lay to

[lay to] {v.}

1. To give the blame or credit to; to name as cause.

* /He was unpopular and when he made money, it was laid to his dishonesty, but when he lost money, it was laid to his stupidity./

Compare: LAY AT ONE'S DOOR. 2. To hold a ship or boat still against the wind.

* /The pirates decided to lay to that night and go ashore in the morning./

Compare: LIE TO. 3. To exert oneself; to work hard.

* /He picked up a shovel and laid to with the rest of the gang./

Tags:

Source: A Dictionary of American Idioms


	↑ Grab this Headline Animator Subscribe to Learn American Idioms day-by-day by Email

	See also »
	lay the blame at one's door [lay the blame at one's door] {v. phr.} To say that another person or group ... A Dictionary of American Idioms lay down [lay down] {v.} 1. To let (something) be taken; give up or surrender (something). * ... A Dictionary of American Idioms money [money] See: COIN MONEY or MINT MONEY, EASY MONEY, FOOL AND HIS MONEY ARE SOON ... A Dictionary of American Idioms lay out [lay out] {v. phr.} 1. To prepare (a dead body) for burial. * /The corpse ... A Dictionary of American Idioms lay at one's door [lay at one's door] {v. phr.}, {literary} To blame (something) on a person. * /The ... A Dictionary of American Idioms lay to rest [lay to rest] {v. phr.}, {informal} 1. To put a dead person into a grave ... A Dictionary of American Idioms lay hold of [lay hold of] {v. phr.} 1. To take hold of; grasp; grab. * /He laid ... A Dictionary of American Idioms

	Latest news »
	Warm Wishes! Sky-net-eye.com Team Wishes You all the Best in 2009! RSS-feeds We have added RSS functionality to the site. At present you can subscribe to any of the following RSS feeds: search (keywords), ...