joe raises an interesting question
If you haven't read Joe's comment to my Borders post, you should know that that is what I am referring to.
I have to say, Joe, that the answer must lie (lay?, mom, help me out!) in a step-by-step approach. which may or may not entail an SOS shout out to local folks with a modicum of discretion. (so as to not let on that you've actually done this thing)
For my part, I am wondering what machine was the unwitting victim. Perhaps its time had ended anyway.
I have to say, Joe, that the answer must lie (lay?, mom, help me out!) in a step-by-step approach. which may or may not entail an SOS shout out to local folks with a modicum of discretion. (so as to not let on that you've actually done this thing)
For my part, I am wondering what machine was the unwitting victim. Perhaps its time had ended anyway.
posted by rd at 10:29 AM
2 Comments:
that the answer must lie (lay?, mom, help me out!)
OK, so we know that the expression is the answer lies but where's the person, the animate object doing the lying? I want a person or dog or something when I use sit or lie. One grammar spot I went to advised that if something is already at rest, use lie. Not a satisfactory explanation, but getting warmer. So this turns out to be more about transitive and intransitive than moving actors. If you have a direct object, use lay. If there's no direct object, use lie. This help from
http://thewriteidea.com/Grammar.html
thanks, mom, for the grammar link! the lay/lie has always been problematic for me because it was taught to me by sister grammarita (toph remembers her name, the new sister, who taught 6th grade english, quite rotund) as part of a "terrible 147,000", or something of that nature - just one of hundreds of rules to memorize with no empathic substructure to make it work - i like the transitive/intransitive guidance, for this purpose - i can imagine laying down my hat but my answer always just lying there, next to kittty on the floor
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