Re: Thinking to find a lark's nest

On Jan 23, 12:29 pm, the Omrud <usenet.om...@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:

[Ernest tells his parents he lost his watch, which really had been given
by him to a former female servant of the family, Ellen, now pregnant.]

Of course, Ernest was made to look for his lost property, and a reward
was offered for it, but it seemed he had wandered a good deal off the
path, thinking to find a lark's nest, more than once, and looking for a
watch and purse on Battersby piewipes was very like looking for a needle
in a bundle of hay: besides it might have been found and taken by some
tramp, or by a magpie of which there were many in the neighbourhood, so
that after a week or ten days the search was discontinued, and the
unpleasant fact had to be faced that Ernest must have another watch,
another knife, and a small sum of pocket money.

The Way of All Flesh, by Samuel Butler, p. 237
--------

Yes, it's an idiom: "thinking to X" means "thinking that he will X",
i.e. believing or intending that he will X. So the character has
gone off the path to look for a lark's nest.

I don't see the implication in the context.

They were looking for an watch which had been presumably lost or
stolen, but had in effect been given by the owner (Ernest) to a girl,
a fact which Ernest hid from his father and others.

Thus the search for it in the woods didn't really have a point,
couldn't lead to anything positive.

Could it be that the searchers thought that a bird found the watch and
took it to its nest?

Or could it be that "finding a lark's nest" means an impossible task?

Thanks.

Marius Hancu
.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: Thinking to find a larks nest
    ... and looking for a watch and purse on Battersby piewipes was very ... gone off the path to look for a lark's nest. ... stolen, but had in effect been given by the owner (Ernest) to a girl, ... may have been picked up by a tramp or a magpie (who are notably attracted to ...
    (alt.usage.english)
  • Re: Thinking to find a larks nest
    ... and looking for a watch and purse on Battersby piewipes was very ... gone off the path to look for a lark's nest. ... stolen, but had in effect been given by the owner (Ernest) to a girl, ... Ernest has given away his watch but tells his parents he has lost it - ...
    (alt.usage.english)
  • Thinking to find a larks nest
    ... Of course, Ernest was made to look for his lost property, and a reward was offered for it, but it seemed he had wandered a good deal off the path, thinking to find a lark's nest, more than once, and looking for a watch and purse on Battersby piewipes was very like looking for a needle in a bundle of hay: besides it might have been found and taken by some tramp, or by a magpie of which there were many in the neighbourhood, so that after a week or ten days the search was discontinued, and the unpleasant fact had to be faced that Ernest must have another watch, another knife, and a small sum of pocket money. ...
    (alt.usage.english)
  • Re: Thinking to find a larks nest
    ... "thinking to find a lark's nest" ... [Ernest tells his parents he lost his watch, ... Of course, Ernest was made to look for his lost property, and a reward ...
    (alt.usage.english)
  • Re: Thinking to find a larks nest
    ... and looking for a watch and purse on Battersby piewipes was very ... for larks' nests. ... may have been picked up by a tramp or a magpie (who are notably attracted to ...
    (alt.usage.english)