Chapter 12 of The Nine-Tenths is here in full — 429 sentences across 86 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
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Chapter XII
Chapter 12 of The Nine-Tenths is here in full — 429 sentences across 86 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"Say," said the other, "ain't I the awful thing? Not a rat or a puff or a dab of rouge allowed in these here premises. I do look a sight--a fright. Gee!" She turned.
Chapter 12 of The Nine-Tenths is here in full — 429 sentences across 86 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/85 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5
These definitions explain words found in the current reading and keep every example grounded in its original sentence.
Oxford-style entry order: headword, part of speech, US IPA, concise definition, contextual example, and audio.
exceptionally bad or displeasing
From this reading “"Say," said the other, "ain't I the awful thing?”
apply (usually a liquid) to a surface
From this reading “Not a rat or a puff or a dab of rouge allowed in these here premises.”
an emotion experienced in anticipation of some specific pain or danger (usually accompanied by a desire to flee or fight)
From this reading “I do look a sight--a fright.”
a unit of force equal to the force exerted by gravity; used to indicate the force to which a body is subjected when it is accelerated
From this reading “Gee!"”
land and the buildings on it
From this reading “Not a rat or a puff or a dab of rouge allowed in these here premises.”
smoke and exhale strongly
From this reading “Not a rat or a puff or a dab of rouge allowed in these here premises.”
any of various long-tailed rodents similar to but larger than a mouse
From this reading “Not a rat or a puff or a dab of rouge allowed in these here premises.”
makeup consisting of a pink or red powder applied to the cheeks
From this reading “Not a rat or a puff or a dab of rouge allowed in these here premises.”
Every word in these five lines is listed here, and every one of them can be played on its own.
Dictionary details are shown only when verified; these are not licensed Oxford entries.
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Not a rat or a puff or a dab of rouge allowed in these here premises.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Say," said the other, "ain't I the awful thing?
past form of “allow” — make it possible through a specific action or lack of action for something to happen
From this reading Not a rat or a puff or a dab of rouge allowed in these here premises.
exceptionally bad or displeasing
From this reading "Say," said the other, "ain't I the awful thing?
apply (usually a liquid) to a surface
From this reading Not a rat or a puff or a dab of rouge allowed in these here premises.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading I do look a sight--a fright.
an emotion experienced in anticipation of some specific pain or danger (usually accompanied by a desire to flee or fight)
From this reading I do look a sight--a fright.
a unit of force equal to the force exerted by gravity; used to indicate the force to which a body is subjected when it is accelerated
From this reading Gee!"
in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is
From this reading Not a rat or a puff or a dab of rouge allowed in these here premises.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "Say," said the other, "ain't I the awful thing?
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Not a rat or a puff or a dab of rouge allowed in these here premises.
perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading I do look a sight--a fright.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading Not a rat or a puff or a dab of rouge allowed in these here premises.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Not a rat or a puff or a dab of rouge allowed in these here premises.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading Not a rat or a puff or a dab of rouge allowed in these here premises.
not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied
From this reading "Say," said the other, "ain't I the awful thing?
land and the buildings on it
From this reading Not a rat or a puff or a dab of rouge allowed in these here premises.
smoke and exhale strongly
From this reading Not a rat or a puff or a dab of rouge allowed in these here premises.
any of various long-tailed rodents similar to but larger than a mouse
From this reading Not a rat or a puff or a dab of rouge allowed in these here premises.
makeup consisting of a pink or red powder applied to the cheeks
From this reading Not a rat or a puff or a dab of rouge allowed in these here premises.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "Say," said the other, "ain't I the awful thing?
express in words
From this reading "Say," said the other, "ain't I the awful thing?
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading She turned.
an instance of visual perception
From this reading I do look a sight--a fright.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "Say," said the other, "ain't I the awful thing?
the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned
From this reading Not a rat or a puff or a dab of rouge allowed in these here premises.
a special situation
From this reading "Say," said the other, "ain't I the awful thing?
moved around an axis or center
From this reading She turned.
Chapter 12 of The Nine-Tenths by James Oppenheim holds 429 sentences, grouped into 86 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the source edition, unabridged, and the chapter records which sentences cover which part of the work so that nothing is dropped. Every word can be tapped for its pronunciation and dictionary entry.
Chapter 12 holds 429 sentences of The Nine-Tenths, unabridged, divided into 86 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 12 of The Nine-Tenths by James Oppenheim exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 429 sentences, grouped into 86 sections of at most 5 sentences so that a reader can take the chapter in steady, finishable pieces. The chapter also stores a coverage record mapping every one of its sentences to a part of the work, which is how the edition demonstrates that no line was dropped.
Work through the 86 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 86 sections in this chapter is short enough to read once, hear once, and then re-read with the vocabulary in view. Tapping a word plays it alone and opens its dictionary entry with IPA, part of speech and meaning, so the reader is never forced to guess a pronunciation from spelling. Working section by section keeps a long chapter from becoming an undifferentiated wall of text, which is the usual reason a reader abandons a work of this period.
Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 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.
Common questions about reading The Nine-Tenths by James Oppenheim on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 5521 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #11372 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #11372, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 460 minutes of reading across 1105 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Nine-Tenths section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 13 chapters of The Nine-Tenths to begin.
Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.
Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.
Words and structures a reader meets early in The Nine-Tenths, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
