# Laying snow **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 27, 2009, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laying-snow/483277 "2009-01-27T20:34:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![El\_Kabong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_kabong/32/496_2.png) [@El\_Kabong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Kabong)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2009, 4:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laying-snow/483277/21 "2009-01-28T04:42:52Z")
Western PA born and bred, and nearly everyone I know from there says ‘laying’. Youns guys can take that to the bank. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2009, 5:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laying-snow/483277/22 "2009-01-28T05:17:03Z")
I vaguely recall the expression being used in a poem, but I’ve never heard anyone say it. ---
**Author:** ![Meurglys](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/258eb7/32.png) [@Meurglys](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meurglys)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2009, 11:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laying-snow/483277/23 "2009-01-28T11:40:46Z")
In Scotland we ask if it’s _lying_, rather than _laying_, and I’ve never heard _sticking_ used… ---
**Author:** ![Oswald\_Bastable](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/oswald_bastable/32/214_2.png) [@Oswald\_Bastable](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oswald_Bastable)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2009, 11:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laying-snow/483277/24 "2009-01-28T11:54:06Z")
> [@Meurglys](#): > > In Scotland we ask if it’s _lying_, rather than _laying_, and I’ve never heard _sticking_ used… _Laying_ is all I’ve ever heard in England. Which would suggest _lying_/_laying_ is a Britishicism and may be some east coast colonial hold over. OB ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2009, 12:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laying-snow/483277/25 "2009-01-28T12:12:01Z")
In my neighbourhood snow _settles_, it doesn’t stick. Actually, it does neither any more, as British winters seem to be officially dead. (Although we did have a brief snowfall that settled for a while in late October!). I also hear “laying” though. For those that claim never to have heard “laying” used with respect to snow, have you never heard the carol _Good King Wenceslas_? Good King Wenceslas looked out On the feast of Stephen **When the snow lay round about** Deep and crisp and even… Of course, in the carol “lay” appears to be the past tense of the verb “to lie” (if it was from “to lay” then it shold be “laid”), but it could be the reason for the usage… ---
**Author:** ![not\_alice](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/not_alice/32/7283_2.png) [@not\_alice](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/not_alice)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2009, 12:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laying-snow/483277/26 "2009-01-28T12:20:57Z")
\> Maryland (Baltimore) checking in - we used to say “laying”. Extended family from Baltimore, myself born there, moved to NJ as a child, back to Baltimore for college ans the next 10 years or so. Family members by marriage from eastern and centerl PA. Never once heard of “laying snow” until just now. What snow does in Baltimore is cause everyone to run out and buy every available roll of toilet paper and every carton of milk as though it won’t melt before sunup tomorrow and that is the only way to stave off the apocolypse that is forecast by the weather guy. ---
**Author:** ![not\_alice](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/not_alice/32/7283_2.png) [@not\_alice](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/not_alice)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2009, 12:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laying-snow/483277/27 "2009-01-28T12:30:48Z")
Missed the edit window. Hmm, various reports from Baltimore. Surely all of us from there know there are various Baltimore dialects. My experience is along the Liberty Rd/Reistertown Road with family and Charles Village/Downtown/Fells Point corridor for myself. That someone else mentioned Towson, yeah, I could see a bit more, err, “proper” “British” sounding dialect from there. Where are the others from? I saw a Columbia, which I would expect to be more neutral. Others? I also believe El Kabong could be right - he got the “you’n” part that nailed it for central/western PA. ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Pearse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/richard_pearse/32/13144_2.png) [@Richard\_Pearse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Pearse)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2009, 12:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laying-snow/483277/28 "2009-01-28T12:38:43Z")
I used to say “settle” in NZ. “It’s snowing outside but it’s not settling.” ---
**Author:** ![Edward\_The\_Head](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ce73a5/32.png) [@Edward\_The\_Head](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Edward_The_Head)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2009, 12:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laying-snow/483277/29 "2009-01-28T12:46:21Z")
Being from Frederick, MD, west of Baltimore, I’ve heard laying, and have probably used it as well. I think times have changed a bit and most people say “is it sticking now”. I try my best to stay away from Baltimore so who knows what _those_ people say. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2009, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laying-snow/483277/30 "2009-01-28T13:18:11Z")
> [@not\_alice](#): > > I saw a Columbia, which I would expect to be more neutral. Columbia isn’t Balmer, Hon! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Dead\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9fc29f/32.png) [@Dead\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dead_Cat)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2009, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laying-snow/483277/31 "2009-01-28T13:18:31Z")
> [@Colophon](#): > > In my neighbourhood snow _settles_, it doesn’t stick. What I was going to say. ---
**Author:** ![luvrbcs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7c8e57/32.png) [@luvrbcs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/luvrbcs)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2009, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laying-snow/483277/32 "2009-01-28T13:40:13Z")
Yep, Pittsburgh chiming in here. We (family and I) say ‘laying’ Go Steelers! > [@El\_Kabong](#): > > Western PA born and bred, and nearly everyone I know from there says ‘laying’. > > Youns guys can take that to the bank. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2009, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laying-snow/483277/33 "2009-01-28T13:43:55Z")
Yeah, I think it is Western PA that says it. I’m from Altoona, which is technically in Western PA and definitely in the Pittsburgh sphere of influence an’at… ---
**Author:** ![brewha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/91b2a8/32.png) [@brewha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brewha)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2009, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laying-snow/483277/34 "2009-01-28T13:52:10Z")
Not that you need another Wisconsin data point, but In SW and Central WI, Snow sticks. Only the weatherman uses the term accumulation. ---
**Author:** ![Ruken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f475e1/32.png) [@Ruken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruken)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2009, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laying-snow/483277/35 "2009-01-28T14:45:33Z")
I’m pretty sure people said “sticking” in southeastern PA. I always thought it was a stupid term. “Stick” to me\* meant you could make snowballs. If it got too cold, then it wouldn’t stick any more. \*and I think only to me. ---
**Author:** ![commasense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/commasense/32/3017_2.png) [@commasense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/commasense)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2009, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laying-snow/483277/36 "2009-01-28T15:39:15Z")
> [@CookingWithGas](#): > > Grew up in Towson (just outside Baltimore, 1967-1975), that’s what we always said. > [@BiblioCat](#): > > Ditto. We always said the snow was laying. Some people said sticking, though; the terms were used interchangeably. I was born in Towson in 1955 and lived there until 1969. Apparently neither of you ever came over to Linden Avenue when it was snowing. Although I’m not going to rule out the possibility that my poor overworked old brain just can’t dredge up examples of this usage from my distant past. ---
**Author:** ![BiblioCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ed8c4c/32.png) [@BiblioCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BiblioCat)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2009, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laying-snow/483277/37 "2009-01-28T15:43:14Z")
> [@commasense](#): > > I was born in Towson in 1955 and lived there until 1969. Apparently neither of you ever came over to Linden Avenue when it was snowing. I was born in the Mid-West, but moved to Towson in 1969. I wasn’t allowed to cross the street by myself at that point, so I couldn’t have gone to Linden Avenue. 😉 Over in the Riderwood-Ruxton area, we always said ‘laying.’ ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Slant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c57346/32.png) [@Mr.Slant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Slant)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2009, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laying-snow/483277/38 "2009-01-28T16:10:36Z")
Wrong thread. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2009, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laying-snow/483277/39 "2009-01-28T16:16:16Z")
> [@Colophon](#): > > For those that claim never to have heard “laying” used with respect to snow, have you never heard the carol _Good King Wenceslas_? > > Good King Wenceslas looked out > On the feast of Stephen > **When the snow lay round about** > Deep and crisp and even… Of course snow ‘lay’ on the ground. What I was getting at in the OP is the act of the snow not melting on the ground. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![hellpaso](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ecae2f/32.png) [@hellpaso](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hellpaso)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2009, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laying-snow/483277/40 "2009-01-28T17:29:32Z")
West Tennessee (Memphis)–snow “sticks”. East Tennessee (Chattanooga)–snow “lays”. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laying-snow/483277.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laying-snow/483277.md?page=3)