he laid down the law vs he layed down the law

The correct phrase is 'he laid down the law.' 'Laid' is the past tense of 'lay,' while 'layed' is not a correct spelling in this context. The phrase means that someone established rules or regulations in a firm or authoritative manner.

Last updated: March 20, 2024

he laid down the law

This phrase is correct and commonly used in English.

This phrase means that someone established rules or regulations in a firm or authoritative manner. 'Laid' is the past tense of 'lay,' which is the correct form in this context.

Examples:

After the incident, the teacher laid down the law about classroom behavior.
The manager laid down the law regarding punctuality in the office.
She laid down the law with her children about completing their homework before playtime.
The coach laid down the law on team discipline.
The new supervisor laid down the law on safety procedures.

Show examples from the web [+]

... is often not made in informal speech, partly because in the past tense the words sound much more alike: “He lay down for a nap,” but “He laid down the law .
when he laid down the law among the Danes: they shouldered him out to the sea's flood, the chief they revered who had long ruled them. A ring-whorled prow ...
when he laid down the law among the Danes: they shouldered him out to the sea's flood, the chief they revered who had long ruled them. A ring-whorled prow ...
When he laid down the law among the Danes: They shouldered him out to the sea's flood, 30. The chief they revered who had long ruled them. A ring-whorled ...

he layed down the law

This phrase is incorrect. 'Layed' is not a correct spelling in this context.

Show examples from the web [+]

IN A MEETING WITH FRANK NAVIN HE LAYED DOWN THE LAW. EITHER YOU PLAY WASHINGTON ON MAY 20th OR YOU WILL NEVER PLAY AGAIN.
Sep 22, 2015 ... First...He's layed down the law on future debates: NO seltzer bottles...or.... squirting lapel flowers....will be TOLERATED! more ...
Mar 21, 2008 ... that was terribly awkward until the ending, where he layed down the law. haha. FlagShare. LikeReply. megaton103 5ptsFeatured Mar 23, 2008.
Undercover has 513 ratings and 87 reviews. ⊱✿⊰ Kitty Kat's Crazy About Books ⊱✿⊰ said: TITLE: UndercoverSERIES: (Zephyrs MC #1)AUTHOR: Kasey ...

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he laid down the law vs he layed down the law