1883. George, Progress and Poverty, Bk. 1. ch. iii. On American
whaling ships the custom is not to pay fixed wages, but a lay, or
proportion of the catch, which varies from a sixteenth to a twelfth
to the captain down to a three-hundredth to the cabin-boy.
Verb. (colloquial).—1. To wager. To lay one’s shirt = to stake one’s
all.
English synonyms. To lump on; to plank down; to do a flutter; to wire;
to slant; to snap; to tot.
c. 1563. Jacke Jugeler, p. 73 [ed. Grosart]. I durst ... a wager
laye That thou laiest downe and sleppest by the waie.
1591. Greene, Second Part Conny-catching [Grosart, vol. x. p. 84].
I take six to one saies the Gripe, I lay it saies the Vincent, and
so they make a bet.
1597–8. Munday and Chettle, Playe of Robin Hode. ‘I will lai with
the Litel John, twenti pound so read.’
1601. Shakspeare, Twelfth Night, iii. 4. Fab. Come, let’s see the
event. Sir To. I dare lay any money ’twill be nothing yet.
1751. Fielding, Amelia, Bk. x. ch. v. ‘If the knowing ones were
here, they would lay odds of our side.’
1754. Martin, Eng. Dict., s.v. 2nd ed.
1844. Morris, Lyra Urbanica [N. & Q., 7 S. vi. 40]. His father
allows him two hundred a year And he’ll lay you a thousand to ten.
1851. F. E. Smedley, Lewis Arundel, xxxiii. ‘Your sister’s been
five minutes already, and I’d lay a bet we don’t see her for five
more.’
1864. Derby Day, p. 50. Now I’ll bet the Littl’un would pay
delicate attention to anyone who might come unawares into the
stable without any right to do so. I’ll lay you an even pony, he’d
help ’em out of the door in a manner more forcible than pleasant.
1892. Anstey, Voces Populi, p. 72. I’ll lay you can’t knock a
rabbit down.
2. (old).—To watch; to search; to lie in wait. On the lay = on the
alert; at work. Also to lay for and to lay by.
1603. Knolles, Hist. of the Turkes [Enc. Dict.]. He embarked, being
hardly laid for at sea.
1605. Marston, Jonson & Chapman, Eastward Hoe, iv. 1. To. Where are
they? Let’s go presently and lay for them. Go. I have done that
already, sir, both by constables and other officers.
1608. Middleton, Trick to Catch the Old One, i. 2. I have been
laying all the town for thee.
1859. Matsell, Vocabulum, s.v. Lay ... also on the look out;
watching for something to steal.
1884. M. Twain, Huck. Finn, v. 32. ‘I’ll lay for you, my smarty;
and if I catch you about that school I’ll tan you good.’
To lay about, verb. phr. (colloquial).—To strike on all sides; to fight
vigorously.
To lay at, verb. phr. (colloquial).—To attempt to strike; to aim a
blow.
To lay by the heels, verb. phr. (colloquial).—To put in prison or the
stocks: see Heels.
To lay down, verb. phr. (thieves’).—To play cards.
To lay down one’s knife and fork, verb. phr. (common).—To die; to go
aloft (q.v.); to hop the twig (q.v.).
1888. All the Year Round, 9 June, p. 543. To ‘hop the twig’, to
‘peg out’, to lay down one’s knife and fork, & the like [phrases
for dying], are more flippant than humorous.
To lay a duck’s egg, verb. phr. (common).—See Duck’s Egg and Crocketts.
To lay in, verb. phr. (colloquial).—To attack with vigor.
1888. Rolf Boldrewood, Robbery Under Arms, vii. The eggs and bacon,
my word! how Jim did lay in.
To lay in one’s dish, verb. phr. (old).—To object a thing to a person;
to make an accusation against him.
1615. Sir John Harrington, Epigrams, i. 27. Last night you lay it,
madam, in our dish, How that a maid of ours (whom we must check)
Had broke your bitches leg.
1663. Butler, Hudibras, I. iii. 209. Think’st thou ’twill not be
laid i’ th’ dish, Thou turn’dst thy back? quoth Echo, pish.
To lay into, verb. phr. (colloquial).—To thrash.
1838. D. Jerrold, Men of Character, xiii. I shall be very happy ...
to go and hold the door while you lay into the ruffian.
To lay it on (and superlatively, to lay it on thick) verb. phr.
(colloquial).—To exceed—in speech, splendour, expense, charges, praise,
etc.; to embroider (q.v.).
1560. Nice Wanton [Dodsley, Old Plays (1874), ii. 167]. When they
come home, Your mistress-ship would have me lay on.
1609–10. Shakspeare, Tempest, iii. 2. I would I could see this
taborer: he lays it on.
1611. Shakspeare, Winter’s Tale, iv. 3. I cannot do ’t without
counters. Let me see; what am I to do for our sheep-shearing feast?
Three pounds of sugar; five pounds of currants;—rice—What will this
sister of mine do with rice? But my father hath made her mistress
of the feast, and she lays it on.
1821. Combe, Syntax, Wife, c. 1. That in the pulpit you’re a rare
one, And lay it on, and never spare one.
1832–53. Whistle-Binkie (Sc. Songs), Ser. II. 68. He could lay on
the cadge better than ony walleteer.
1891. Tit Bits, 15 Aug., p. 296, col. 1. Mr. Draper is compelled to
lay it on thick.
To lay off, verb. phr. (colloquial).—To give over.
1888. Detroit Free Press, 20 Oct. Then the Governor of Michigan had
to embarrass me by proclaiming a state holiday of some brand or
other, and my hired man said he guessed he’d have to lay off that
day.
To lay oneself forth (or out), verb. phr. (colloquial).—To exert
oneself rigorously and earnestly.
To lay oneself open, verb. phr. (colloquial).—To expose oneself.
To lay oneself out for, verb. phr. (colloquial).—To be ready and
willing to take part in anything.
To lay out, verb. phr. (colloquial).—1. To get the better of; to
disable (as with a blow); to kill; to cook one’s goose (q.v.).