow
The Idle Thoughts of an Idle Fellow

Chapter IV · Chapter 4

Chapter 4 of The Idle Thoughts of an Idle Fellow is here in full — 170 sentences across 34 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Idle Thoughts of an Idle Fellow
Context Illustration Reading 1/34 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
No! she howled.
That done, she became abusive.
She said: "Oo naughty--oo naughty, bad unkie--oo bad man--me tell MAR."
And she did, too.
Since then, when my views have been called for I have kept my real sentiments more to myself like, preferring to express unbounded admiration of this young person's actions, irrespective of their actual merits.
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
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A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

The Idle Thoughts of an Idle Fellow

Chapter IV · Chapter 4

Chapter 4 of The Idle Thoughts of an Idle Fellow is here in full — 170 sentences across 34 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/34 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
No! she howled.
/noʊ ʃiː haʊld/
Line 2
That done, she became abusive.
/ðæt dʌn ʃiː bɪˈkeɪm əˈbjuːsɪv/
Line 3
She said: "Oo naughty--oo naughty, bad unkie--oo bad man--me tell MAR."
Line 4
And she did, too.
/ənd ʃiː dɪd tuː/
Line 5
Since then, when my views have been called for I have kept my real sentiments more to myself like, preferring to express unbounded admiration of this young person's actions, irrespective of their actual merits.
/sɪns ðen wen maɪ vjuːz hæv bɪn kɔːld fɔːr aɪ hæv kept maɪ riːl ˈsentəmənts mɔːr tuː ˌmaɪˈself laɪk prɪˈfɜːrɪŋ tuː ɪkˈspres ənˈbaʊndɪd ˌædmərˈeɪʃən ʌv ðɪs jʌŋ ˈpɜːrsənz ˈækʃənz ˌɪrəˈspektɪv ʌv ðer ˈæktʃəwəl ˈmerəts/

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.

abusive adjective US /əˈbjuːsɪv/

expressing offensive reproach

From this reading “That done, she became abusive.”

howled verb US /haʊld/

past form of “howl” — emit long loud cries

From this reading “No! she howled.”

irrespective adverb US /ˌɪrəˈspektɪv/

in spite of everything; without regard to drawbacks

From this reading “Since then, when my views have been called for I have kept my real sentiments more to myself like, preferring to express unbounded admiration of this young person's actions, irrespective of their actual merits.”

mar verb US /mɑːr/

make imperfect

From this reading “She said: "Oo naughty--oo naughty, bad unkie--oo bad man--me tell MAR."”

naughty adjective US /ˈnɔːti/

suggestive of sexual impropriety

From this reading “She said: "Oo naughty--oo naughty, bad unkie--oo bad man--me tell MAR."”

person's noun US /ˈpɜːrsənz/

possessive form of “person” — a human being

From this reading “Since then, when my views have been called for I have kept my real sentiments more to myself like, preferring to express unbounded admiration of this young person's actions, irrespective of their actual merits.”

preferring verb US /prɪˈfɜːrɪŋ/

inflected form of “prefer” — like better; value more highly

From this reading “Since then, when my views have been called for I have kept my real sentiments more to myself like, preferring to express unbounded admiration of this young person's actions, irrespective of their actual merits.”

unbounded adjective US /ənˈbaʊndɪd/

seemingly boundless in amount, number, degree, or especially extent

From this reading “Since then, when my views have been called for I have kept my real sentiments more to myself like, preferring to express unbounded admiration of this young person's actions, irrespective of their actual merits.”

All words in this reading · 49

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.

abusiveadjectiveUS /əˈbjuːsɪv/

expressing offensive reproach

From this reading That done, she became abusive.

actionsnounUS /ˈækʃənz/

plural of “action” — something done (usually as opposed to something said)

From this reading Since then, when my views have been called for I have kept my real sentiments more to myself like, preferring to express unbounded admiration of this young person's actions, irrespective of their actual merits.

actualadjectiveUS /ˈæktʃəwəl/

presently existing in fact and not merely potential or possible

From this reading Since then, when my views have been called for I have kept my real sentiments more to myself like, preferring to express unbounded admiration of this young person's actions, irrespective of their actual merits.

admirationnounUS /ˌædmərˈeɪʃən/

a feeling of delighted approval and liking

From this reading Since then, when my views have been called for I have kept my real sentiments more to myself like, preferring to express unbounded admiration of this young person's actions, irrespective of their actual merits.

AndconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading And she did, too.

badadjectiveUS /bæd/

having undesirable or negative qualities

From this reading She said: "Oo naughty--oo naughty, bad unkie--oo bad man--me tell MAR."

becameverbUS /bɪˈkeɪm/

inflected form of “become” — enter or assume a certain state or condition

From this reading That done, she became abusive.

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading Since then, when my views have been called for I have kept my real sentiments more to myself like, preferring to express unbounded admiration of this young person's actions, irrespective of their actual merits.

calledverbUS /kɔːld/

past form of “call” — assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to

From this reading Since then, when my views have been called for I have kept my real sentiments more to myself like, preferring to express unbounded admiration of this young person's actions, irrespective of their actual merits.

didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/

the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives

From this reading And she did, too.

doneadjectiveUS /dʌn/

having finished or arrived at completion

From this reading That done, she became abusive.

expressverbUS /ɪkˈspres/

give expression to

From this reading Since then, when my views have been called for I have kept my real sentiments more to myself like, preferring to express unbounded admiration of this young person's actions, irrespective of their actual merits.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading Since then, when my views have been called for I have kept my real sentiments more to myself like, preferring to express unbounded admiration of this young person's actions, irrespective of their actual merits.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading Since then, when my views have been called for I have kept my real sentiments more to myself like, preferring to express unbounded admiration of this young person's actions, irrespective of their actual merits.

howledverbUS /haʊld/

past form of “howl” — emit long loud cries

From this reading No! she howled.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading Since then, when my views have been called for I have kept my real sentiments more to myself like, preferring to express unbounded admiration of this young person's actions, irrespective of their actual merits.

irrespectiveadverbUS /ˌɪrəˈspektɪv/

in spite of everything; without regard to drawbacks

From this reading Since then, when my views have been called for I have kept my real sentiments more to myself like, preferring to express unbounded admiration of this young person's actions, irrespective of their actual merits.

keptadjectiveUS /kept/

(especially of promises or contracts) not violated or disregarded

From this reading Since then, when my views have been called for I have kept my real sentiments more to myself like, preferring to express unbounded admiration of this young person's actions, irrespective of their actual merits.

likeverbUS /laɪk/

prefer or wish to do something

From this reading Since then, when my views have been called for I have kept my real sentiments more to myself like, preferring to express unbounded admiration of this young person's actions, irrespective of their actual merits.

mannounUS /mæn/

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

From this reading She said: "Oo naughty--oo naughty, bad unkie--oo bad man--me tell MAR."

MARverbUS /mɑːr/

make imperfect

From this reading She said: "Oo naughty--oo naughty, bad unkie--oo bad man--me tell MAR."

mepronounUS /miː/

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

From this reading She said: "Oo naughty--oo naughty, bad unkie--oo bad man--me tell MAR."

meritsnounUS /ˈmerəts/

plural of “merit” — any admirable quality or attribute

From this reading Since then, when my views have been called for I have kept my real sentiments more to myself like, preferring to express unbounded admiration of this young person's actions, irrespective of their actual merits.

moreadjectiveUS /mɔːr/

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

From this reading Since then, when my views have been called for I have kept my real sentiments more to myself like, preferring to express unbounded admiration of this young person's actions, irrespective of their actual merits.

mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading Since then, when my views have been called for I have kept my real sentiments more to myself like, preferring to express unbounded admiration of this young person's actions, irrespective of their actual merits.

myselfpronounUS /ˌmaɪˈself/

used when the speaker is also the object of the action

From this reading Since then, when my views have been called for I have kept my real sentiments more to myself like, preferring to express unbounded admiration of this young person's actions, irrespective of their actual merits.

naughtyadjectiveUS /ˈnɔːti/

suggestive of sexual impropriety

From this reading She said: "Oo naughty--oo naughty, bad unkie--oo bad man--me tell MAR."

NodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading No! she howled.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Since then, when my views have been called for I have kept my real sentiments more to myself like, preferring to express unbounded admiration of this young person's actions, irrespective of their actual merits.

Oo

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

From this reading She said: "Oo naughty--oo naughty, bad unkie--oo bad man--me tell MAR."

person'snounUS /ˈpɜːrsənz/

possessive form of “person” — a human being

From this reading Since then, when my views have been called for I have kept my real sentiments more to myself like, preferring to express unbounded admiration of this young person's actions, irrespective of their actual merits.

preferringverbUS /prɪˈfɜːrɪŋ/

inflected form of “prefer” — like better; value more highly

From this reading Since then, when my views have been called for I have kept my real sentiments more to myself like, preferring to express unbounded admiration of this young person's actions, irrespective of their actual merits.

realadjectiveUS /riːl/

being or occurring in fact or actuality; having verified existence; not illusory

From this reading Since then, when my views have been called for I have kept my real sentiments more to myself like, preferring to express unbounded admiration of this young person's actions, irrespective of their actual merits.

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading She said: "Oo naughty--oo naughty, bad unkie--oo bad man--me tell MAR."

sentimentsnounUS /ˈsentəmənts/

plural of “sentiment” — tender, romantic, or nostalgic feeling or emotion

From this reading Since then, when my views have been called for I have kept my real sentiments more to myself like, preferring to express unbounded admiration of this young person's actions, irrespective of their actual merits.

shepronounUS /ʃiː/

a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading No! she howled.

SinceprepositionUS /sɪns/

from a time in the past until now

From this reading Since then, when my views have been called for I have kept my real sentiments more to myself like, preferring to express unbounded admiration of this young person's actions, irrespective of their actual merits.

tellverbUS /tel/

express in words

From this reading She said: "Oo naughty--oo naughty, bad unkie--oo bad man--me tell MAR."

ThatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading That done, she became abusive.

theirdeterminerUS /ðer/

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading Since then, when my views have been called for I have kept my real sentiments more to myself like, preferring to express unbounded admiration of this young person's actions, irrespective of their actual merits.

thenadverbUS /ðen/

subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)

From this reading Since then, when my views have been called for I have kept my real sentiments more to myself like, preferring to express unbounded admiration of this young person's actions, irrespective of their actual merits.

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

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

From this reading Since then, when my views have been called for I have kept my real sentiments more to myself like, preferring to express unbounded admiration of this young person's actions, irrespective of their actual merits.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading Since then, when my views have been called for I have kept my real sentiments more to myself like, preferring to express unbounded admiration of this young person's actions, irrespective of their actual merits.

tooadverbUS /tuː/

to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits

From this reading And she did, too.

unboundedadjectiveUS /ənˈbaʊndɪd/

seemingly boundless in amount, number, degree, or especially extent

From this reading Since then, when my views have been called for I have kept my real sentiments more to myself like, preferring to express unbounded admiration of this young person's actions, irrespective of their actual merits.

unkie

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

From this reading She said: "Oo naughty--oo naughty, bad unkie--oo bad man--me tell MAR."

viewsnounUS /vjuːz/

plural of “view” — a way of regarding situations or topics etc.

From this reading Since then, when my views have been called for I have kept my real sentiments more to myself like, preferring to express unbounded admiration of this young person's actions, irrespective of their actual merits.

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading Since then, when my views have been called for I have kept my real sentiments more to myself like, preferring to express unbounded admiration of this young person's actions, irrespective of their actual merits.

youngadjectiveUS /jʌŋ/

(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth

From this reading Since then, when my views have been called for I have kept my real sentiments more to myself like, preferring to express unbounded admiration of this young person's actions, irrespective of their actual merits.

Chapter 4 of The Idle Thoughts of an Idle Fellow by Jerome K. (Jerome Klapka) Jerome holds 170 sentences, grouped into 34 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the public-domain source, 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 4 of The Idle Thoughts of an Idle Fellow contain?

Chapter 4 holds 170 sentences of The Idle Thoughts of an Idle Fellow, unabridged, divided into 34 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 4 of The Idle Thoughts of an Idle Fellow by Jerome K. (Jerome Klapka) Jerome exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 170 sentences, grouped into 34 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 4 of The Idle Thoughts of an Idle Fellow?

Work through the 34 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 34 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 4 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 4 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 Idle Thoughts of an Idle Fellow

Common questions about reading The Idle Thoughts of an Idle Fellow by Jerome K. (Jerome Klapka) Jerome on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Idle Thoughts of an Idle Fellow?

Yes. All 2016 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #849 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Idle Thoughts of an Idle Fellow is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #849, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Idle Thoughts of an Idle Fellow take to read?

About 168 minutes of reading across 404 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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How to work through The Idle Thoughts of an Idle Fellow section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

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  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 Idle Thoughts of an Idle Fellow

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Idle Thoughts of an Idle Fellow, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Thoughts
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Idle Thoughts of an Idle Fellow; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Fellow
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Idle Thoughts of an Idle Fellow; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Oldest
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Idle Thoughts of an Idle Fellow; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Strongest
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Idle Thoughts of an Idle Fellow; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.