Lay to Rest ⚰️🕊️
Definition:
- Verb:
- Bury.
- Settle something with finality.
Historical Context:
- The first sense (bury) has been around since the late 19th century, although “rest” associated with death dates back to 1400.
- The figurative sense (settling something with finality) dates back to Shakespearean times, often expressed as “set at rest.” Charles Kingsley famously used it in Westward Ho! (1855): “His fears, such as they were, were laid to rest.”
Related and Similar Terms:
- Synonyms: Inter, bury, entomb, put to bed, resolve, quell
- Antonyms: Exhume, unsettle, provoke
- Proverbs: “Let sleeping dogs lie,” “Put it to bed.”
Inspirational Quote:
“Life is 10% what happens to us and 90% how we lay it to rest.” – Unknown Motivator 💪
Humorous Quote:
“When I say I lay my worries to rest, I mean to throw them under my bed and hope for the best!” – W. L. Jester 🎭
Suggested Literature:
- Books:
- Westward Ho! by Charles Kingsley
- Hamlet by William Shakespeare (Think of poor Yorick 💀)
- Songs:
- “The Long Day is Over” by Norah Jones
- “Lay My Burden Down” by Alison Krauss
- Movies:
- Six Feet Under (TV Series)
- The Bucket List starring Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman
### Which phrase means to bury someone or something?
- [x] Lay to rest
- [ ] Lay to fest
- [ ] Rest to stay
- [ ] Lay to sit
> **Explanation:** "Lay to rest" is a term used both for burial and for settling a matter with finality.
### Which of these could mean to end a dispute?
- [x] Put it to bed
- [ ] Pull it to dread
- [ ] Set it to nest
- [ ] Lay it to best
> **Explanation:** "Put it to bed" is an informal phrase that also means to end or finalize something.
### True or False: "Lay to rest" has a meaning related to solving problems.
- [x] True
- [ ] False
> **Explanation:** Apart from its literal sense of burial, "lay to rest" is also a figurative expression meaning to settle or solve an issue conclusively.
### In what famous novel did Charles Kingsley use the phrase "laid to rest"?
- [ ] Jane Eyre
- [x] Westward Ho!
- [ ] Great Expectations
- [ ] Moby Dick
> **Explanation:** Charles Kingsley used the phrase in *Westward Ho!* to refer to settling fears and worries.
### Which musical piece speaks about the day's end, metaphorically putting it to rest?
- [x] The Long Day is Over
- [ ] Forever Young
- [ ] Blown Away
- [ ] Rolling in the Deep
> **Explanation:** "The Long Day is Over" by Norah Jones metaphorically speaks about putting the day's troubles to rest.
Farewell Thought 🌟
“May you always have the wisdom to lay your troubles to rest and the courage to face each new day refreshed.” – Lamen Terminatus
Published by Language Lightbulb Press, 2023
