lay away money • lay out money lay away money —save some money: I am trying hard to lay away enough money to buy a house. lay out money —spend a certain amount of money: She had to lay out a lot of money to get her car fixed. lay cash on the barrelhead • lay cash on the line lay cash on the barrelhead—(also: put cash on the barrelhead) pay money at the time of the transaction: It remains to be seen whether the Russians are ready to lay cash on the barrel - head . lay cash on the line—(also: put cash on the line) allocate money; make a financial commitment: You’re not about to lay cash on the line without decent answers to a question or two. Note: The expression does not correlate in meaning with the phrase lay it on the line—(coll.) speak out firmly and frankly (also: put it on the line): I’ll lay it on the line for you, if you like. Are you thinking of asking my girl to marry you? lay down one’s job • lie down on the job lay down one’s job—(also: lay down one’s office) resign from a position of power or responsibility: Buddy Darden is just one of the people who was brave enough to lay down his job in Congress. lie down on the job —be irresponsible or careless in one’s job; fail to work as hard as one should: After a few months … they get tired of the whole business and lie down on the job . lay figure • lay person lay figure—1. a wooden figure of the human body, used as a model for the arrangement of draperies, etc.: Her aunt asked her to stand as a sort of lay figure on which to display them [shawls]. 2. smb. of little importance; an insignificant person: At chapel the registrar is the important person, and the offi- ciating minister is a mere lay figure . 3. a character in fiction lacking in the attributes of reality: The women are not so well drawn as the men, but Mrs. Gall, while conventional, is not a lay figure . lay person —(also: layman) a non-expert in relation to some particular profession: The twentieth century has obliterated the skilled amateur and widened the gap between the technical professional and the lay person . lay of the land • lay the land lay of the land—(also: lie of the land) the state of affairs: I think my success was due to my waiting and not rushing in before I saw the lay of the land . lay the land—(Nautical) sail out to such a distance as to lose sight of land: We found ourselves to be at the distance of seven leagues to the westward of the island. About noon that day we had laid the land . lay one’s hands on something • lay one’s hands to something lay one’s hands on something—(also: put one’s hands on some- thing) 1. find or locate smth.: I can’t lay my hands on the account book — have you seen it? 2. gain possession of smth.: I’d like to know where I can lay my hands on that special tobacco. lay one’s hands to something—start work on smth.; engage in smth.: In John Gollan’s words, “there is no more noble task to which we could lay our hands .” lay out the fire • put out the fire lay out the fire—make a fire start burning: He was still turned away from me, intent on his task of laying out the fire. put out the fire—make a light or fire stop burning: Put out all fires before leaving the camping ground. lay over • put over lay over—(U.S.) make an overnight stop on a journey (by plane): This flight lays over at Great Falls before completing the journey to New York. put over—(of a ship) move to one side: There’s a sailing boat coming towards us, you’d better put over to give her room. lay someone out • put someone out lay someone out—1. knock a person to the ground (uncon- scious): The champion laid the contender out in the second round. 2. (coll.) exhaust or adversely affect smb.: I’ve had influenza and it laid me out for two very unpleasant and painful weeks. 3. (of a dead body) prepare for burial: Two of the women came to lay out the body. 4. (coll.) scold a person severely (also: lay someone out in lavender): The director laid Jim out for being late again. put someone out—1. cause smb. to leave a building: “If they don’t get out they will be put out bodily,” retorted Hart. 2. disconcert or inconvenience a person: Are you sure it won’t put you out if I stay to dinner? 3. cause a person to be confused or worried: The least thing puts him out , he is easily upset. Note: The expression does not correlate in meaning with the phrase put someone out of the way—remove smb. from the scene; make away with a person: Though he had a wife already, he determined to put her out of the way , and marry his own niece Elizabeth. lay someone out in lavender • put someone out to grass lay someone out in lavender—(coll.) scold a person severely (also: lay someone out): If you ever feel like you need to lay me out in lavender again, just forget it. put someone out to grass—(coll.) send smb. on a holiday or into retirement (also: send someone out to grass): Of course, if you consider my age, they should have put me out to grass a long time ago. Note: The expression does not correlate in meaning with the phrase bring someone to grass—(Mining) carry an injured per- son to the surface from the mine: His son soon got him out, procured assistance, and he was brought to grass and carried to his home. lay someone to rest • lay someone’s ghost to rest lay someone to rest—(euph.) bury a person after he has died (also: lay someone to sleep): Three weeks after his death, family and friends gathered Monday to pay tribute to Pokorney and to lay him to rest . lay someone’s ghost to rest—(also: put someone’s ghost to rest) finally get rid of a dead person’s continuing influence: Now China must take another crucial step: It must lay Mao’s ghost to rest . lay someone to sleep • put someone to sleep lay someone to sleep—1. put smb., usually a child, into bed for sleep: The child is weary; let us lay him to sleep on the settee for a while. 2. (euph.) bury a person after he has died (also: lay someone to rest): One generation of burghers after another was laid to sleep in the quiet churchyard. put someone to sleep—(also: send someone to sleep) 1. make a person fall asleep because smth. is too boring: You ask me what book I read now to put me to sleep —why, Murray’s “Handbook for France.” 2. make a person unconscious by using an anesthetic: The surgeon gave him something to dose and put him to sleep . 3. (euph., of an animal) kill painlessly out of mercy: Sheba was growing old and blind and had to be put to sleep . lay someone up • put someone up lay someone up—(of an illness) cause a person to stay in bed lay away money – 212 –