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Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 273
enthusiast
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enthusiast
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>Obviously I can't speak for Vernon,
And don't you forget it! He is right about this, though. Sorry, maverick.
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Carpal Tunnel
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lol! No offence taken from any of you poor winter-dwellers, of course :)
Since it's always quite possible my 'thinking out aloud' will result in illogical rambling, fire away.
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Joined: Dec 2000
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the w-i-d-e-spread use of lay for lie
What's the problem? We like regular verbs better than irregular verbs. Lie, as a regular verb means something totally else. There's plenty of verbs that combine transitive and intransitive usages without changing form. Lay and lie mean essentially the same thing differing only in their respective transitiveness.
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Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 273
enthusiast
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enthusiast
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Posts: 273 |
>Lay vs Lie
Is simply a case of subconscious anti-semitism, a simmering resentment of Minnesota Jews.
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Joined: Dec 2000
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Bob Dylan
Case in point. Or either him or Eric Clapton, both. Faced with the choice of two otherwise identical words, they both chose the more lyrical. I couldn't imagine them singing "Lie, lady, lie," or "Lie down, Sally." It just doesn't ring true.
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> I couldn't imagine them singing "Lie, lady, lie," or "Lie down, Sally." It just doesn't ring true.
Yes, in terms of both poetry and meaning - a good lay is not the same thing as a good lie (or at least not always) :)
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Joined: Jun 2002
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> Lie down, Sally.
why did I think that was Boz Scaggs?
formerly known as etaoin...
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Dunno - I now have an irrepressible urge to bop around with that wonderful pick-up rythym - "I've bin' tryin' all night long just-to-talk-to-you..!" Have to go see if it's still in the car.
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Posts: 500
addict
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addict
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>teeth on edge over the use of the word "lay" for "lie down"
That's just USn linguistic hegemony rearing its ugly head again, Mrs F. The usage which troubles you so is completely standard on the civilised side of the Atlantic. To quote from the late and much lamented Arsenal fan, Douglas Adams:
Not so, Max! You quote Marvin as saying "Now I lay me down to sleep"
You can lay yourself down (you can lay anything down), but you must LIE down. "lay" requires an object. (I am fully prepared for the spate of "lay" and "object" and "sex object" references no doubt flying my way.....)
Jackie, I'm so glad I'm not alone in the teeth-gritting over "I'm going to lay down"! Although I did read a worse one in a magazine that purportedly had an editor - "I lied down in the back of the van for a sleep."
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