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[sc. A proverbial phrase] in reference to those hoping to have something, but failing to attain their hope.[1]
They say that the wolf, when he wishes to seize something, attacks it gaping. So when he does not take what he selected, they say that he gapes for nothing [literally, after empty (air)]. They use [the proverb] of those hoping to make money but failing. Aristophanes in Thesmophoriazousae 2.[2]

*lu/kos e)/xanen: e)pi\ tw=n e)lpizo/ntwn me/n ti e(/cein, diamarto/ntwn de\ th=s e)lpi/dos. le/gousi de\ to\n lu/kon, e)peida\n a(rpa/sai ti bou/lhtai, kexhno/ta paragi/nesqai e)p' au)to/. o(/tan ou)=n mh\ la/bh| o(\ proairei=tai, kata\ kenou= au)to\n xanei=n fasin. e)pi\ tw=n sunelpizo/ntwn xrhmatiei=sqai, diamartano/ntwn de\ le/gousin. *)aristofa/nhs *qesmoforiazou/sais b#.

cf. lambda 818.
The proverb 'a wolf gaped' (Tosi [cited under alpha 378] no.1241) is from a lost play of Aristophanes called sometimes Thesmophoriazusae 2, sometimes Thesmophoriasasae ('Women after celebrating the Thesmophoria'), fr.350 (see Kassel/Austin in bibliography). It is used elsewhere in comedy: at Aristophanes, Lysistrata 628-29 and the scholia thereto (cf. delta 619, which has e)pi\ tw=n ma/thn, "he gapes after things that are in vain", rather than kata\ kenou=); at Menander, Aspis 372-73 (dia\ kenh=s for kata\ kenou=; see Austin's edition ad loc.); at Eubulus, Auge, fr.1.11; and at Euphron, Adelphi 1.30-31 (with diakenh=s). See also Lucian, Gallus 6-7 (cf. scholia on Lucian 22.11 Rabe); Aristaenetus, Epistles 2.20.30; Michael Psellus, Theologica 3.174; Planudean scholia on Sophocles, Oedipus Tyrannus 83.10.
For the verb diamarta/nw in this sense of failing in a hope see delta 642, delta 641.
[1] Similarly in Hesychius lambda1396.
[2] Likewise in Photius lambda452 Theodoridis.

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