--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: As he spoke, he whipped a tape measure…" description: "\"“As he spoke, he whipped a tape measure and a large round magnifying glass from his pocket. With these two implements he trotted noiselessly about the ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/22a/arthur-conan-doyle-273_magnifying-glass_as-he-spoke-he-whipped-a-tape-measure-an_2615297.jpg" --- # As he spoke, he whipped a tape measure and a large round… ![“As he spoke, he whipped a tape measure and a large round magnifying glass from his pocket. With these two implements he trotted noiselessly about the room, sometimes stopping, occasionally kneeling, and once lying flat upon his face... As I watched him I was irresistibly reminded of a pure-blooded…” quote by Arthur Conan Doyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/22a/arthur-conan-doyle-273_magnifying-glass_as-he-spoke-he-whipped-a-tape-measure-an_2615297.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/22a/arthur-conan-doyle-273_magnifying-glass_as-he-spoke-he-whipped-a-tape-measure-an_2615297.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/22a/arthur-conan-doyle-273_magnifying-glass_as-he-spoke-he-whipped-a-tape-measure-an_2615297.jpg) > ““As he spoke, he whipped a tape measure and a large round magnifying glass from his pocket. With these two implements he trotted noiselessly about the room, sometimes stopping, occasionally kneeling, and once lying flat upon his face... As I watched him I was irresistibly reminded of a pure-blooded well-trained foxhound as it dashes backwards and forwards through the covert, whining in its eagerness, until it comes across the lost scent. For twenty minutes or more he continued his researches, measuring with the most exact care the distance between marks which were entirely invisible to me, and occasionally applying his tape to the walls in an equally incomprehensible manner.”” [Arthur Conan Doyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-conan-doyle/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The narrator describes a meticulous, almost animalistic investigator using precise tools to uncover hidden details. **In simple terms:** Investigator uses tools to find hidden clues. Key Takeaway Pay attention to detail in investigation. Themes detective work observation methodology Mood analytical intrigued Type detective educational When to use this quote - crime solving - forensic analysis - research projects - educational labs Key Concepts precision measurement curiosity Questions to Reflect On - What tools enhance your investigative process? - How do you balance focus with collaboration? A Different Perspective Such obsessive focus can alienate others. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Foxhound](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/foxhound-2062074/) [Foxhound Dashes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/foxhound-dashes-2062072/) [Lost Scent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lost-scent-2062075/) [Magnifying glass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/magnifying-glass/) [Researches Measuring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/researches-measuring-2062076/) [Trained Foxhound](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trained-foxhound-2062073/) ## Related quotes > [“Olivia to her foxhound: You know what? The thing is, I needed taming, too.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-ritter/olivia-to-her-foxhound-you-know-what-the-thing-is-i-needed-taming-too/) [Martha Ritter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-ritter/) > [Wolves never look more funny than when they have lost the scent and scrabble to find it again: they hop in the air; they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clarissa-pinkola-estes/wolves-never-look-more-funny-than-when-they-have-lost-the-scent-and/) [Clarissa Pinkola Estes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clarissa-pinkola-estes/) > [Without goals our efforts may be scattered and unproductive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ezra-taft-benson/without-goals-our-efforts-may-be-scattered-and-unproductive/) [Ezra Taft Benson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ezra-taft-benson/) > [“This is the definition of clutter: things that exist in your outer life to distract you from the inner things that you're avoiding. If…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brooks-palmer/this-is-the-definition-of-clutter-things-that-exist-in-your-outer/) [brooks palmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brooks-palmer/) > [“When Francie brought a ticket and a dime back and pushed them across the counter, he gave her the wrapped shirt and two lichee…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betty-smith/when-francie-brought-a-ticket-and-a-dime-back-and-pushed-them-across/) [Betty Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betty-smith/) > [“Christ is born, my wise Solomon, my wretched pen-pusher! Don´t go picking things over with a needle! Is He born or isn´t He? Of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kazantsakis-nikos/christ-is-born-my-wise-solomon-my-wretched-pen-pusher-don-t-go/) [Kazantsakis Nikos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kazantsakis-nikos/) > [I have no more fear of death than I do of going to sleep. I have no psychotic, PMSing, invisible tyrant in the sky…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rock-cowles/i-have-no-more-fear-of-death-than-i-do-of-going-to-sleep-i-have-no/) [Rock Cowles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rock-cowles/) > [“One magnifying glass and one moonlit night is not enough to light her ant-like heart on fire. So I’ll just have to approach it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/one-magnifying-glass-and-one-moonlit-night-is-not-enough-to-light-her/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) > [My passions, concentrated on a single point, resemble the rays of a sun assembled by a magnifying glass: they immediately set fire to whatever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marquis-de-sade/my-passions-concentrated-on-a-single-point-resemble-the-rays-of-a-sun/) [Marquis de Sade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marquis-de-sade/) > [“The car was on the FDR drive now and, turning her head, she glanced out at the bleak brown buildings of the projects that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/candace-bushnell/the-car-was-on-the-fdr-drive-now-and-turning-her-head-she-glanced-out/) [Candace Bushnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/candace-bushnell/) > [When I was little, I would burn ants with a magnifying glass. But now that I'm older, I'm more of a cat guy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-jeselnik/when-i-was-little-i-would-burn-ants-with-a-magnifying-glass-but-now/) [Anthony Jeselnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-jeselnik/) > [Albert and I would spend hours and hours looking at them. Cleo had this big magnifying glass on his desk, and we'd find centipedes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fannie-flagg/albert-and-i-would-spend-hours-and-hours-looking-at-them-cleo-had/) [Fannie Flagg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fannie-flagg/) > [People think racist abuse stops on the football pitch, but that's just the beginning. When you go home, you are still confronted with it.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edgar-davids/people-think-racist-abuse-stops-on-the-football-pitch-but-that-s-just/) [Edgar Davids](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edgar-davids/) > [A ship's engine far away on the water expands the summer-night horizon. Both joy and sorrow swell in the dew's magnifying glass. Without really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tomas-transtromer/a-ship-s-engine-far-away-on-the-water-expands-the-summer-night/) [Tomas Transtromer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tomas-transtromer/) > [A poor self-image is the magnifying glass that can transform a trivial mistake or an imperfection into an overwhelming symbol of personal defeat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-d-burns/a-poor-self-image-is-the-magnifying-glass-that-can-transform-a/) [David D. Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-d-burns/) ## More by Arthur Conan Doyle > [“shattered the bone and grazed the subclavian artery. I”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-conan-doyle/shattered-the-bone-and-grazed-the-subclavian-artery-i/) [Arthur Conan Doyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-conan-doyle/) > [My mind rebels at stagnation. Give me problems, give me work, give me the most abstruse cryptogram, or the most intricate analysis, and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-conan-doyle/my-mind-rebels-at-stagnation-give-me-problems-give-me-work-give-me/) [Arthur Conan Doyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-conan-doyle/) > [...it was a huge creature, luminous, ghastly, and spectral. I have cross-examined these men, one of them a hard-headed countryman, one a farrier, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-conan-doyle/it-was-a-huge-creature-luminous-ghastly-and-spectral-i-have-cross/) [Arthur Conan Doyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-conan-doyle/) > [“A study in scarlet, eh? Why shouldn't we use a little art jargon. There's the scarlet thread of murder running through the colourless skein…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-conan-doyle/a-study-in-scarlet-eh-why-shouldn-t-we-use-a-little-art-jargon-there/) [Arthur Conan Doyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-conan-doyle/) > [Mediocrity knows nothing higher than itself, but talent instantly recognizes genius.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-conan-doyle/mediocrity-knows-nothing-higher-than-itself-but-talent-instantly/) [Arthur Conan Doyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-conan-doyle/) > [“Holy men? Holy cabbages! Holy bean-pods! What do they do but live and suck in sustenance and grow fat? If that be holiness, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-conan-doyle/holy-men-holy-cabbages-holy-bean-pods-what-do-they-do-but-live-and/) [Arthur Conan Doyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-conan-doyle/) > [“Wonderful!" I ejaculated.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-conan-doyle/wonderful-i-ejaculated/) [Arthur Conan Doyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-conan-doyle/) > [Amberley excelled at chess - a mark, Watson, of a scheming mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-conan-doyle/amberley-excelled-at-chess-a-mark-watson-of-a-scheming-mind/) [Arthur Conan Doyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-conan-doyle/) > [Ex-Professor Moriarty of mathematical celebrity... is the Napoleon of crime, Watson.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-conan-doyle/ex-professor-moriarty-of-mathematical-celebrity-is-the-napoleon-of/) [Arthur Conan Doyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-conan-doyle/) > [“When a doctor does go wrong, he is the first of criminals. He has the nerve and he has the knowledge.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-conan-doyle/when-a-doctor-does-go-wrong-he-is-the-first-of-criminals-he-has-the/) [Arthur Conan Doyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-conan-doyle/) > [“How small we feel with our petty ambitions and strivings in the presence of the great elemental forces of Nature!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-conan-doyle/how-small-we-feel-with-our-petty-ambitions-and-strivings-in-the/) [Arthur Conan Doyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-conan-doyle/) > [You wish to put me in the dark. I tell you that I will never be put in the dark. You wish to beat…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-conan-doyle/you-wish-to-put-me-in-the-dark-i-tell-you-that-i-will-never-be-put-in/) [Arthur Conan Doyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-conan-doyle/) > [“My mind," he said, "rebels at stagnation. Give me problems, give me work, give me the most abstruse cryptogram or the most intricate analysis,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-conan-doyle/my-mind-he-said-rebels-at-stagnation-give-me-problems-give-me-work/) [Arthur Conan Doyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-conan-doyle/) > [“It is hard luck on a young fellow to have expensive tastes, great expectations, aristocratic connections but no actual money in his pocket, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-conan-doyle/it-is-hard-luck-on-a-young-fellow-to-have-expensive-tastes-great/) [Arthur Conan Doyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-conan-doyle/) > [“In the year 1878 I took my degree of Doctor of Medicine of the University of London, and proceeded to Netley to go through…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-conan-doyle/in-the-year-1878-i-took-my-degree-of-doctor-of-medicine-of-the/) [Arthur Conan Doyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-conan-doyle/) [Explore all 740 Arthur Conan Doyle quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-conan-doyle/) ## More Magnifying glass quotes > [A poor self-image is the magnifying glass that can transform a trivial mistake or an imperfection into an overwhelming symbol of personal defeat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-d-burns/a-poor-self-image-is-the-magnifying-glass-that-can-transform-a/) [David D. Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-d-burns/) > [A ship's engine far away on the water expands the summer-night horizon. Both joy and sorrow swell in the dew's magnifying glass. Without really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tomas-transtromer/a-ship-s-engine-far-away-on-the-water-expands-the-summer-night/) [Tomas Transtromer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tomas-transtromer/) > [People think racist abuse stops on the football pitch, but that's just the beginning. When you go home, you are still confronted with it.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edgar-davids/people-think-racist-abuse-stops-on-the-football-pitch-but-that-s-just/) [Edgar Davids](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edgar-davids/) > [Albert and I would spend hours and hours looking at them. Cleo had this big magnifying glass on his desk, and we'd find centipedes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fannie-flagg/albert-and-i-would-spend-hours-and-hours-looking-at-them-cleo-had/) [Fannie Flagg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fannie-flagg/) > [When I was little, I would burn ants with a magnifying glass. But now that I'm older, I'm more of a cat guy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-jeselnik/when-i-was-little-i-would-burn-ants-with-a-magnifying-glass-but-now/) [Anthony Jeselnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-jeselnik/) > [“The car was on the FDR drive now and, turning her head, she glanced out at the bleak brown buildings of the projects that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/candace-bushnell/the-car-was-on-the-fdr-drive-now-and-turning-her-head-she-glanced-out/) [Candace Bushnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/candace-bushnell/) > [My passions, concentrated on a single point, resemble the rays of a sun assembled by a magnifying glass: they immediately set fire to whatever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marquis-de-sade/my-passions-concentrated-on-a-single-point-resemble-the-rays-of-a-sun/) [Marquis de Sade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marquis-de-sade/) > [“One magnifying glass and one moonlit night is not enough to light her ant-like heart on fire. So I’ll just have to approach it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/one-magnifying-glass-and-one-moonlit-night-is-not-enough-to-light-her/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) > [I have no more fear of death than I do of going to sleep. I have no psychotic, PMSing, invisible tyrant in the sky…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rock-cowles/i-have-no-more-fear-of-death-than-i-do-of-going-to-sleep-i-have-no/) [Rock Cowles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rock-cowles/) > [“Christ is born, my wise Solomon, my wretched pen-pusher! Don´t go picking things over with a needle! Is He born or isn´t He? Of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kazantsakis-nikos/christ-is-born-my-wise-solomon-my-wretched-pen-pusher-don-t-go/) [Kazantsakis Nikos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kazantsakis-nikos/) > [“When Francie brought a ticket and a dime back and pushed them across the counter, he gave her the wrapped shirt and two lichee…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betty-smith/when-francie-brought-a-ticket-and-a-dime-back-and-pushed-them-across/) [Betty Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betty-smith/) > [“This is the definition of clutter: things that exist in your outer life to distract you from the inner things that you're avoiding. If…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brooks-palmer/this-is-the-definition-of-clutter-things-that-exist-in-your-outer/) [brooks palmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brooks-palmer/) > [Without goals our efforts may be scattered and unproductive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ezra-taft-benson/without-goals-our-efforts-may-be-scattered-and-unproductive/) [Ezra Taft Benson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ezra-taft-benson/) > [“This apparent hurly-burly and disorder turn out, after all, to reproduce real life with its fantastic ways more accurately than the most carefully studied…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theophile-gautier/this-apparent-hurly-burly-and-disorder-turn-out-after-all-to/) [Théophile Gautier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theophile-gautier/) > [The only line that's wrong in Shakespeare is 'holding a mirror up to nature.' You hold a magnifying glass up to nature. As an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/montgomery-clift/the-only-line-that-s-wrong-in-shakespeare-is-holding-a-mirror-up-to/) [Montgomery Clift](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/montgomery-clift/) [Browse all 121 Magnifying glass quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/magnifying-glass/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“As he spoke, he whipped a tape measure and a large round magnifying glass from his pocket. With these two implements he trotted noiselessly about the room, sometimes stopping, occasionally kneeling, and once lying flat upon his face... As I watched him I was irresistibly reminded of a pure-blooded well-trained foxhound as it dashes backwards and forwards through the covert, whining in its eagerness, until it comes across the lost scent. 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