Chapter 3 of Thunder on the left is here in full — 391 sentences across 79 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter III
Chapter 3 of Thunder on the left is here in full — 391 sentences across 79 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
“I’m damned if I want strange women careering all over the house in their wrappers,” he said with well-simulated peevishness. “Bosh!” exclaimed Phyllis. “There’s nothing you’d like better. Unless without their wrappers.” “What’s the use of being vulgar?” he said.
Chapter 3 of Thunder on the left is here in full — 391 sentences across 79 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/78 · 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.
pretentious or silly talk or writing
From this reading ““Bosh!” exclaimed Phyllis.”
-ing form of “career” — move headlong at high speed
From this reading ““I’m damned if I want strange women careering all over the house in their wrappers,” he said with well-simulated peevishness.”
expletives used informally as intensifiers
From this reading ““I’m damned if I want strange women careering all over the house in their wrappers,” he said with well-simulated peevishness.”
past form of “exclaim” — utter aloud; often with surprise, horror, or joy
From this reading ““Bosh!” exclaimed Phyllis.”
being definitely out of the ordinary and unexpected; slightly odd or even a bit weird
From this reading ““I’m damned if I want strange women careering all over the house in their wrappers,” he said with well-simulated peevishness.”
except if; if not
From this reading “Unless without their wrappers.””
lacking refinement or cultivation or taste
From this reading ““What’s the use of being vulgar?” he said.”
plural of “wrapper” — a loose dressing gown for women
From this reading ““I’m damned if I want strange women careering all over the house in their wrappers,” he said with well-simulated peevishness.”
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.
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.
(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 “I’m damned if I want strange women careering all over the house in their wrappers,” he said with well-simulated peevishness.
the -ing form of “be”
From this reading “What’s the use of being vulgar?” he said.
(comparative of “good”) superior to another (of the same class or set or kind) in excellence or quality or desirability or suitability; more highly skilled than another
From this reading “There’s nothing you’d like better.
pretentious or silly talk or writing
From this reading “Bosh!” exclaimed Phyllis.
-ing form of “career” — move headlong at high speed
From this reading “I’m damned if I want strange women careering all over the house in their wrappers,” he said with well-simulated peevishness.
expletives used informally as intensifiers
From this reading “I’m damned if I want strange women careering all over the house in their wrappers,” he said with well-simulated peevishness.
past form of “exclaim” — utter aloud; often with surprise, horror, or joy
From this reading “Bosh!” exclaimed Phyllis.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading “I’m damned if I want strange women careering all over the house in their wrappers,” he said with well-simulated peevishness.
a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading “I’m damned if I want strange women careering all over the house in their wrappers,” he said with well-simulated peevishness.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading “I’m damned if I want strange women careering all over the house in their wrappers,” he said with well-simulated peevishness.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “I’m damned if I want strange women careering all over the house in their wrappers,” he said with well-simulated peevishness.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading “I’m damned if I want strange women careering all over the house in their wrappers,” he said with well-simulated peevishness.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading “I’m damned if I want strange women careering all over the house in their wrappers,” he said with well-simulated peevishness.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading “There’s nothing you’d like better.
not one thing; not anything
From this reading “There’s nothing you’d like better.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading “What’s the use of being vulgar?” he said.
above and across; more than
From this reading “I’m damned if I want strange women careering all over the house in their wrappers,” he said with well-simulated peevishness.
an irritable petulant feeling
From this reading “I’m damned if I want strange women careering all over the house in their wrappers,” he said with well-simulated peevishness.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Bosh!” exclaimed Phyllis.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading “I’m damned if I want strange women careering all over the house in their wrappers,” he said with well-simulated peevishness.
being definitely out of the ordinary and unexpected; slightly odd or even a bit weird
From this reading “I’m damned if I want strange women careering all over the house in their wrappers,” he said with well-simulated peevishness.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading “I’m damned if I want strange women careering all over the house in their wrappers,” he said with well-simulated peevishness.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading “I’m damned if I want strange women careering all over the house in their wrappers,” he said with well-simulated peevishness.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “There’s nothing you’d like better.
except if; if not
From this reading Unless without their wrappers.”
the act of using
From this reading “What’s the use of being vulgar?” he said.
lacking refinement or cultivation or taste
From this reading “What’s the use of being vulgar?” he said.
feel or have a desire for; want strongly
From this reading “I’m damned if I want strange women careering all over the house in their wrappers,” he said with well-simulated peevishness.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “I’m damned if I want strange women careering all over the house in their wrappers,” he said with well-simulated peevishness.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “What’s the use of being vulgar?” he said.
in the company of; together with
From this reading “I’m damned if I want strange women careering all over the house in their wrappers,” he said with well-simulated peevishness.
not having, not using, or not accompanied by
From this reading Unless without their wrappers.”
plural of “woman” — an adult female person (as opposed to a man)
From this reading “I’m damned if I want strange women careering all over the house in their wrappers,” he said with well-simulated peevishness.
plural of “wrapper” — a loose dressing gown for women
From this reading “I’m damned if I want strange women careering all over the house in their wrappers,” he said with well-simulated peevishness.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “There’s nothing you’d like better.
Chapter 3 of Thunder on the left by Christopher Morley holds 391 sentences, grouped into 79 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 3 holds 391 sentences of Thunder on the left, unabridged, divided into 79 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 3 of Thunder on the left by Christopher Morley exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 391 sentences, grouped into 79 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 79 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 79 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 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.
Common questions about reading Thunder on the left by Christopher Morley on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 0 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #? are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #?, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 5 minutes of reading across 0 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Thunder on the left section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 0 chapters of Thunder on the left 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 Thunder on the left, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
