In reply to:

But... but... but... that's different, Max! In this case it becomes a transitive verb: the object is me. [/splutter]


Well, Eddy, I don't want to jeopardise your respiration any further, so I will point out that la chère Kentuckienne did not make any distinction between transitive and intransitive use. Her exact words were:

"something that does is the w-i-d-e-spread use of lay for lie."

As it happens, the intransitive use is also quite common up here, so it's probably in the best interests of her dental wellbeing if she doesn't come here.