Chapter 8 of Tom Fairfield's Schooldays is here in full — 89 sentences across 18 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter VIII
Chapter 8 of Tom Fairfield's Schooldays is here in full — 89 sentences across 18 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
THE CALL OF THE PIGSKIN “Maybe it’s Professor Skeel,” whispered George, apprehensively. “Or Merry himself,” added Jack. “Nonsense!” replied Tom. “Neither of them would be in our dormitory at this hour.” “Unless they got wise to the fact that we went out, and they’re laying to catch us when we come in,” declared Bert.
Chapter 8 of Tom Fairfield's Schooldays is here in full — 89 sentences across 18 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/17 · 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.
a college or university building containing living quarters for students
From this reading ““Neither of them would be in our dormitory at this hour.””
the production of eggs (especially in birds)
From this reading ““Unless they got wise to the fact that we went out, and they’re laying to catch us when we come in,” declared Bert.”
by chance
From this reading “THE CALL OF THE PIGSKIN “Maybe it’s Professor Skeel,” whispered George, apprehensively.”
full of or showing high-spirited merriment
From this reading ““Or Merry himself,” added Jack.”
a message that seems to convey no meaning
From this reading ““Nonsense!” replied Tom.”
leather from the skin of swine
From this reading “THE CALL OF THE PIGSKIN “Maybe it’s Professor Skeel,” whispered George, apprehensively.”
someone who is a member of the faculty at a college or university
From this reading “THE CALL OF THE PIGSKIN “Maybe it’s Professor Skeel,” whispered George, apprehensively.”
having or prompted by wisdom or discernment
From this reading ““Unless they got wise to the fact that we went out, and they’re laying to catch us when we come in,” declared Bert.”
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.
move out of or depart from
In this reading ““Unless they got wise to the fact that we went out, and they’re laying to catch us when we come in,” declared Bert.”
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.
past form of “add” — make an addition (to); join or combine or unite with others; increase the quality, quantity, size or scope of
From this reading “Or Merry himself,” added Jack.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading “Unless they got wise to the fact that we went out, and they’re laying to catch us when we come in,” declared Bert.
with anxiety or apprehension
From this reading THE CALL OF THE PIGSKIN “Maybe it’s Professor Skeel,” whispered George, apprehensively.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading “Neither of them would be in our dormitory at this hour.”
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading “Neither of them would be in our dormitory at this hour.”
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Unless they got wise to the fact that we went out, and they’re laying to catch us when we come in,” declared Bert.
assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading THE CALL OF THE PIGSKIN “Maybe it’s Professor Skeel,” whispered George, apprehensively.
discover or come upon accidentally, suddenly, or unexpectedly; catch somebody doing something or in a certain state
From this reading “Unless they got wise to the fact that we went out, and they’re laying to catch us when we come in,” declared Bert.
move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading “Unless they got wise to the fact that we went out, and they’re laying to catch us when we come in,” declared Bert.
made known or openly avowed
From this reading “Unless they got wise to the fact that we went out, and they’re laying to catch us when we come in,” declared Bert.
a college or university building containing living quarters for students
From this reading “Neither of them would be in our dormitory at this hour.”
a piece of information about circumstances that exist or events that have occurred
From this reading “Unless they got wise to the fact that we went out, and they’re laying to catch us when we come in,” declared Bert.
Christian martyr; patron saint of England; hero of the legend of Saint George and the Dragon in which he slew a dragon and saved a princess (?-303)
From this reading THE CALL OF THE PIGSKIN “Maybe it’s Professor Skeel,” whispered George, apprehensively.
inflected form of “get” — come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading “Unless they got wise to the fact that we went out, and they’re laying to catch us when we come in,” declared Bert.
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading “Or Merry himself,” added Jack.
a period of time equal to 1/24th of a day
From this reading “Neither of them would be in our dormitory at this hour.”
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading “Neither of them would be in our dormitory at this hour.”
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE CALL OF THE PIGSKIN “Maybe it’s Professor Skeel,” whispered George, apprehensively.
a small worthless amount
From this reading “Or Merry himself,” added Jack.
the production of eggs (especially in birds)
From this reading “Unless they got wise to the fact that we went out, and they’re laying to catch us when we come in,” declared Bert.
by chance
From this reading THE CALL OF THE PIGSKIN “Maybe it’s Professor Skeel,” whispered George, apprehensively.
full of or showing high-spirited merriment
From this reading “Or Merry himself,” added Jack.
not one and not the other of two
From this reading “Neither of them would be in our dormitory at this hour.”
a message that seems to convey no meaning
From this reading “Nonsense!” replied Tom.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading THE CALL OF THE PIGSKIN “Maybe it’s Professor Skeel,” whispered George, apprehensively.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading “Or Merry himself,” added Jack.
belonging to the speaker and others
From this reading “Neither of them would be in our dormitory at this hour.”
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading “Unless they got wise to the fact that we went out, and they’re laying to catch us when we come in,” declared Bert.
leather from the skin of swine
From this reading THE CALL OF THE PIGSKIN “Maybe it’s Professor Skeel,” whispered George, apprehensively.
someone who is a member of the faculty at a college or university
From this reading THE CALL OF THE PIGSKIN “Maybe it’s Professor Skeel,” whispered George, apprehensively.
inflected form of “reply” — react verbally
From this reading “Nonsense!” replied Tom.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE CALL OF THE PIGSKIN “Maybe it’s Professor Skeel,” whispered George, apprehensively.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading “Unless they got wise to the fact that we went out, and they’re laying to catch us when we come in,” declared Bert.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE CALL OF THE PIGSKIN “Maybe it’s Professor Skeel,” whispered George, apprehensively.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading “Neither of them would be in our dormitory at this hour.”
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading “Unless they got wise to the fact that we went out, and they’re laying to catch us when we come in,” declared Bert.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Unless they got wise to the fact that we went out, and they’re laying to catch us when we come in,” declared Bert.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading “Neither of them would be in our dormitory at this hour.”
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading “Unless they got wise to the fact that we went out, and they’re laying to catch us when we come in,” declared Bert.
male cat
From this reading “Nonsense!” replied Tom.
except if; if not
From this reading “Unless they got wise to the fact that we went out, and they’re laying to catch us when we come in,” declared Bert.
the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading “Unless they got wise to the fact that we went out, and they’re laying to catch us when we come in,” declared Bert.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading “Unless they got wise to the fact that we went out, and they’re laying to catch us when we come in,” declared Bert.
inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading “Unless they got wise to the fact that we went out, and they’re laying to catch us when we come in,” declared Bert.
at the time that
From this reading “Unless they got wise to the fact that we went out, and they’re laying to catch us when we come in,” declared Bert.
spoken in soft hushed tones without vibrations of the vocal cords
From this reading THE CALL OF THE PIGSKIN “Maybe it’s Professor Skeel,” whispered George, apprehensively.
having or prompted by wisdom or discernment
From this reading “Unless they got wise to the fact that we went out, and they’re laying to catch us when we come in,” declared Bert.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading “Neither of them would be in our dormitory at this hour.”
Chapter 8 of Tom Fairfield's Schooldays by Allen Chapman holds 89 sentences, grouped into 18 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 8 holds 89 sentences of Tom Fairfield's Schooldays, unabridged, divided into 18 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 8 of Tom Fairfield's Schooldays by Allen Chapman exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 89 sentences, grouped into 18 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 18 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 18 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 8 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 Tom Fairfield's Schooldays by Allen Chapman on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 3550 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #43796 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #43796, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 295 minutes of reading across 710 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Tom Fairfield's Schooldays section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 25 chapters of Tom Fairfield's Schooldays 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 Tom Fairfield's Schooldays, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
