a winning line?

A line from a PRIZEWINNING story: " He had been laying on it." What do you think?

When using the word "lay" it's best to keep in mind that only chickens lay. Not true, but good guidance in most situations.

That's what I thought and I was surprised that the story was chosen with a basic error like that. I guess that, as it was intended for children the writer did not want them to get confused with the verb, to lie - but there was really no excuse for the judges not to pick it up!

Unless the character was laying bricks on something.

I've always understood that this error had become endemic in the US, in which case I assume that the judges at least hail from that place. Remember Dylan's 'Lay Baby Lay'?

Perhaps, being such a moral country, people there have an aversion to using the word 'lie'.

Thanks for the geopolitical perspective, but I certainly am not hesitant to use the word "lie". Let's just admit it. Americans are not at the top of the heap at grammar and spelling.

Or maybe he meant to say " He had been laying it on" but got it backwards?

k4k

To have a lay (or to be laid) is another way of saying to have a roger. (see other Pedants' thread re apostrophes)

I always thought pinkozcat's explanation of "lay" was more pertinent to Dylan's song.

#5/7/8 And, that being the case, it seems to me that in fact those highly moral Americans are usually more concerned about laying than lying.

#9 Laying may involve lying, in more than one way.

Speak for yourself ;-)

I've never even lied when laying ... but I may have misspoken ...

Chicken..? ;0

I'm not THAT perverted ...

14> How perverted are you?

5 -- "Lay Lady Lay"

>15 jjwilson61:

Have you ever looked at my book list?

"Pepperland: 80,000 leagues beneath the sea it lay - or lies, I'm not too sure".