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The Social Gangster
The Social Gangster

Chapter XXXI

Chapter 31 of The Social Gangster is here in full — 163 sentences across 33 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Social Gangster
Context Illustration Reading 1/32 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
THE VOODOO MYSTERY "Everybody's crazy, Kennedy.
The whole world is going mad!"
Our old friend, Burke, of the Secret Service, scowled at the innocent objects in Craig's laboratory as he mopped his broad forehead.
"And the Secret Service is as bad as the rest," he went on, still scowling and not waiting for any comment from us.
"Why, what with these European spies and agitators, strikers and dynamiters, we're nearly dippy.
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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 Social Gangster

Chapter XXXI

Chapter 31 of The Social Gangster is here in full — 163 sentences across 33 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/32 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
THE VOODOO MYSTERY "Everybody's crazy, Kennedy.
Line 2
The whole world is going mad!"
/ðə hoʊl wɜːrld ɪz ˈɡoʊɪŋ mæd/
Line 3
Our old friend, Burke, of the Secret Service, scowled at the innocent objects in Craig's laboratory as he mopped his broad forehead.
Line 4
"And the Secret Service is as bad as the rest," he went on, still scowling and not waiting for any comment from us.
/ənd ðə ˈsiː.krət ˈsɜːrvəs ɪz æz bæd æz ðə rest hiː went ɑːn stɪl ˈskaʊlɪŋ ənd nɑːt ˈweɪtɪŋ fɔːr ˈeni ˈkɑːment frʌm ʌs/
Line 5
"Why, what with these European spies and agitators, strikers and dynamiters, we're nearly dippy.

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.

agitators noun US /ˈædʒɪteɪtərz/

plural of “agitator” — one who agitates; a political troublemaker

From this reading “"Why, what with these European spies and agitators, strikers and dynamiters, we're nearly dippy.”

laboratory noun US /ˈlæbrətɔːri/

a workplace for the conduct of scientific research

From this reading “Our old friend, Burke, of the Secret Service, scowled at the innocent objects in Craig's laboratory as he mopped his broad forehead.”

mopped verb US /mɑːpt/

inflected form of “mop” — to wash or wipe with or as if with a mop

From this reading “Our old friend, Burke, of the Secret Service, scowled at the innocent objects in Craig's laboratory as he mopped his broad forehead.”

scowled verb US /skaʊld/

past form of “scowl” — frown with displeasure

From this reading “Our old friend, Burke, of the Secret Service, scowled at the innocent objects in Craig's laboratory as he mopped his broad forehead.”

scowling adjective US /ˈskaʊlɪŋ/

sullen or unfriendly in appearance

From this reading “"And the Secret Service is as bad as the rest," he went on, still scowling and not waiting for any comment from us.”

spies noun US /spaɪz/

plural of “spy” — (military) a secret agent hired by a state to obtain information about its enemies or by a business to obtain industrial secrets from competitors

From this reading “"Why, what with these European spies and agitators, strikers and dynamiters, we're nearly dippy.”

strikers noun US /ˈstraɪkərz/

plural of “striker” — a forward on a soccer team

From this reading “"Why, what with these European spies and agitators, strikers and dynamiters, we're nearly dippy.”

voodoo noun US /ˈvuːduː/

a charm superstitiously believed to embody magical powers

From this reading “THE VOODOO MYSTERY "Everybody's crazy, Kennedy.”

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.

Secret Service noun + noun

the United States intelligence agency that protects current and former presidents and vice presidents and their immediate families and protects distinguished foreign visitors; detects and apprehends counterfeiters; suppresses forgery of government securities and documents

In this reading “Our old friend, Burke, of the Secret Service, scowled at the innocent objects in Craig's laboratory as he mopped his broad forehead.”

broad forehead adjective + noun

In this reading “Our old friend, Burke, of the Secret Service, scowled at the innocent objects in Craig's laboratory as he mopped his broad forehead.”

whole world adjective + noun

In this reading “The whole world is going mad!"”

old friend adjective + noun

In this reading “Our old friend, Burke, of the Secret Service, scowled at the innocent objects in Craig's laboratory as he mopped his broad forehead.”

went on verb + particle counted as “go on”

continue a certain state, condition, or activity

In this reading “"And the Secret Service is as bad as the rest," he went on, still scowling and not waiting for any comment from us.”

any comment adjective + noun

In this reading “"And the Secret Service is as bad as the rest," he went on, still scowling and not waiting for any comment from us.”

All words in this reading · 57

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.

agitatorsnounUS /ˈædʒɪteɪtərz/

plural of “agitator” — one who agitates; a political troublemaker

From this reading "Why, what with these European spies and agitators, strikers and dynamiters, we're nearly dippy.

AndconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading "And the Secret Service is as bad as the rest," he went on, still scowling and not waiting for any comment from us.

anyadjectiveUS /ˈeni/

one or some or every or all without specification

From this reading "And the Secret Service is as bad as the rest," he went on, still scowling and not waiting for any comment from us.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading Our old friend, Burke, of the Secret Service, scowled at the innocent objects in Craig's laboratory as he mopped his broad forehead.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading Our old friend, Burke, of the Secret Service, scowled at the innocent objects in Craig's laboratory as he mopped his broad forehead.

badadjectiveUS /bæd/

having undesirable or negative qualities

From this reading "And the Secret Service is as bad as the rest," he went on, still scowling and not waiting for any comment from us.

broadadjectiveUS /brɔːd/

having great (or a certain) extent from one side to the other

From this reading Our old friend, Burke, of the Secret Service, scowled at the innocent objects in Craig's laboratory as he mopped his broad forehead.

BurkenounUS /bɜːrk/

British statesman famous for his oratory; pleaded the cause of the American colonists in British Parliament and defended the parliamentary system (1729-1797)

From this reading Our old friend, Burke, of the Secret Service, scowled at the innocent objects in Craig's laboratory as he mopped his broad forehead.

commentnounUS /ˈkɑːment/

a statement that expresses a personal opinion or belief or adds information

From this reading "And the Secret Service is as bad as the rest," he went on, still scowling and not waiting for any comment from us.

Craig's

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

From this reading Our old friend, Burke, of the Secret Service, scowled at the innocent objects in Craig's laboratory as he mopped his broad forehead.

crazyadjectiveUS /ˈkreɪzi/

affected with madness or insanity

From this reading THE VOODOO MYSTERY "Everybody's crazy, Kennedy.

dippy

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

From this reading "Why, what with these European spies and agitators, strikers and dynamiters, we're nearly dippy.

dynamiters

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

From this reading "Why, what with these European spies and agitators, strikers and dynamiters, we're nearly dippy.

EuropeannounUS /ˌjʊrəˈpiːən/

a native or inhabitant of Europe

From this reading "Why, what with these European spies and agitators, strikers and dynamiters, we're nearly dippy.

Everybody's

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

From this reading THE VOODOO MYSTERY "Everybody's crazy, Kennedy.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading "And the Secret Service is as bad as the rest," he went on, still scowling and not waiting for any comment from us.

foreheadnounUS /ˈfɔːrhed/

the part of the face above the eyes

From this reading Our old friend, Burke, of the Secret Service, scowled at the innocent objects in Craig's laboratory as he mopped his broad forehead.

friendnounUS /frend/

a person you know well and regard with affection and trust

From this reading Our old friend, Burke, of the Secret Service, scowled at the innocent objects in Craig's laboratory as he mopped his broad forehead.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading "And the Secret Service is as bad as the rest," he went on, still scowling and not waiting for any comment from us.

goingnounUS /ˈɡoʊɪŋ/

the act of departing

From this reading The whole world is going mad!"

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading Our old friend, Burke, of the Secret Service, scowled at the innocent objects in Craig's laboratory as he mopped his broad forehead.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading Our old friend, Burke, of the Secret Service, scowled at the innocent objects in Craig's laboratory as he mopped his broad forehead.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading Our old friend, Burke, of the Secret Service, scowled at the innocent objects in Craig's laboratory as he mopped his broad forehead.

innocentadjectiveUS /ˈɪnəsənt/

free from evil or guilt

From this reading Our old friend, Burke, of the Secret Service, scowled at the innocent objects in Craig's laboratory as he mopped his broad forehead.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading The whole world is going mad!"

KennedynounUS /ˈkenədi/

35th President of the United States; established the Peace Corps; assassinated in Dallas (1917-1963)

From this reading THE VOODOO MYSTERY "Everybody's crazy, Kennedy.

laboratorynounUS /ˈlæbrətɔːri/

a workplace for the conduct of scientific research

From this reading Our old friend, Burke, of the Secret Service, scowled at the innocent objects in Craig's laboratory as he mopped his broad forehead.

madadjectiveUS /mæd/

roused to anger

From this reading The whole world is going mad!"

moppedverbUS /mɑːpt/

inflected form of “mop” — to wash or wipe with or as if with a mop

From this reading Our old friend, Burke, of the Secret Service, scowled at the innocent objects in Craig's laboratory as he mopped his broad forehead.

MYSTERYnounUS /ˈmɪstəri/

something that baffles understanding and cannot be explained

From this reading THE VOODOO MYSTERY "Everybody's crazy, Kennedy.

nearlyadverbUS /ˈnɪrli/

(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but

From this reading "Why, what with these European spies and agitators, strikers and dynamiters, we're nearly dippy.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading "And the Secret Service is as bad as the rest," he went on, still scowling and not waiting for any comment from us.

objectsnounUS /ˈɑːbdʒekts/

plural of “object” — a tangible and visible entity; an entity that can cast a shadow

From this reading Our old friend, Burke, of the Secret Service, scowled at the innocent objects in Craig's laboratory as he mopped his broad forehead.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Our old friend, Burke, of the Secret Service, scowled at the innocent objects in Craig's laboratory as he mopped his broad forehead.

oldadjectiveUS /oʊld/

(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age

From this reading Our old friend, Burke, of the Secret Service, scowled at the innocent objects in Craig's laboratory as he mopped his broad forehead.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading "And the Secret Service is as bad as the rest," he went on, still scowling and not waiting for any comment from us.

OurdeterminerUS /ˈaʊər/

belonging to the speaker and others

From this reading Our old friend, Burke, of the Secret Service, scowled at the innocent objects in Craig's laboratory as he mopped his broad forehead.

restverbUS /rest/

not move; be in a resting position

From this reading "And the Secret Service is as bad as the rest," he went on, still scowling and not waiting for any comment from us.

scowledverbUS /skaʊld/

past form of “scowl” — frown with displeasure

From this reading Our old friend, Burke, of the Secret Service, scowled at the innocent objects in Craig's laboratory as he mopped his broad forehead.

scowlingadjectiveUS /ˈskaʊlɪŋ/

sullen or unfriendly in appearance

From this reading "And the Secret Service is as bad as the rest," he went on, still scowling and not waiting for any comment from us.

SecretnounUS /ˈsiː.krət/

Something that is kept or meant to be kept unknown or unseen by others.

From this reading Our old friend, Burke, of the Secret Service, scowled at the innocent objects in Craig's laboratory as he mopped his broad forehead.

ServicenounUS /ˈsɜːrvəs/

work done by one person or group that benefits another

From this reading Our old friend, Burke, of the Secret Service, scowled at the innocent objects in Craig's laboratory as he mopped his broad forehead.

spiesnounUS /spaɪz/

plural of “spy” — (military) a secret agent hired by a state to obtain information about its enemies or by a business to obtain industrial secrets from competitors

From this reading "Why, what with these European spies and agitators, strikers and dynamiters, we're nearly dippy.

stilladjectiveUS /stɪl/

not in physical motion

From this reading "And the Secret Service is as bad as the rest," he went on, still scowling and not waiting for any comment from us.

strikersnounUS /ˈstraɪkərz/

plural of “striker” — a forward on a soccer team

From this reading "Why, what with these European spies and agitators, strikers and dynamiters, we're nearly dippy.

THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading THE VOODOO MYSTERY "Everybody's crazy, Kennedy.

thesedeterminerUS /ðiːz/

the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned

From this reading "Why, what with these European spies and agitators, strikers and dynamiters, we're nearly dippy.

uspronounUS /ʌs/

the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading "And the Secret Service is as bad as the rest," he went on, still scowling and not waiting for any comment from us.

VOODOOnounUS /ˈvuːduː/

a charm superstitiously believed to embody magical powers

From this reading THE VOODOO MYSTERY "Everybody's crazy, Kennedy.

waitingnounUS /ˈweɪtɪŋ/

the act of waiting (remaining inactive in one place while expecting something)

From this reading "And the Secret Service is as bad as the rest," he went on, still scowling and not waiting for any comment from us.

we're

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

From this reading "Why, what with these European spies and agitators, strikers and dynamiters, we're nearly dippy.

wentverbUS /went/

inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically

From this reading "And the Secret Service is as bad as the rest," he went on, still scowling and not waiting for any comment from us.

whatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading "Why, what with these European spies and agitators, strikers and dynamiters, we're nearly dippy.

wholeadjectiveUS /hoʊl/

including all components without exception; being one unit or constituting the full amount or extent or duration; complete

From this reading The whole world is going mad!"

WhynounUS /waɪ/

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

From this reading "Why, what with these European spies and agitators, strikers and dynamiters, we're nearly dippy.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading "Why, what with these European spies and agitators, strikers and dynamiters, we're nearly dippy.

worldnounUS /wɜːrld/

everything that exists anywhere

From this reading The whole world is going mad!"

Chapter 31 of The Social Gangster by Arthur B. (Arthur Benjamin) Reeve holds 163 sentences, grouped into 33 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 31 of The Social Gangster contain?

Chapter 31 holds 163 sentences of The Social Gangster, unabridged, divided into 33 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 31 of The Social Gangster by Arthur B. (Arthur Benjamin) Reeve exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 163 sentences, grouped into 33 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 31 of The Social Gangster?

Work through the 33 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 33 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 31 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 31 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 Social Gangster

Common questions about reading The Social Gangster by Arthur B. (Arthur Benjamin) Reeve on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Social Gangster?

Yes. All 5473 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #33466 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Social Gangster is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #33466, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Social Gangster take to read?

About 456 minutes of reading across 1095 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Social Gangster section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 36 chapters of The Social Gangster 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 Social Gangster

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

Worried
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Social Gangster; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Gloria
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Social Gangster; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Professor
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Social Gangster; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Kennedy
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Social Gangster; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.