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Nohope Posted 21 years ago
Vocabulary

"lay sole claim"

Hello all. I've just seen the following sentence in the Acknowlodgements of L. G. Alexander's Longman English Grammar:

"I take full responsibility for the book that has finally emerged and lay sole claim to its imperfections."

My doubt is about "lay sole claim". As fair as I know, lay is "put in the right position" (or something simmilar). Sole could be "unique" or "only" and "claim" is the act of require the rights (??? better definition ???)...

The three words together don't make sense for me. Could anyone explain? Thank you! Bye!
  

Top answer

lay means to set down, usually used for brick-laying. In this context, it means "to put forth". Sole means only, he is the only one making the claim.

— Vorpar

  • lay means to set down, usually used for brick-laying.
  • In this context, it means "to put forth".
  • Sole means only, he is the only one making the claim.
  • claim means to take possesion of, usually in words.
  • So, he is saying that the imperfections are his fault, and that he is the only one at fault.
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3 Answers
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lay means to set down, usually used for brick-laying. In this context, it means "to put forth".

Sole means only, he is the only one making the claim.

claim means to take possesion of, usually in words.

So, he is saying that the imperfections are his fault, and that he is the only one at fault.
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Yes; "to lay claim to" means "to claim as one's own".

MrP
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to lay claim to something

phraseIf you lay claim to something you do not have, you say
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