Not P but Moby-Dick (46)

[Michael Bailey]

the chapter is "whales variously represented" so he mentions
"skrimshandering" & brass whale door knockers & other representations of
whales made by people

then turns to seeing whales in rock formations and in constellations

w/r/t to seeing whales in rock formations - i think both meanings apply -
 in order to interpret rock formations as whales "you'd have to be really
into whales"
a) taking pains to watch for them everywhere
b) absolute, complete, all-out whale fan (fanatic)


On Wed, Nov 22, 2023 at 11:23 AM Mike Jing <gravitys.rainbow.cn at gmail.com>
wrote:

> From Chapter 57:
>
> Then, again, in mountainous countries where the traveller is continually
> girdled by amphitheatrical heights; here and there from some lucky point of
> view you will catch passing glimpses of the profiles of whales defined
> along the undulating ridges. But you must be a thorough whaleman, to see
> these sights;
>
> What does "thorough" in "a thorough whaleman" mean here?
>
> a. Chiefly in predicative use. That carries out or promotes something
> thoroughly; taking pains to do something carefully and completely.
>
> b. attributive. Chiefly British. That is fully the kind of person indicated
> by the noun; absolute, complete, out-and-out.
>
> All the existing translations I have at hand chose b., but a. seems to make
> more sense to me.
> --
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>