“Through all the chaos and torment and everything I go through, I can lay in his arms and finally rest.” - Jessica Simpson, about boyfriend Tony Romo
Jessica has made a common error in diction: she has used the transitive verb “lay” instead of the intransitive verb “lie.”
Transitive verbs have direct objects. The transitive verb “lay” means “to place something on a surface; to put” and requires a direct object. You lay something down.
Intransitive verbs do not have direct objects. The intransitive verb “lie” means “to recline; to be in or take on a horizontal position.” You lie down to go to sleep.
Replace “lay” with the definitions of the two commonly confused words to see the meaning of Jessica’s statement:
“I can place something on a surface in his arms and finally rest.” [This doesn't make sense.]
“I can recline in his arms and finally rest.” [This makes sense.]
This version of Jessica’s statement corrects the error in diction:
“Through all the chaos and torment and everything I go through, I can lie in his arms and finally rest.”
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