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 2. (common).—A wager.

1591. Greene, Second Part Conny-catching, in Works, vol. x. p. 83. These fellows will refuse no lay if the ods may grow to their aduantage.

1602. Shakspeare, Othello, ii. 8. My fortunes to any lay worth naming.

1606. John Day, Ile of Guls, ii. 5, p. 57. Lis. Badd's the best. I winne her for ten crownes; and there they be. Vist. I take your lay.

1630. Massinger, Renegado, iii. 4. It is an even lay, but that you had A courtier to your father.

1672. Lacy, Old Troop, v. 1. It's an even lay whether this farce be a comedy or a tragedy.

1735. Oldys, Life of Sir W. Raleigh. Looked upon it as an uneven lay to stake himself against Sir Amias.

3. (old).—A quantity.

1821. Haggart, Life, p. 49. We had a weighty lay of them that same evening.

4. (old).—Goods.

1821. Haggart, Life, p. 8. Flash-kanes where I might fence my snib'd lays.

5. (American).—See quot.

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.'