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Torchy
Torchy

Chapter IV · Chapter 4

Chapter 4 of Torchy is here in full — 250 sentences across 50 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Torchy
Context Illustration Reading 1/50 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
FROSTING THE PROFESS Chee! but I'm gettin' to be useful!
Course, I don't figure out no awful slump in Corrugated stocks if I should get pettish some day and tell 'em they'd got to find a new office boy.
That ain't the kind of shredded thought I'm feedin' on.
I fit into a lot of places besides the chair behind the brass gate.
Why, I have to put on a sub. three or four times a week, while I'm spreadin' myself out all over the lot.
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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.

Torchy

Chapter IV · Chapter 4

Chapter 4 of Torchy is here in full — 250 sentences across 50 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/50 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
FROSTING THE PROFESS Chee! but I'm gettin' to be useful!
Line 2
Course, I don't figure out no awful slump in Corrugated stocks if I should get pettish some day and tell 'em they'd got to find a new office boy.
Line 3
That ain't the kind of shredded thought I'm feedin' on.
Line 4
I fit into a lot of places besides the chair behind the brass gate.
/aɪ fɪt ˈɪntuː ə lɑːt ʌv ˈpleɪsəz bɪˈsaɪdz ðə tʃer bɪˈhaɪnd ðə bræs ɡeɪt/
Line 5
Why, I have to put on a sub. three or four times a week, while I'm spreadin' myself out all over the lot.

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.

brass noun US /bræs/

an alloy of copper and zinc

From this reading “I fit into a lot of places besides the chair behind the brass gate.”

Corrugated adjective US /ˈkɔːrəɡeɪtɪd/

shaped into alternating parallel grooves and ridges

From this reading “Course, I don't figure out no awful slump in Corrugated stocks if I should get pettish some day and tell 'em they'd got to find a new office boy.”

frosting noun US /ˈfrɔːstɪŋ/

a flavored sugar topping used to coat and decorate cakes

From this reading “FROSTING THE PROFESS Chee! but I'm gettin' to be useful!”

profess verb US /prəˈfes/

practice as a profession, teach, or claim to be knowledgeable about

From this reading “FROSTING THE PROFESS Chee! but I'm gettin' to be useful!”

shredded adjective US /ˈʃredɪd/

prepared by cutting

From this reading “That ain't the kind of shredded thought I'm feedin' on.”

slump verb US /slʌmp/

assume a drooping posture or carriage

From this reading “Course, I don't figure out no awful slump in Corrugated stocks if I should get pettish some day and tell 'em they'd got to find a new office boy.”

stocks noun US /stɑːks/

a frame that supports a boat while it is under construction

From this reading “Course, I don't figure out no awful slump in Corrugated stocks if I should get pettish some day and tell 'em they'd got to find a new office boy.”

sub verb US /sʌb/

be a substitute

From this reading “Why, I have to put on a sub. three or four times a week, while I'm spreadin' myself out all over the lot.”

All words in this reading · 68

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 Course, I don't figure out no awful slump in Corrugated stocks if I should get pettish some day and tell 'em they'd got to find a new office boy.

ain't

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

From this reading That ain't the kind of shredded thought I'm feedin' on.

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 Why, I have to put on a sub. three or four times a week, while I'm spreadin' myself out all over the lot.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Course, I don't figure out no awful slump in Corrugated stocks if I should get pettish some day and tell 'em they'd got to find a new office boy.

awfuladjectiveUS /ˈɑːfəl/

exceptionally bad or displeasing

From this reading Course, I don't figure out no awful slump in Corrugated stocks if I should get pettish some day and tell 'em they'd got to find a new office boy.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

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

From this reading FROSTING THE PROFESS Chee! but I'm gettin' to be useful!

behindprepositionUS /bɪˈhaɪnd/

at or toward the back of something

From this reading I fit into a lot of places besides the chair behind the brass gate.

besidesprepositionUS /bɪˈsaɪdz/

in addition to; as well as

From this reading I fit into a lot of places besides the chair behind the brass gate.

boynounUS /bɔɪ/

a youthful male person

From this reading Course, I don't figure out no awful slump in Corrugated stocks if I should get pettish some day and tell 'em they'd got to find a new office boy.

brassnounUS /bræs/

an alloy of copper and zinc

From this reading I fit into a lot of places besides the chair behind the brass gate.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading FROSTING THE PROFESS Chee! but I'm gettin' to be useful!

chairnounUS /tʃer/

a seat for one person, with a support for the back

From this reading I fit into a lot of places besides the chair behind the brass gate.

Chee

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

From this reading FROSTING THE PROFESS Chee! but I'm gettin' to be useful!

CorrugatedadjectiveUS /ˈkɔːrəɡeɪtɪd/

shaped into alternating parallel grooves and ridges

From this reading Course, I don't figure out no awful slump in Corrugated stocks if I should get pettish some day and tell 'em they'd got to find a new office boy.

CoursenounUS /kɔːrs/

education imparted in a series of lessons or meetings

From this reading Course, I don't figure out no awful slump in Corrugated stocks if I should get pettish some day and tell 'em they'd got to find a new office boy.

daynounUS /deɪ/

time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis

From this reading Course, I don't figure out no awful slump in Corrugated stocks if I should get pettish some day and tell 'em they'd got to find a new office boy.

don't

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

From this reading Course, I don't figure out no awful slump in Corrugated stocks if I should get pettish some day and tell 'em they'd got to find a new office boy.

emnounUS /em/

a quad with a square body

From this reading Course, I don't figure out no awful slump in Corrugated stocks if I should get pettish some day and tell 'em they'd got to find a new office boy.

feedin

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

From this reading That ain't the kind of shredded thought I'm feedin' on.

figurenounUS /ˈfɪɡjər/

a diagram or picture illustrating textual material

From this reading Course, I don't figure out no awful slump in Corrugated stocks if I should get pettish some day and tell 'em they'd got to find a new office boy.

findverbUS /faɪnd/

come upon, as if by accident; meet with

From this reading Course, I don't figure out no awful slump in Corrugated stocks if I should get pettish some day and tell 'em they'd got to find a new office boy.

fitverbUS /fɪt/

be agreeable or acceptable to

From this reading I fit into a lot of places besides the chair behind the brass gate.

fournounUS /fɔːr/

the cardinal number that is the sum of three and one

From this reading Why, I have to put on a sub. three or four times a week, while I'm spreadin' myself out all over the lot.

FROSTINGnounUS /ˈfrɔːstɪŋ/

a flavored sugar topping used to coat and decorate cakes

From this reading FROSTING THE PROFESS Chee! but I'm gettin' to be useful!

gatenounUS /ɡeɪt/

a movable barrier in a fence or wall

From this reading I fit into a lot of places besides the chair behind the brass gate.

getverbUS /ɡet/

come into the possession of something concrete or abstract

From this reading Course, I don't figure out no awful slump in Corrugated stocks if I should get pettish some day and tell 'em they'd got to find a new office boy.

gettin

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

From this reading FROSTING THE PROFESS Chee! but I'm gettin' to be useful!

gotverbUS /ɡɑːt/

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

From this reading Course, I don't figure out no awful slump in Corrugated stocks if I should get pettish some day and tell 'em they'd got to find a new office boy.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading Why, I have to put on a sub. three or four times a week, while I'm spreadin' myself out all over the lot.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading Course, I don't figure out no awful slump in Corrugated stocks if I should get pettish some day and tell 'em they'd got to find a new office boy.

I'm

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

From this reading FROSTING THE PROFESS Chee! but I'm gettin' to be useful!

ifconjunctionUS /ɪf/

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading Course, I don't figure out no awful slump in Corrugated stocks if I should get pettish some day and tell 'em they'd got to find a new office boy.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading Course, I don't figure out no awful slump in Corrugated stocks if I should get pettish some day and tell 'em they'd got to find a new office boy.

intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/

moving to the inside of something

From this reading I fit into a lot of places besides the chair behind the brass gate.

kindadjectiveUS /kaɪnd/

having or showing a tender and considerate and helpful nature; used especially of persons and their behavior

From this reading That ain't the kind of shredded thought I'm feedin' on.

lotnounUS /lɑːt/

(often followed by “of”) a large number or amount or extent

From this reading I fit into a lot of places besides the chair behind the brass gate.

myselfpronounUS /ˌmaɪˈself/

used when the speaker is also the object of the action

From this reading Why, I have to put on a sub. three or four times a week, while I'm spreadin' myself out all over the lot.

newadjectiveUS /nuː/

not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered

From this reading Course, I don't figure out no awful slump in Corrugated stocks if I should get pettish some day and tell 'em they'd got to find a new office boy.

nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading Course, I don't figure out no awful slump in Corrugated stocks if I should get pettish some day and tell 'em they'd got to find a new office boy.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading That ain't the kind of shredded thought I'm feedin' on.

officenounUS /ˈɔːfɪs/

place of business where professional or clerical duties are performed

From this reading Course, I don't figure out no awful slump in Corrugated stocks if I should get pettish some day and tell 'em they'd got to find a new office boy.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading That ain't the kind of shredded thought I'm feedin' on.

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading Why, I have to put on a sub. three or four times a week, while I'm spreadin' myself out all over the lot.

outadjectiveUS /aʊt/

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading Course, I don't figure out no awful slump in Corrugated stocks if I should get pettish some day and tell 'em they'd got to find a new office boy.

overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/

above and across; more than

From this reading Why, I have to put on a sub. three or four times a week, while I'm spreadin' myself out all over the lot.

pettishadjective

easily irritated or annoyed

From this reading Course, I don't figure out no awful slump in Corrugated stocks if I should get pettish some day and tell 'em they'd got to find a new office boy.

placesnounUS /ˈpleɪsəz/

plural of “place” — a point located with respect to surface features of some region

From this reading I fit into a lot of places besides the chair behind the brass gate.

PROFESSverbUS /prəˈfes/

practice as a profession, teach, or claim to be knowledgeable about

From this reading FROSTING THE PROFESS Chee! but I'm gettin' to be useful!

putverbUS /pʊt/

put into a certain place or abstract location

From this reading Why, I have to put on a sub. three or four times a week, while I'm spreadin' myself out all over the lot.

shouldmodal verbUS /ʃʊd/

used to say what is right, expected, or advisable

From this reading Course, I don't figure out no awful slump in Corrugated stocks if I should get pettish some day and tell 'em they'd got to find a new office boy.

shreddedadjectiveUS /ˈʃredɪd/

prepared by cutting

From this reading That ain't the kind of shredded thought I'm feedin' on.

slumpverbUS /slʌmp/

assume a drooping posture or carriage

From this reading Course, I don't figure out no awful slump in Corrugated stocks if I should get pettish some day and tell 'em they'd got to find a new office boy.

someadjectiveUS /sʌm/

(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity

From this reading Course, I don't figure out no awful slump in Corrugated stocks if I should get pettish some day and tell 'em they'd got to find a new office boy.

spreadin

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

From this reading Why, I have to put on a sub. three or four times a week, while I'm spreadin' myself out all over the lot.

stocksnounUS /stɑːks/

a frame that supports a boat while it is under construction

From this reading Course, I don't figure out no awful slump in Corrugated stocks if I should get pettish some day and tell 'em they'd got to find a new office boy.

subverbUS /sʌb/

be a substitute

From this reading Why, I have to put on a sub. three or four times a week, while I'm spreadin' myself out all over the lot.

tellverbUS /tel/

express in words

From this reading Course, I don't figure out no awful slump in Corrugated stocks if I should get pettish some day and tell 'em they'd got to find a new office boy.

ThatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading That ain't the kind of shredded thought I'm feedin' on.

THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading FROSTING THE PROFESS Chee! but I'm gettin' to be useful!

they'd

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

From this reading Course, I don't figure out no awful slump in Corrugated stocks if I should get pettish some day and tell 'em they'd got to find a new office boy.

thoughtnounUS /θɔːt/

the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about

From this reading That ain't the kind of shredded thought I'm feedin' on.

threenounUS /θriː/

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one

From this reading Why, I have to put on a sub. three or four times a week, while I'm spreadin' myself out all over the lot.

timesnounUS /taɪmz/

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

From this reading Why, I have to put on a sub. three or four times a week, while I'm spreadin' myself out all over the lot.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading FROSTING THE PROFESS Chee! but I'm gettin' to be useful!

usefuladjectiveUS /ˈjuːsfəl/

being of use or service

From this reading FROSTING THE PROFESS Chee! but I'm gettin' to be useful!

weeknounUS /wiːk/

any period of seven consecutive days

From this reading Why, I have to put on a sub. three or four times a week, while I'm spreadin' myself out all over the lot.

whileconjunctionUS /waɪl/

during the time that

From this reading Why, I have to put on a sub. three or four times a week, while I'm spreadin' myself out all over the lot.

WhynounUS /waɪ/

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

From this reading Why, I have to put on a sub. three or four times a week, while I'm spreadin' myself out all over the lot.

Chapter 4 of Torchy by Sewell Ford holds 250 sentences, grouped into 50 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 4 of Torchy contain?

Chapter 4 holds 250 sentences of Torchy, unabridged, divided into 50 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 4 of Torchy by Sewell Ford exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 250 sentences, grouped into 50 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 4 of Torchy?

Work through the 50 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 50 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 4 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 4 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 Torchy

Common questions about reading Torchy by Sewell Ford on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Torchy?

Yes. All 4899 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #20626 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Torchy is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #20626, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Torchy take to read?

About 408 minutes of reading across 980 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Torchy section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 19 chapters of Torchy 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 Torchy

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

Carryin'
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Torchy; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Banner
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Torchy; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Ain't
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Torchy; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Callouses
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Torchy; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.