lady: The use of this word as “a mere distinction of sex is a sheer vulgarism.” Never say “A man and his lady,” but “a man and his wife,” or preferably, by name, “Mr. and Mrs. John Smith.” Where woman, as indicative of sex, is intended, say woman—not lady or female. A female is equally female, whether person or beast. In the United States “woman” is preferable; in England “lady” is used chiefly when the term is not preceded by a qualifying adjective. The word woman best expresses the relation of the female sex to the human race. Some ill-informed persons use lady for woman under the mistaken idea that woman is a derogatory term; such use is downright vulgarity. As one never hears salesgentleman but salesman, therefore saleslady should be avoided; say, rather, saleswoman.
lambaste is slang and as such should not be used as a substitute for “flog,” “whip,” or “beat.”
lassitudinous is not a desirable substitute for “languid” or “weary.”
last, latter: The first of these words is not properly used of only two, since it is a superlative; the second, not properly of more than two, since it is a comparative. Notwithstanding the fact that the use of last for latter and of latter for last has had wide sanction, the present tendency is toward strict construction.
last two. Compare [FIRST] and [TWO FIRST].
lay, lie: In discriminating the uses of these words the Standard Dictionary says: Lay, vt., “to put down,” “to cause to lie down,” is a causal derivative of lie, vi., “to rest.” The principal parts of the two verbs are:
| Present. | Imperfect. | Past Participle. |
|---|---|---|
| lay, vt. | laid | laid |
| lie, vi. | lay | lain |
The identity of the present tense of lay, vt., with the imperfect tense of lie, vi., has led to the frequent confounding of the two in their literary usage. Lay (in the present tense) being transitive, is always followed by an object; lie, being intransitive, never has an object. Lay, in “I lay upon thee no other burden,” is the present tense of lay, vt., having as its object burden; in “I lay under the sycamore-tree in the cool shade,” lay is the imperfect tense of lie, vi., having no object; laid, in “I laid the book on the table,” is the imperfect tense of lay, vt., having as its object book. The presence or absence of an object, and the character of the verb as transitive or intransitive, may be decided by asking the question “Lay [or laid] what?” The past participles of the two verbs (laid and lain) are also frequently confounded. Laid in tense-combinations is to be followed by a object always; lain, never; as, “He has laid (not lain) the book on the table”; “He has lain (not laid) long in the grave.”