Love lays dying

Question

Hi guys,A movie titled "Love lays dying" appears in the film "The final destination." I am here neither to discuss the film, nor the movie in the film, but what exactly the title means.The title may seem more than ordinary to the natives, but as a non-native learner, I, in fact many of us, find it tricky to understand.First the grammar. Is it similar to the use in "Get rich or try dying?" If it is, then what does the verb(intransative here I guess) mean? What does the whole title mean?If not, how to look at it concerning sentence structure?I also came up with a possible way to analyze it's structure as in "That should lay your fear," seeing the verb "lays" as transative, with "dying" being a gerund as an object.But does that interpretation make sense? In that sense, I think it would preferably be written as:"Love lays death."OR What?Thank you for your reply.

Cool Breeze · Accepted Answer

Kevin XA movie titled "Love lays dying" appears in the film "The final destination."

I haven't seen the movie, but this looks like an intentional misuse of the verb to lay. Using that verb instead of to lie is very common nonstandard English. Love Lies Dying may make better sense to you? There is nothing exceptional or special in the grammatical structure. He siits smiling is similar. He sits and smiles at the same time. Love lies dying = love lies and dies while lying. (Please don't ask me how love can lie.)

CB

Clive · Answer

Hi,

A movie titled "Love lays dying" appears in the film "The final destination." I am here neither to discuss the film, nor the movie in the film, but what exactly the title means.

The title may seem more than ordinary to the natives, but as a non-native learner, I, in fact many of us, find it tricky to understand.

First the grammar. Is it similar to the use in "Get rich or try dying?"

If it is, then what does the verb(intransative here I guess) mean? What does the whole title mean?

If not, how to look at it concerning sentence structure?

I also came up with a possible way to analyze it's structure as in "That should lay your fear," seeing the verb "lays" as transative, with "dying" being a gerund as an object.

But does that interpretation make sense? In that sense, I think it would preferably be written as:

"Love lays death."

You have a lot of questions and discussion here.

Let me just say that 'dying' is an adjective describing 'love'. You can see this more clearly if you rearrange the wording to the slightly awkward but correct ''Dying, Tom lies'.

Some other comments.

A more correct way to write this title would be 'Love lies dying'.

Have a look in your dictionary at the two separate verbs, 'lie' and 'lay'. They are often confused.

In 'Get rich or try dying', 'dying' is a gerund. You can see this if you replace it with a noun, eg 'Get rich or try poverty'.

'Get rich or try dying' is a humorous variation ot the more common expression, 'Get rich or die trying'. In this form, 'trying' is an adjective describing the person that the advice is offered to.

In 'That should lay your fear', the verb should be 'allay', not 'lay'. 'Allay' means 'diminish, alleviate'.

Best wishes, Clive

Clive · Answer

Hi CB,

The idea of 'lies' here is not to speak untruths, but that eg 'Love lies (on the ground) dying'.

Clive

Cool Breeze · Answer

CliveThe idea of 'lies' here is not to speak untruths, but that eg 'Love lies (on the ground) dying'.

That's how I understood it, Clive.[Y]

CB

CalifJim · Answer

Kevin Xtricky to understand.

Grammatically it is incorrect. It should be Love lies dying.

Kevin XWhat does the whole title mean?

It is metaphoric. It means that love is lying (recumbent; prone) and it is about to die. That means that love is going to end soon. It may refer to love between particular individuals, or it may refer to people's ability to love in a more general way.

Kevin XGet rich or try dying

I believe you have misquoted. The expression is ... or die trying. The grammar is similar in that you have a verb followed by a present participle, if that's what you're asking.

Kevin XThat should lay your fear

allay, not lay.

CJ

Navy car 740 · Answer

The sentence (LOVE LAYS DYING) is completely correct. As we say:

He enjoys shopping!

The verb LAY is transitive (needs object). Therefore, DYING is object!

Anonymous · Answer

Look at video it's long kiss good night scene

Love lays dying

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