Quote:
Originally Posted by Inzil
Might Gandalf not have been merely using a little phrase he picked up among those charming and absurd Hobbits, having no particular meaning behind it?
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I suspect that this may well be the answer. 'Third time pays for all' is a proverbial saying, apparently dating from the 16th century. And we know how much Hobbits love their proverbs, saws and sayings!
As I recall, Sam also refers to the phrase at some point, as one of the many that his old Gaffer used to say (perhaps that's where Bungo picked it up from).
Its meaning is seemingly similar to the phrases 'third time lucky' and 'third time's a charm', involving the concept that a third attempt is somehow likely to be more successful than previous attempts (possibly related to the idea of three as a lucky number). The 'pays for all' part, it seems, is intended to convey the idea that this third successful attempt will make up for the disappointment of earlier unsuccessful attempts.
How this relates to Gandalf's words to Gwaihir, I am not sure. Obviously, his earlier journies on the Great Eagle's back were not failures. His use of the phrase, though, suggests to me that he merely intended this to be the final of his journies with the Eagle. In other words, another way of saying 'This will be the last time I burden you, old friend'.
As for the possible contradiction between Gandalf's words and the number of times he may have been borne by Gwaihir, this may simply have been Gandalf misremembering, but I would think the most likely explanation is that Gwaihir (whether King or not) is not the same Eagle as the King of the Eagles that bore him in
The Hobbit.