LAYING vs LYING down? And getting vs having or taking a shower?

[AbsentmindedWoman]

I have noticed that 'laying' seems to have replaced 'lying', in a lot of instances, has anyone else noticed this too?

And curiously I think lots more people refer to 'getting a shower' rather than 'having a shower'. Or taking.

To clarify, it doesn't make me angry or anything I'm just wondering if language is shifting.

Currently laying/ lying on my sofa feeling like I've been dug up recovering from a really bad diabetic hypo which always makes me ponder stuff like this.

Lying in the sofa after having a shower here. I think there is always drift in language, but ‘getting’ a shower seems like nonsense to me, and laying and lying have different meanings as far as I’m concerned.

“Laying” is for chickens, “lying” is for the act of being horizontal.

I think “laying” may be an Americanism, though.

Never heard of anybody “getting” a shower. I’ve definitely used “grabbing” a shower, though, which I suppose is similar in its intention.

I've only heard it said like this in American tv shows and books. 'I'm going to take a shower' and 'I'm going to lay down'

Lying down and having a shower for me!

I think “laying” may be an Americanism, though

Can confirm this is an Americanism.

Getting a shower? u wot m8.

Getting a shower is all over these boards recently! Unless I'm hallucinating.

I always thought that laying referred to the act of placing a child (or someone else) into their bed, or placing cutlery on a table setting for dinner, or arranging a throw over a sofa, setting out clothes ready to be worn Etc.
I take or have a shower to wash myself: if I’m getting a shower, that means I’m purchasing one from Amazon or B&Q or another supplier!
However, I have noticed that people ask “can I get a latte” in coffee shops instead of “can/may I have a latte” so I think “get” is being used more now. But language always evolves, so as long as the meaning is clear, it’s ok.

In danish (which linguisticly is close to english) laying is what you do to something/someone else. Eg I layed dd down for a nap. Isnt that the same in english?

Isnt it laid? I cant remember my own language.

I don’t hear laying as much but “I need to lay down” or “I had a lay down” is said a lot round here as sounds totally wrong to me.

I'd say "getting IN the shower" but not "getting a shower" could it be drfting from there?

I usually have a shower. I have also been known to jump in the shower. Although I think I sometimes tell DD to take a bath. I think it's easy to pick up things from tv or film. "Wanna take a bath" I remember from a pink Floyd song.

Isn't laying" more possessive than lying? So you would "lay down" someone or something else but lie down yourself. Same with get/have. I say "I'm going to have a shower" because I haven't yet had a shower.

The phrase "go extinct" annoys me. It's "become extinct" - it might not happen, because it hasn't happened yet.

It's also draw a bath.

I think getting a shower is an Americanism. Laying down is just plain wrong.

Last time I jumped in the shower (trying to be all American) I fell over.

I'll stick with having one.

Taking a shower or having a shower.

"Getting a shower"- what, like to go?

Lay down is what the Americans say. They use it all the time on my online yoga app.

I think I say ‘I’m going to go take a a shower’ and ‘I need a lie down’.

I also ‘run a bath’ and then I ‘have my bath’ no idea if anyone cares about that though

I think if someone told me they were getting a shower I'd offer them a lift to B&Q.

Laying is somwthimg you do to something else such as lay a dog down .. buy as a person i lie down .
Getting seems american to me ! Like the ise of the word tv show as opposed to programme .

I notice if someone writes "lie" as opposed to "lay" in bed.

One seems less active than the other to me.

Generally, I'd know what they meant and I'd just smile to myself and move on.

You can lay an egg (if you're a bird), a hedge or a table. You do it to something or someone else. Hence 'getting laid' by someone else. You could 'get yourself laid' by visiting your boyfriend.

I see 'laying down', 'going for a lay down' and 'having a lay in' a lot; from the people I know who have lower education levels and a poor grasp of written and spoken English. The same people who write 'should of' instead of should have and 'I was sat' instead of I was sitting.

That last example is a regional quirk that's become more widespread, so arguably linguistic drift. Perhaps 'lay in' will go the same way? To me it raises the question 'lay what in what ?

I'd say have a shower. I find take a shower quite old-fashioned and get a shower sounds like the person is re-fitting their bathroom. It also sounds like 'can I get a coffee?' though, an Americanism that has become widespread here. Is get really so different from take? Both imply that you're going somewhere, picking something up and moving it elsewhere. If your body is taking or getting a shower (water falling upon it), they're not so different.

The related phrase I really don't understand, linguistically, is 'take a shit'. Take it from where, to where? With what implement? Why? Yuck!

My ex used to say taking a poo which I thought was odd. Surely it's having or doing ?!

‘Laying’ as in ‘on the bed or sofa’ has been common in the U.K. for ages although it’s incorrect. I never though of it as an Americanism though.

You lay ‘something’ - an egg, the table, a baby in its cot.

You don’t ‘lie’ something down, but you lie down, or go for a lie down.

It’s a case of transitive and intransitive verbs, i.e. that take an object, or not.
The past tenses are often used incorrectly, too - lie/lay, lay/laid.