Łukasz Gos-Furmankiewicz Feb 28, 2014:

What kind of cup was it? What was the context?

acetran Feb 28, 2014:

Did you try googling it before posting it here?

Tony M Feb 27, 2014:

@ Asker I think you are possibly getting confused between the transitive verb 'to lay' — which is what might apply to carpets, lino, flooring, planks, tiles, etc. — and this verb, which it 'to lay down'; this would not normally be used for flooring etc., but rather suggests the act of putting something in a horizontal position (sometimes, when it might normally be vertical); whence my idea of laying the cup down on its side, possibly to indicate that he didn't want to be served any more. When reading, you probably hold your book up, so "When his grandson came into the room, he laid down his book on the table and took the little lad in his arms."