Hello everyone,

        A question of correct grammar arose at work today when attempting
to properly stencil instructions onto the lids of crates. The crates are to
be sent to anohter insitution with very specific un/packing instructions.
The debate centered around the question of which was correct: "LAY FLAT TO
UNPACK" or "LIE FLAT TO UNPACK". After consulting the _Chicago Manual of
Style_ ,  _Webster's Third_, the museum's editor and a professor in an
English Department, "LAY" was decided upon because it is theoretically
considered to be and *active* word, versus the *static* "LIE", ie one is to
perform the act of correctly positioning the crates before removing
objects. This seems especially appropriate because the same crates that
need to be layed flat before emptying will travel in an upright position.
In other words, stenciled arrows require that the crates be shipped in a
manner other than that in which they should be emptied. May I have opinions
on the issue? I'm curious to know what the popular consensus is (although
I'm sure that AAM has prescribed guidlines for such dilemmas).

Thanks,

Michael
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