to lay on the table
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
The parliamentary phrase for postponing consideration of a motion, proposal, bill, etc., indefinitely. Hence, to table a matter is to defer it sine die.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “to lay on the table” mean?
The parliamentary phrase for postponing consideration of a motion, proposal, bill, etc., indefinitely. Hence, to table a matter is to defer it sine die.
Is “to lay on the table” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.