Usage Goof: Laying/Lying--You Can't Have It Both Ways!

Not too long ago, I did a blog entry about correct use of lie (lying) and lay (laying).

In Monday's The Birmingham News, a cosmic ray scientist who was being quoted about new NASA space science projects apparently tried to sit on the fence on this one. It seemed as if this Marshall Space Flight Center scientist didn't want to (or didn't know how to) commit one way or the other.

Can you figure out which choice is the correct one for BOTH instances in the following sentence?

"Has that stuff been lying out there for the last billion years, or has it been laying out there for the last five million or 10 million years?"

Here is your hint (from my previous blog on this subject):

Lying means being in a reclining position. (The money was just lying around.)

Laying refers to the act of putting an object somewhere. (I am laying the groundwork for this project now.

CORRECT ANSWER:

Has that stuff been lying out there for the last billion years, or has it been lying out there for the last five million or 10 million years?"

Have a great day. I hope you do not spend it lying around with a flu bug or laying an egg with your grammar issues.