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The Sorrows of a Show Girl
The Sorrows of a Show Girl

Chapter III · Chapter 3

Chapter 3 of The Sorrows of a Show Girl is here in full — 462 sentences across 93 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Sorrows of a Show Girl
Context Illustration Reading 1/92 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
"And then sometimes when he calls up I am out, just to let him know that he is not the only star performer.
"That stunt keeps them at heel all the time and so busy trying to keep track of you that they don't have time to look for any other dame.
So that it works both ways for the dealer, and a couple of tears will always copper any wrong play you make.
"This Beatrice Fairfax dope may be all right in the simple country maiden, but it don't go in the show business worth a whoop.
You've got to be on your toes in this game and play no steady system.
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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 Sorrows of a Show Girl

Chapter III · Chapter 3

Chapter 3 of The Sorrows of a Show Girl is here in full — 462 sentences across 93 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/92 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
"And then sometimes when he calls up I am out, just to let him know that he is not the only star performer.
/ənd ðen səmˈtaɪmz wen hiː kɔːlz ʌp aɪ æm aʊt dʒʌst tuː let hɪm noʊ ðæt hiː ɪz nɑːt ðə ˈoʊnli stɑːr pərˈfɔːrmər/
Line 2
"That stunt keeps them at heel all the time and so busy trying to keep track of you that they don't have time to look for any other dame.
Line 3
So that it works both ways for the dealer, and a couple of tears will always copper any wrong play you make.
/soʊ ðæt ɪt wɜːrks boʊθ weɪz fɔːr ðə ˈdiːlər ənd ə ˈkʌpəl ʌv terz wɪl ˈɔːlweɪz ˈkɑːpər ˈeni rɔːŋ pleɪ juː meɪk/
Line 4
"This Beatrice Fairfax dope may be all right in the simple country maiden, but it don't go in the show business worth a whoop.
Line 5
You've got to be on your toes in this game and play no steady system.

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.

copper noun US /ˈkɑːpər/

a ductile malleable reddish-brown corrosion-resistant diamagnetic metallic element; occurs in various minerals but is the only metal that occurs abundantly in large masses; used as an electrical and thermal conductor

From this reading “So that it works both ways for the dealer, and a couple of tears will always copper any wrong play you make.”

dealer noun US /ˈdiːlər/

someone who purchases and maintains an inventory of goods to be sold

From this reading “So that it works both ways for the dealer, and a couple of tears will always copper any wrong play you make.”

dope noun US /doʊp/

street names for marijuana

From this reading “"This Beatrice Fairfax dope may be all right in the simple country maiden, but it don't go in the show business worth a whoop.”

heel noun US /hiːl/

the bottom of a shoe or boot; the back part of a shoe or boot that touches the ground and provides elevation

From this reading “"That stunt keeps them at heel all the time and so busy trying to keep track of you that they don't have time to look for any other dame.”

performer noun US /pərˈfɔːrmər/

an entertainer who performs a dramatic or musical work for an audience

From this reading “"And then sometimes when he calls up I am out, just to let him know that he is not the only star performer.”

stunt noun US /stʌnt/

a difficult or unusual or dangerous feat; usually done to gain attention

From this reading “"That stunt keeps them at heel all the time and so busy trying to keep track of you that they don't have time to look for any other dame.”

toes noun US /toʊz/

plural of “toe” — one of the digits of the foot

From this reading “You've got to be on your toes in this game and play no steady system.”

whoop verb US /wuːp/

shout, as if with joy or enthusiasm

From this reading “"This Beatrice Fairfax dope may be all right in the simple country maiden, but it don't go in the show business worth a whoop.”

All words in this reading · 84

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 So that it works both ways for the dealer, and a couple of tears will always copper any wrong play you make.

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 "That stunt keeps them at heel all the time and so busy trying to keep track of you that they don't have time to look for any other dame.

alwaysadverbUS /ˈɔːlweɪz/

at all times; all the time and on every occasion

From this reading So that it works both ways for the dealer, and a couple of tears will always copper any wrong play you make.

amauxiliary verbUS /æm/

the form of “be” used with “I”

From this reading "And then sometimes when he calls up I am out, just to let him know that he is not the only star performer.

AndconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading "And then sometimes when he calls up I am out, just to let him know that he is not the only star performer.

anyadjectiveUS /ˈeni/

one or some or every or all without specification

From this reading "That stunt keeps them at heel all the time and so busy trying to keep track of you that they don't have time to look for any other dame.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading "That stunt keeps them at heel all the time and so busy trying to keep track of you that they don't have time to look for any other dame.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

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

From this reading "This Beatrice Fairfax dope may be all right in the simple country maiden, but it don't go in the show business worth a whoop.

BeatricenounUS /ˈbiːətrəs/

the woman who guided Dante through Paradise in the Divine Comedy

From this reading "This Beatrice Fairfax dope may be all right in the simple country maiden, but it don't go in the show business worth a whoop.

bothdeterminerUS /boʊθ/

the two together, not just one

From this reading So that it works both ways for the dealer, and a couple of tears will always copper any wrong play you make.

businessnounUS /ˈbɪznəs/

a commercial or industrial enterprise and the people who constitute it

From this reading "This Beatrice Fairfax dope may be all right in the simple country maiden, but it don't go in the show business worth a whoop.

busyadjectiveUS /ˈbɪzi/

actively or fully engaged or occupied

From this reading "That stunt keeps them at heel all the time and so busy trying to keep track of you that they don't have time to look for any other dame.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading "This Beatrice Fairfax dope may be all right in the simple country maiden, but it don't go in the show business worth a whoop.

callsnounUS /kɔːlz/

plural of “call” — a telephone connection

From this reading "And then sometimes when he calls up I am out, just to let him know that he is not the only star performer.

coppernounUS /ˈkɑːpər/

a ductile malleable reddish-brown corrosion-resistant diamagnetic metallic element; occurs in various minerals but is the only metal that occurs abundantly in large masses; used as an electrical and thermal conductor

From this reading So that it works both ways for the dealer, and a couple of tears will always copper any wrong play you make.

countrynounUS /ˈkʌntri/

a politically organized body of people under a single government

From this reading "This Beatrice Fairfax dope may be all right in the simple country maiden, but it don't go in the show business worth a whoop.

couplenounUS /ˈkʌpəl/

a pair who associate with one another

From this reading So that it works both ways for the dealer, and a couple of tears will always copper any wrong play you make.

damenounUS /deɪm/

informal terms for a (young) woman

From this reading "That stunt keeps them at heel all the time and so busy trying to keep track of you that they don't have time to look for any other dame.

dealernounUS /ˈdiːlər/

someone who purchases and maintains an inventory of goods to be sold

From this reading So that it works both ways for the dealer, and a couple of tears will always copper any wrong play you make.

don't

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

From this reading "That stunt keeps them at heel all the time and so busy trying to keep track of you that they don't have time to look for any other dame.

dopenounUS /doʊp/

street names for marijuana

From this reading "This Beatrice Fairfax dope may be all right in the simple country maiden, but it don't go in the show business worth a whoop.

Fairfax

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

From this reading "This Beatrice Fairfax dope may be all right in the simple country maiden, but it don't go in the show business worth a whoop.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading "That stunt keeps them at heel all the time and so busy trying to keep track of you that they don't have time to look for any other dame.

gamenounUS /ɡeɪm/

a contest with rules to determine a winner

From this reading You've got to be on your toes in this game and play no steady system.

goverbUS /ɡoʊ/

change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically

From this reading "This Beatrice Fairfax dope may be all right in the simple country maiden, but it don't go in the show business worth a whoop.

gotverbUS /ɡɑːt/

inflected form of “get” — come into the possession of something concrete or abstract

From this reading You've got to be on your toes in this game and play no steady system.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading "That stunt keeps them at heel all the time and so busy trying to keep track of you that they don't have time to look for any other dame.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading "And then sometimes when he calls up I am out, just to let him know that he is not the only star performer.

heelnounUS /hiːl/

the bottom of a shoe or boot; the back part of a shoe or boot that touches the ground and provides elevation

From this reading "That stunt keeps them at heel all the time and so busy trying to keep track of you that they don't have time to look for any other dame.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

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

From this reading "And then sometimes when he calls up I am out, just to let him know that he is not the only star performer.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading "And then sometimes when he calls up I am out, just to let him know that he is not the only star performer.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading "This Beatrice Fairfax dope may be all right in the simple country maiden, but it don't go in the show business worth a whoop.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading "And then sometimes when he calls up I am out, just to let him know that he is not the only star performer.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading So that it works both ways for the dealer, and a couple of tears will always copper any wrong play you make.

justadverbUS /dʒʌst/

and nothing more

From this reading "And then sometimes when he calls up I am out, just to let him know that he is not the only star performer.

keepverbUS /kiːp/

cause to continue in a certain state, position, or activity; e.g., “keep clean”

From this reading "That stunt keeps them at heel all the time and so busy trying to keep track of you that they don't have time to look for any other dame.

keepsnounUS /kiːps/

plural of “keep” — the financial means whereby one lives

From this reading "That stunt keeps them at heel all the time and so busy trying to keep track of you that they don't have time to look for any other dame.

knowverbUS /noʊ/

be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about

From this reading "And then sometimes when he calls up I am out, just to let him know that he is not the only star performer.

letauxiliary verbUS /let/

used to make a suggestion or a command including the speaker

From this reading "And then sometimes when he calls up I am out, just to let him know that he is not the only star performer.

lookverbUS /lʊk/

perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards

From this reading "That stunt keeps them at heel all the time and so busy trying to keep track of you that they don't have time to look for any other dame.

maidennounUS /ˈmeɪdən/

an unmarried girl (especially a virgin)

From this reading "This Beatrice Fairfax dope may be all right in the simple country maiden, but it don't go in the show business worth a whoop.

makeverbUS /meɪk/

engage in

From this reading So that it works both ways for the dealer, and a couple of tears will always copper any wrong play you make.

maymodal verbUS /meɪ/

used to say something is possible, or to give permission

From this reading "This Beatrice Fairfax dope may be all right in the simple country maiden, but it don't go in the show business worth a whoop.

nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading You've got to be on your toes in this game and play no steady system.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading "And then sometimes when he calls up I am out, just to let him know that he is not the only star performer.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading "That stunt keeps them at heel all the time and so busy trying to keep track of you that they don't have time to look for any other dame.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading You've got to be on your toes in this game and play no steady system.

onlyadverbUS /ˈoʊnli/

and nothing more

From this reading "And then sometimes when he calls up I am out, just to let him know that he is not the only star performer.

otheradjectiveUS /ˈʌðər/

not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied

From this reading "That stunt keeps them at heel all the time and so busy trying to keep track of you that they don't have time to look for any other dame.

outadjectiveUS /aʊt/

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading "And then sometimes when he calls up I am out, just to let him know that he is not the only star performer.

performernounUS /pərˈfɔːrmər/

an entertainer who performs a dramatic or musical work for an audience

From this reading "And then sometimes when he calls up I am out, just to let him know that he is not the only star performer.

playverbUS /pleɪ/

participate in games or sport

From this reading So that it works both ways for the dealer, and a couple of tears will always copper any wrong play you make.

rightadverbUS /raɪt/

precisely, exactly

From this reading "This Beatrice Fairfax dope may be all right in the simple country maiden, but it don't go in the show business worth a whoop.

showverbUS /ʃoʊ/

give an exhibition of to an interested audience

From this reading "This Beatrice Fairfax dope may be all right in the simple country maiden, but it don't go in the show business worth a whoop.

simpleadjectiveUS /ˈsɪmpəl/

having few parts; not complex or complicated or involved

From this reading "This Beatrice Fairfax dope may be all right in the simple country maiden, but it don't go in the show business worth a whoop.

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading "That stunt keeps them at heel all the time and so busy trying to keep track of you that they don't have time to look for any other dame.

sometimesadverbUS /səmˈtaɪmz/

on certain occasions or in certain cases but not always

From this reading "And then sometimes when he calls up I am out, just to let him know that he is not the only star performer.

starnounUS /stɑːr/

(astronomy) a celestial body of hot gases that radiates energy derived from thermonuclear reactions in the interior

From this reading "And then sometimes when he calls up I am out, just to let him know that he is not the only star performer.

steadyverbUS /ˈstedi/

make steady

From this reading You've got to be on your toes in this game and play no steady system.

stuntnounUS /stʌnt/

a difficult or unusual or dangerous feat; usually done to gain attention

From this reading "That stunt keeps them at heel all the time and so busy trying to keep track of you that they don't have time to look for any other dame.

systemnounUS /ˈsɪstəm/

instrumentality that combines interrelated interacting artifacts designed to work as a coherent entity

From this reading You've got to be on your toes in this game and play no steady system.

tearsnounUS /terz/

the process of shedding tears (usually accompanied by sobs or other inarticulate sounds)

From this reading So that it works both ways for the dealer, and a couple of tears will always copper any wrong play you make.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading "And then sometimes when he calls up I am out, just to let him know that he is not the only star performer.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading "And then sometimes when he calls up I am out, just to let him know that he is not the only star performer.

thempronounUS /ðem/

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading "That stunt keeps them at heel all the time and so busy trying to keep track of you that they don't have time to look for any other dame.

thenadverbUS /ðen/

subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)

From this reading "And then sometimes when he calls up I am out, just to let him know that he is not the only star performer.

theypronounUS /ðeɪ/

the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading "That stunt keeps them at heel all the time and so busy trying to keep track of you that they don't have time to look for any other dame.

ThisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

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

From this reading "This Beatrice Fairfax dope may be all right in the simple country maiden, but it don't go in the show business worth a whoop.

timenounUS /taɪm/

an instance or single occasion for some event

From this reading "That stunt keeps them at heel all the time and so busy trying to keep track of you that they don't have time to look for any other dame.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading "And then sometimes when he calls up I am out, just to let him know that he is not the only star performer.

toesnounUS /toʊz/

plural of “toe” — one of the digits of the foot

From this reading You've got to be on your toes in this game and play no steady system.

tracknounUS /træk/

a line or route along which something travels or moves

From this reading "That stunt keeps them at heel all the time and so busy trying to keep track of you that they don't have time to look for any other dame.

tryingadjectiveUS /ˈtraɪɪŋ/

hard to endure

From this reading "That stunt keeps them at heel all the time and so busy trying to keep track of you that they don't have time to look for any other dame.

upadjectiveUS /ʌp/

being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level

From this reading "And then sometimes when he calls up I am out, just to let him know that he is not the only star performer.

waysnounUS /weɪz/

structure consisting of a sloping way down to the water from the place where ships are built or repaired

From this reading So that it works both ways for the dealer, and a couple of tears will always copper any wrong play you make.

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading "And then sometimes when he calls up I am out, just to let him know that he is not the only star performer.

whoopverbUS /wuːp/

shout, as if with joy or enthusiasm

From this reading "This Beatrice Fairfax dope may be all right in the simple country maiden, but it don't go in the show business worth a whoop.

willmodal verbUS /wɪl/

used to talk about the future, or about willingness

From this reading So that it works both ways for the dealer, and a couple of tears will always copper any wrong play you make.

worksnounUS /wɜːrks/

buildings for carrying on industrial labor

From this reading So that it works both ways for the dealer, and a couple of tears will always copper any wrong play you make.

worthnounUS /wɜːrθ/

an indefinite quantity of something having a specified value

From this reading "This Beatrice Fairfax dope may be all right in the simple country maiden, but it don't go in the show business worth a whoop.

wrongadjectiveUS /rɔːŋ/

not correct; not in conformity with fact or truth

From this reading So that it works both ways for the dealer, and a couple of tears will always copper any wrong play you make.

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading "That stunt keeps them at heel all the time and so busy trying to keep track of you that they don't have time to look for any other dame.

You've

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

From this reading You've got to be on your toes in this game and play no steady system.

yourdeterminerUS /jɔːr/

belonging to the person or people being spoken to

From this reading You've got to be on your toes in this game and play no steady system.

Chapter 3 of The Sorrows of a Show Girl by Kenneth McGaffey holds 462 sentences, grouped into 93 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 3 of The Sorrows of a Show Girl contain?

Chapter 3 holds 462 sentences of The Sorrows of a Show Girl, unabridged, divided into 93 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 3 of The Sorrows of a Show Girl by Kenneth McGaffey exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 462 sentences, grouped into 93 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 3 of The Sorrows of a Show Girl?

Work through the 93 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 93 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 3 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 3 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 Sorrows of a Show Girl

Common questions about reading The Sorrows of a Show Girl by Kenneth McGaffey on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Sorrows of a Show Girl?

Yes. All 2310 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #10508 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Sorrows of a Show Girl is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #10508, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Sorrows of a Show Girl take to read?

About 192 minutes of reading across 462 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Sorrows of a Show Girl section by section

How to work through The Sorrows of a Show Girl section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

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  3. Listen and tap

    Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in The Sorrows of a Show Girl

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Sorrows of a Show Girl, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Following
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Sorrows of a Show Girl; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Chapters
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Sorrows of a Show Girl; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Sabrina's
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Sorrows of a Show Girl; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Remarks
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Sorrows of a Show Girl; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.