- (the) lay of the land
- the way a situation has been arranged or has developed.
If you see them together, you don't have to be a detective to understand the lay of the land.
New idioms dictionary. 2014.
(the) lay of the land
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the lay of the land — Lay Lay, n. 1. That which lies or is laid or is conceived of as having been laid or placed in its position; a row; a stratum; a layer; as, a lay of stone or wood. Addison. [1913 Webster] A viol should have a lay of wire strings below. Bacon.… … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
lay of the land — also[how the land lies] {n. phr.} 1. The natural features of a piece of land, such as hills and valleys. * /The style of house the contractor builds depends partly on the lay of the land./ 2. The way something is arranged; the important facts… … Dictionary of American idioms
lay of the land — also[how the land lies] {n. phr.} 1. The natural features of a piece of land, such as hills and valleys. * /The style of house the contractor builds depends partly on the lay of the land./ 2. The way something is arranged; the important facts… … Dictionary of American idioms
The Land (fiction) — This article is about the setting for a series of books by Stephen R. Donaldson. For other uses, see The Land (disambiguation) The Land is the primary setting for the series of fantasy books by Stephen R. Donaldson called The Chronicles of Thomas … Wikipedia
To lay the land — Lay Lay (l[=a]), v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Laid} (l[=a]d); p. pr. & vb. n. {Laying}.] [OE. leggen, AS. lecgan, causative, fr. licgan to lie; akin to D. leggen, G. legen, Icel. leggja, Goth. lagjan. See {Lie} to be prostrate.] 1. To cause to lie down,… … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
to get the lay of the land — Lay Lay, n. 1. That which lies or is laid or is conceived of as having been laid or placed in its position; a row; a stratum; a layer; as, a lay of stone or wood. Addison. [1913 Webster] A viol should have a lay of wire strings below. Bacon.… … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
how the land lies — See: LAY OF THE LAND … Dictionary of American idioms
how the land lies — See: LAY OF THE LAND … Dictionary of American idioms
To keep the land aboard — Aboard A*board , adv. [Pref. a on, in + board.] 1. On board; into or within a ship or boat; hence, into or within a railway car. [1913 Webster] 2. Alongside; as, close aboard. [1913 Webster] (Naut.): {To fall aboard of}, to strike a ship s side;… … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
Lay — (l[=a]), v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Laid} (l[=a]d); p. pr. & vb. n. {Laying}.] [OE. leggen, AS. lecgan, causative, fr. licgan to lie; akin to D. leggen, G. legen, Icel. leggja, Goth. lagjan. See {Lie} to be prostrate.] 1. To cause to lie down, to be… … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
The Night Land — cover of The Night Land … Wikipedia
