Chapter 2 of Vigorish is here in full — 561 sentences across 113 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter II
Chapter 2 of Vigorish is here in full — 561 sentences across 113 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"How about it, Fowler?" I asked my Lodge Brother. "Was a worker tipping the dice tonight?" "I never felt it," he said. "But the table had dropped nearly forty grand during the shift, which was about over when you started to play.
Chapter 2 of Vigorish is here in full — 561 sentences across 113 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/112 · 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 small cube with 1 to 6 spots on the six faces; used in gambling to generate random numbers
From this reading “"Was a worker tipping the dice tonight?"”
being ten more than thirty
From this reading “"But the table had dropped nearly forty grand during the shift, which was about over when you started to play.”
English lexicographer who wrote a well-known book on English usage (1858-1933)
From this reading “"How about it, Fowler?"”
be a lodger; stay temporarily
From this reading “I asked my Lodge Brother.”
make a shift in or exchange of
From this reading “"But the table had dropped nearly forty grand during the shift, which was about over when you started to play.”
inflected form of “tip” — cause to tilt
From this reading “"Was a worker tipping the dice tonight?"”
On the present night.
From this reading “"Was a worker tipping the dice tonight?"”
a person who works at a specific occupation
From this reading “"Was a worker tipping the dice tonight?"”
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.
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading "Was a worker tipping the dice tonight?"
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading "How about it, Fowler?"
past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading I asked my Lodge Brother.
a male with the same parents as someone else
From this reading I asked my Lodge Brother.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading "But the table had dropped nearly forty grand during the shift, which was about over when you started to play.
a small cube with 1 to 6 spots on the six faces; used in gambling to generate random numbers
From this reading "Was a worker tipping the dice tonight?"
inflected form of “drop” — let fall to the ground
From this reading "But the table had dropped nearly forty grand during the shift, which was about over when you started to play.
all through a period, or at some point within it
From this reading "But the table had dropped nearly forty grand during the shift, which was about over when you started to play.
mat together and make felt-like
From this reading "I never felt it," he said.
being ten more than thirty
From this reading "But the table had dropped nearly forty grand during the shift, which was about over when you started to play.
English lexicographer who wrote a well-known book on English usage (1858-1933)
From this reading "How about it, Fowler?"
of behavior that is impressive and ambitious in scale or scope
From this reading "But the table had dropped nearly forty grand during the shift, which was about over when you started to play.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading "But the table had dropped nearly forty grand during the shift, which was about over when you started to play.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "I never felt it," he said.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "How about it, Fowler?"
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I asked my Lodge Brother.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading "How about it, Fowler?"
be a lodger; stay temporarily
From this reading I asked my Lodge Brother.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading I asked my Lodge Brother.
(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but
From this reading "But the table had dropped nearly forty grand during the shift, which was about over when you started to play.
not ever; at no time in the past or future
From this reading "I never felt it," he said.
above and across; more than
From this reading "But the table had dropped nearly forty grand during the shift, which was about over when you started to play.
participate in games or sport
From this reading "But the table had dropped nearly forty grand during the shift, which was about over when you started to play.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "I never felt it," he said.
make a shift in or exchange of
From this reading "But the table had dropped nearly forty grand during the shift, which was about over when you started to play.
past form of “start” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading "But the table had dropped nearly forty grand during the shift, which was about over when you started to play.
a set of data arranged in rows and columns
From this reading "But the table had dropped nearly forty grand during the shift, which was about over when you started to play.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "Was a worker tipping the dice tonight?"
inflected form of “tip” — cause to tilt
From this reading "Was a worker tipping the dice tonight?"
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading "But the table had dropped nearly forty grand during the shift, which was about over when you started to play.
On the present night.
From this reading "Was a worker tipping the dice tonight?"
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "Was a worker tipping the dice tonight?"
at the time that
From this reading "But the table had dropped nearly forty grand during the shift, which was about over when you started to play.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading "But the table had dropped nearly forty grand during the shift, which was about over when you started to play.
a person who works at a specific occupation
From this reading "Was a worker tipping the dice tonight?"
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "But the table had dropped nearly forty grand during the shift, which was about over when you started to play.
Chapter 2 of Vigorish by John Berryman holds 561 sentences, grouped into 113 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 2 holds 561 sentences of Vigorish, unabridged, divided into 113 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 2 of Vigorish by John Berryman exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 561 sentences, grouped into 113 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 113 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 113 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 2 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 Vigorish by John Berryman on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 1120 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #24382 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #24382, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 93 minutes of reading across 224 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Vigorish section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 2 chapters of Vigorish 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 Vigorish, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
