what does the idiom mean?

[Tom]

"It is a long lane that has no turning."

Is there anyone who could help me understand this idiom. Thanks!

[Celeste]

It sounds like it means that something which is unchanging seems very long(because it is boring). Not a common idiom.

[dduck]

"It is a long lane that has no turning."

To me, it makes me think of the paths that I've walked down - I can't think of one where there was no chance to turn back. So it sounds to me that the speaker is reminding us that there are always option available to us.

A websearch reveals:

'Tis a long lane that has no turning. Every calamity has an ending. The darkest day, stop till to-morrow, will have passed away:

“Hope peeps from a cloud on our squad,
Whose beams have been long in deep mourning:
`Tis a lane, let me tell you, my lad,
Very long that has never a turning.”
Peter Pindar Great Cry and Little Wool, epist. 1.

[Tom]

Thank you very much. But I think dduck's explanation is more accurate.

[toyboatt]

wow! i think celeste and dduck's poem point squarely to something being long and boring.

Hope peeps from a cloud on our squad,
Whose beams have been long in deep mourning:
`Tis a lane, let me tell you, my lad,
Very long that has never a turning.”

"long in deep mourning".. i'll tell you what. i often take walks for 3 to 8 hours in one day. i generally love the time, but nothing is worse then a long straight stretch of road. call it personal bias, but i think dduck's quote supports celeste's opinion (and mine now!)

-phil