lie to

lay to

1. nauticalTo turn a ship into the wind so as to stop forward motion. We need to lay to with those nasty storm clouds on the horizon! After two days of laying to without a single whale sighting, the captain decided it was time to move on.
2. dated To set about some task or action promptly or enthusiastically. Lay to, everyone—we have to get this finished before the storm hits us! The hungry child laid to as soon as the food was placed before him.
3. To blame or credit someone or something for something. A noun or pronoun is used between "lay" and "to." He has always lain his success to the teachings of his former mentor. We can't just lay our current predicament on the last boss's failures.
See also: lay

lie to

1. To tell someone an untruth or falsehood. Don't lie to me—was it you who took the money? He's been lying to his employees for months about the state of the company.
2. Of a sailing vessel, to remain stationary while facing the wind. Make sure the ship lies to during the storm so as not to capsize.
See also: lie

lie to (one)

To tell one an untruth or falsehood. Don't lie to me—was it you who took the money? He's been lying to his employees for months about the state of the company.
See also: lie
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

lay something to something

to attribute something to something. I lay all our problems to the inadequacy of our training. Mary laid her success to a good upbringing.
See also: lay

lay to

to begin doing something, such as fighting or eating. All right, you guys. Lay to. The stuff will get cold if you don't eat it. Lay to! Let's get on with it.
See also: lay

lie to someone (about someone or something)

to tell an untruth about someone or something to someone. You wouldn't lie to me about Sarah, would you? I'm not lying to you!
See also: lie
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.
See also:
  • lay to
  • near the wind
  • sail near the wind
  • in stays
  • up the wind
  • before the wind
  • close to the wind
  • fore and aft
  • aft
References in periodicals archive
To say "Don't ever lie to me!" or "If you lie to me, I'm never going to trust you again!!" doesn't really make sense in response to one of these pragmatic, developmental lies.
Don't ever lie to me!
For example, 61% maintain it is okay for a man to lie to her about how she looks; 48%, his attraction to other women; and 39%, her performance in bed.
Why women lie even to themselves
Hence, if a president believes a lie to be necessary to maintain or improve his political fortunes, the lie is told.
The post-truth presidency: the unintended consequences of presidential lying
Clearly, the individuals involved in deciding to lie to the press made a choice to present false information because of a belief that the use of deception prevented a greater evil than the lie (i.e., narcotics suppliers being apprehended).
The ethics of intentionally deceiving the media
We may lie to spare an individual potential harm; to foster a situation that would bring about a greater good; or to nurture a self-serving goal (though not malicious).
Lies, deception, and public relations
And if your child hears you lie to someone else, he'll get the idea that lying is okay.
Encouraging child honesty
The poll was carried out by 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment to mark the launch of something called Lie to Me Season 1 on DVD, and it reported that men tell an average of six lies a day to their partner, boss or work colleagues.
Hopelessly naive..
Among the survey's most alarming findings was the fact 49% of women said they would lie to their partners in a bid to save the relationship - including if they became pregnant by another man.
Hey Jiminy, here's a new way to tell if he's lying
Iago states, "He holds me well; the better shall my purpose work on him," which is Shakespearese for "My boss trusts me, so I can lie to him and he'll believe what I say."
Lies and Literature
The question about whether your child lying to you is good, needs to be rephrased to ask why your child feels they need to lie to you.
Focus: Intelligent liars?