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The Penalty
The Penalty

Chapter VII · Chapter 7

Chapter 7 of The Penalty is here in full — 408 sentences across 82 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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Context Illustration Reading 1/81 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
"Lady," he said, "what I've poured in jest, drink in earnest.
All that's yellow isn't butter.
But if anybody was to ask you--say, a man who shall be as nameless as he is legless--what I says to you during our discursive promenaid, you answer back and say, 'Kid Shannon, whenever I speaks to him, merely says, "Ha!
Hum!"--_or words to that effect_.'
Here I wishes you salutations, and may your life contain nothing but times when you looks and feels your best."
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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 Penalty

Chapter VII · Chapter 7

Chapter 7 of The Penalty is here in full — 408 sentences across 82 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/81 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
"Lady," he said, "what I've poured in jest, drink in earnest.
Line 2
All that's yellow isn't butter.
Line 3
But if anybody was to ask you--say, a man who shall be as nameless as he is legless--what I says to you during our discursive promenaid, you answer back and say, 'Kid Shannon, whenever I speaks to him, merely says, "Ha!
Line 4
Hum!"--_or words to that effect_.'
Line 5
Here I wishes you salutations, and may your life contain nothing but times when you looks and feels your best."

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.

butter noun US /ˈbʌtər/

an edible emulsion of fat globules made by churning milk or cream; for cooking and table use

From this reading “All that's yellow isn't butter.”

contain verb US /kənˈteɪn/

include or contain; have as a component

From this reading “Here I wishes you salutations, and may your life contain nothing but times when you looks and feels your best."”

discursive adjective US /dɪˈskɜːrsɪv/

proceeding to a conclusion by reason or argument rather than intuition

From this reading “But if anybody was to ask you--say, a man who shall be as nameless as he is legless--what I says to you during our discursive promenaid, you answer back and say, 'Kid Shannon, whenever I speaks to him, merely says, "Ha!”

Hum verb US /hʌm/

sing with closed lips

From this reading “Hum!"--_or words to that effect_.'”

Kid verb US /kɪd/

tell false information to for fun

From this reading “But if anybody was to ask you--say, a man who shall be as nameless as he is legless--what I says to you during our discursive promenaid, you answer back and say, 'Kid Shannon, whenever I speaks to him, merely says, "Ha!”

legless adjective US /ˈleɡləs/

not having legs

From this reading “But if anybody was to ask you--say, a man who shall be as nameless as he is legless--what I says to you during our discursive promenaid, you answer back and say, 'Kid Shannon, whenever I speaks to him, merely says, "Ha!”

nameless adjective US /ˈneɪm.ləs/

Having no name, or having a name that is kept secret or unknown.

From this reading “But if anybody was to ask you--say, a man who shall be as nameless as he is legless--what I says to you during our discursive promenaid, you answer back and say, 'Kid Shannon, whenever I speaks to him, merely says, "Ha!”

Shannon noun US /ˈʃænən/

United States electrical engineer who pioneered mathematical communication theory (1916-2001)

From this reading “But if anybody was to ask you--say, a man who shall be as nameless as he is legless--what I says to you during our discursive promenaid, you answer back and say, 'Kid Shannon, whenever I speaks to him, merely says, "Ha!”

All words in this reading · 66

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 But if anybody was to ask you--say, a man who shall be as nameless as he is legless--what I says to you during our discursive promenaid, you answer back and say, 'Kid Shannon, whenever I speaks to him, merely says, "Ha!

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 All that's yellow isn't butter.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading But if anybody was to ask you--say, a man who shall be as nameless as he is legless--what I says to you during our discursive promenaid, you answer back and say, 'Kid Shannon, whenever I speaks to him, merely says, "Ha!

answerverbUS /ˈænsər/

react verbally

From this reading But if anybody was to ask you--say, a man who shall be as nameless as he is legless--what I says to you during our discursive promenaid, you answer back and say, 'Kid Shannon, whenever I speaks to him, merely says, "Ha!

anybodypronounUS /ˈenibədi/

any person at all

From this reading But if anybody was to ask you--say, a man who shall be as nameless as he is legless--what I says to you during our discursive promenaid, you answer back and say, 'Kid Shannon, whenever I speaks to him, merely says, "Ha!

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading But if anybody was to ask you--say, a man who shall be as nameless as he is legless--what I says to you during our discursive promenaid, you answer back and say, 'Kid Shannon, whenever I speaks to him, merely says, "Ha!

askverbUS /æsk/

make a request or demand for something to somebody

From this reading But if anybody was to ask you--say, a man who shall be as nameless as he is legless--what I says to you during our discursive promenaid, you answer back and say, 'Kid Shannon, whenever I speaks to him, merely says, "Ha!

backadverbUS /bæk/

in or to or toward a former location

From this reading But if anybody was to ask you--say, a man who shall be as nameless as he is legless--what I says to you during our discursive promenaid, you answer back and say, 'Kid Shannon, whenever I speaks to him, merely says, "Ha!

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

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

From this reading But if anybody was to ask you--say, a man who shall be as nameless as he is legless--what I says to you during our discursive promenaid, you answer back and say, 'Kid Shannon, whenever I speaks to him, merely says, "Ha!

bestnounUS /best/

the supreme effort one can make

From this reading Here I wishes you salutations, and may your life contain nothing but times when you looks and feels your best."

ButconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading But if anybody was to ask you--say, a man who shall be as nameless as he is legless--what I says to you during our discursive promenaid, you answer back and say, 'Kid Shannon, whenever I speaks to him, merely says, "Ha!

butternounUS /ˈbʌtər/

an edible emulsion of fat globules made by churning milk or cream; for cooking and table use

From this reading All that's yellow isn't butter.

containverbUS /kənˈteɪn/

include or contain; have as a component

From this reading Here I wishes you salutations, and may your life contain nothing but times when you looks and feels your best."

discursiveadjectiveUS /dɪˈskɜːrsɪv/

proceeding to a conclusion by reason or argument rather than intuition

From this reading But if anybody was to ask you--say, a man who shall be as nameless as he is legless--what I says to you during our discursive promenaid, you answer back and say, 'Kid Shannon, whenever I speaks to him, merely says, "Ha!

drinkverbUS /drɪŋk/

take in liquids

From this reading "Lady," he said, "what I've poured in jest, drink in earnest.

duringprepositionUS /ˈdʊrɪŋ/

all through a period, or at some point within it

From this reading But if anybody was to ask you--say, a man who shall be as nameless as he is legless--what I says to you during our discursive promenaid, you answer back and say, 'Kid Shannon, whenever I speaks to him, merely says, "Ha!

earnestadjectiveUS /ˈɜːrnɪst/

characterized by a firm and humorless belief in the validity of your opinions

From this reading "Lady," he said, "what I've poured in jest, drink in earnest.

effectnounUS /ɪˈfekt/

a phenomenon that follows and is caused by some previous phenomenon

From this reading Hum!"--_or words to that effect_.'

feelsnounUS /fiːlz/

plural of “feel” — an intuitive awareness

From this reading Here I wishes you salutations, and may your life contain nothing but times when you looks and feels your best."

HanounUS /hɑː/

(astronomy) the angular distance of a celestial point measured westward along the celestial equator from the zenith crossing; the right ascension for an observer at a particular location and time of day

From this reading But if anybody was to ask you--say, a man who shall be as nameless as he is legless--what I says to you during our discursive promenaid, you answer back and say, 'Kid Shannon, whenever I speaks to him, merely says, "Ha!

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading "Lady," he said, "what I've poured in jest, drink in earnest.

HereadverbUS /hiːr/

in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is

From this reading Here I wishes you salutations, and may your life contain nothing but times when you looks and feels your best."

himpronounUS /hɪm/

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading But if anybody was to ask you--say, a man who shall be as nameless as he is legless--what I says to you during our discursive promenaid, you answer back and say, 'Kid Shannon, whenever I speaks to him, merely says, "Ha!

HumverbUS /hʌm/

sing with closed lips

From this reading Hum!"--_or words to that effect_.'

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading But if anybody was to ask you--say, a man who shall be as nameless as he is legless--what I says to you during our discursive promenaid, you answer back and say, 'Kid Shannon, whenever I speaks to him, merely says, "Ha!

I've

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

From this reading "Lady," he said, "what I've poured in jest, drink in earnest.

ifconjunctionUS /ɪf/

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading But if anybody was to ask you--say, a man who shall be as nameless as he is legless--what I says to you during our discursive promenaid, you answer back and say, 'Kid Shannon, whenever I speaks to him, merely says, "Ha!

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading "Lady," he said, "what I've poured in jest, drink in earnest.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading But if anybody was to ask you--say, a man who shall be as nameless as he is legless--what I says to you during our discursive promenaid, you answer back and say, 'Kid Shannon, whenever I speaks to him, merely says, "Ha!

isn't

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

From this reading All that's yellow isn't butter.

jestnounUS /dʒest/

a humorous anecdote or remark intended to provoke laughter

From this reading "Lady," he said, "what I've poured in jest, drink in earnest.

KidverbUS /kɪd/

tell false information to for fun

From this reading But if anybody was to ask you--say, a man who shall be as nameless as he is legless--what I says to you during our discursive promenaid, you answer back and say, 'Kid Shannon, whenever I speaks to him, merely says, "Ha!

LadynounUS /ˈleɪdi/

a polite name for any woman

From this reading "Lady," he said, "what I've poured in jest, drink in earnest.

leglessadjectiveUS /ˈleɡləs/

not having legs

From this reading But if anybody was to ask you--say, a man who shall be as nameless as he is legless--what I says to you during our discursive promenaid, you answer back and say, 'Kid Shannon, whenever I speaks to him, merely says, "Ha!

lifenounUS /laɪf/

a characteristic state or mode of living

From this reading Here I wishes you salutations, and may your life contain nothing but times when you looks and feels your best."

looksnounUS /lʊks/

plural of “look” — the feelings expressed on a person's face

From this reading Here I wishes you salutations, and may your life contain nothing but times when you looks and feels your best."

mannounUS /mæn/

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

From this reading But if anybody was to ask you--say, a man who shall be as nameless as he is legless--what I says to you during our discursive promenaid, you answer back and say, 'Kid Shannon, whenever I speaks to him, merely says, "Ha!

maymodal verbUS /meɪ/

used to say something is possible, or to give permission

From this reading Here I wishes you salutations, and may your life contain nothing but times when you looks and feels your best."

merelyadverbUS /ˈmɪrli/

and nothing more

From this reading But if anybody was to ask you--say, a man who shall be as nameless as he is legless--what I says to you during our discursive promenaid, you answer back and say, 'Kid Shannon, whenever I speaks to him, merely says, "Ha!

namelessadjectiveUS /ˈneɪm.ləs/

Having no name, or having a name that is kept secret or unknown.

From this reading But if anybody was to ask you--say, a man who shall be as nameless as he is legless--what I says to you during our discursive promenaid, you answer back and say, 'Kid Shannon, whenever I speaks to him, merely says, "Ha!

nothingpronounUS /ˈnʌθɪŋ/

not one thing; not anything

From this reading Here I wishes you salutations, and may your life contain nothing but times when you looks and feels your best."

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading Hum!"--_or words to that effect_.'

ourdeterminerUS /ˈaʊər/

belonging to the speaker and others

From this reading But if anybody was to ask you--say, a man who shall be as nameless as he is legless--what I says to you during our discursive promenaid, you answer back and say, 'Kid Shannon, whenever I speaks to him, merely says, "Ha!

pouredverbUS /pɔːrd/

past form of “pour” — cause to run

From this reading "Lady," he said, "what I've poured in jest, drink in earnest.

promenaid

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

From this reading But if anybody was to ask you--say, a man who shall be as nameless as he is legless--what I says to you during our discursive promenaid, you answer back and say, 'Kid Shannon, whenever I speaks to him, merely says, "Ha!

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading "Lady," he said, "what I've poured in jest, drink in earnest.

salutations

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

From this reading Here I wishes you salutations, and may your life contain nothing but times when you looks and feels your best."

sayverbUS /seɪ/

express in words

From this reading But if anybody was to ask you--say, a man who shall be as nameless as he is legless--what I says to you during our discursive promenaid, you answer back and say, 'Kid Shannon, whenever I speaks to him, merely says, "Ha!

saysnounUS /sez/

plural of “say” — the chance to speak

From this reading But if anybody was to ask you--say, a man who shall be as nameless as he is legless--what I says to you during our discursive promenaid, you answer back and say, 'Kid Shannon, whenever I speaks to him, merely says, "Ha!

shallmodal verbUS /ʃæl/

used with I and we for the future, or to offer and suggest

From this reading But if anybody was to ask you--say, a man who shall be as nameless as he is legless--what I says to you during our discursive promenaid, you answer back and say, 'Kid Shannon, whenever I speaks to him, merely says, "Ha!

ShannonnounUS /ˈʃænən/

United States electrical engineer who pioneered mathematical communication theory (1916-2001)

From this reading But if anybody was to ask you--say, a man who shall be as nameless as he is legless--what I says to you during our discursive promenaid, you answer back and say, 'Kid Shannon, whenever I speaks to him, merely says, "Ha!

speaksverbUS /spiːks/

third-person singular of “speak” — express in speech

From this reading But if anybody was to ask you--say, a man who shall be as nameless as he is legless--what I says to you during our discursive promenaid, you answer back and say, 'Kid Shannon, whenever I speaks to him, merely says, "Ha!

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading Hum!"--_or words to that effect_.'

that's

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

From this reading All that's yellow isn't butter.

timesnounUS /taɪmz/

a more or less definite period of time now or previously present

From this reading Here I wishes you salutations, and may your life contain nothing but times when you looks and feels your best."

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading But if anybody was to ask you--say, a man who shall be as nameless as he is legless--what I says to you during our discursive promenaid, you answer back and say, 'Kid Shannon, whenever I speaks to him, merely says, "Ha!

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading But if anybody was to ask you--say, a man who shall be as nameless as he is legless--what I says to you during our discursive promenaid, you answer back and say, 'Kid Shannon, whenever I speaks to him, merely says, "Ha!

whatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading "Lady," he said, "what I've poured in jest, drink in earnest.

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading Here I wishes you salutations, and may your life contain nothing but times when you looks and feels your best."

wheneverconjunctionUS /weˈnevər/

at any time that; every time that

From this reading But if anybody was to ask you--say, a man who shall be as nameless as he is legless--what I says to you during our discursive promenaid, you answer back and say, 'Kid Shannon, whenever I speaks to him, merely says, "Ha!

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading But if anybody was to ask you--say, a man who shall be as nameless as he is legless--what I says to you during our discursive promenaid, you answer back and say, 'Kid Shannon, whenever I speaks to him, merely says, "Ha!

wishesnounUS /ˈwɪʃɪz/

plural of “wish” — a specific feeling of desire

From this reading Here I wishes you salutations, and may your life contain nothing but times when you looks and feels your best."

wordsnounUS /wɜːrdz/

the words that are spoken

From this reading Hum!"--_or words to that effect_.'

yellowadjectiveUS /ˈjeloʊ/

of the color intermediate between green and orange in the color spectrum; of something resembling the color of an egg yolk

From this reading All that's yellow isn't butter.

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading But if anybody was to ask you--say, a man who shall be as nameless as he is legless--what I says to you during our discursive promenaid, you answer back and say, 'Kid Shannon, whenever I speaks to him, merely says, "Ha!

yourdeterminerUS /jɔːr/

belonging to the person or people being spoken to

From this reading Here I wishes you salutations, and may your life contain nothing but times when you looks and feels your best."

Chapter 7 of The Penalty by Gouverneur Morris holds 408 sentences, grouped into 82 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 7 of The Penalty contain?

Chapter 7 holds 408 sentences of The Penalty, unabridged, divided into 82 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 7 of The Penalty by Gouverneur Morris exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 408 sentences, grouped into 82 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 7 of The Penalty?

Work through the 82 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 82 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 7 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 7 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 Penalty

Common questions about reading The Penalty by Gouverneur Morris on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Penalty?

Yes. All 5676 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #12557 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Penalty is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #12557, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Penalty take to read?

About 473 minutes of reading across 1136 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Penalty section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 14 chapters of The Penalty 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 Penalty

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

Skeleton
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Penalty; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Played
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Penalty; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Larger
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Penalty; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Spoiled
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Penalty; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.