A dictionary of Confusable Phrases: More Than 10,000 Idioms and Collocations

lay out the fire • put out the fire
lay out the fire —make a fire start burning : He was still
turned away from me, intent on his task of laying out the fire.
put out the fire —make a light or fire stop burning: Put out
all fires before leaving the camping ground.
lay over • put over
lay over —(U.S.) make an overnight stop on a journey (by
plane): This flight lays over at Great Falls before completing
the journey to New York.
put over —(of a ship) move to one side: There’s a sailing boat
coming towards us, you’d better put over to give her room.
lay someone out • put someone out
lay someone out—
1
. knock a person to the ground (uncon-
scious): The champion laid the contender out in the second
round. 2. (coll.) exhaust or adversely affect smb.: I’ve had
influenza and it laid me out for two very unpleasant and
painful weeks. 3. (of a dead body) prepare for burial: Two of
the women came to lay out the body. 4. (coll.) scold a person
severely (also: lay someone out in lavender): The director laid
Jim out for being late again.
put someone out—
1
. cause smb. to leave a building: “If they
don’t get out they will be put out bodily,” retorted Hart. 2.
disconcert or inconvenience a person: Are you sure it won’t
put you out if I stay to dinner? 3. cause a person to be confused
or worried: The least thing puts him out, he is easily upset.
Note: 
The expression does not correlate in meaning with the
phrase put someone out of the way—remove smb. from the
scene; make away with a person: Though he had a wife already,
he determined to put her out of the way, and marry his own
niece Elizabeth.
lay someone out in lavender • put someone out to
grass
lay someone out in lavender —(coll.) scold a person severely
(also: lay someone out): If you ever feel like you need to lay me
out in lavender again, just forget it.
put someone out to grass —(coll.) send smb. on a holiday or
into retirement (also: send someone out to grass): Of course, if
you consider my age, they should have put me out to grass a
long time ago.