[Vocabulary] to stand the ladders against the walls

[Marina Gaidar]

Is it correct to say "to stand the ladders against the walls" laying a siedge to the castle?

 

[bhaisahab]

Is it correct to say "to stand the ladders against the walls" laying a siedge to the castle?

Yes.

 

[Gillnetter]

Is it correct to say "to stand the ladders against the walls" laying a [STRIKE]siedge [/STRIKE] siege to the castle?

To stand the ladders against the wall may or may not be the end of a siege. To lay a siege means to surround and begin a long attack against something.

 

[Grumpy]

With my pedant's hat on, may I point out that one does not normally lay "a" siege. One "lays siege to", or "besieges" somewhere.

 

[Gillnetter]

With my pedant's hat on, may I point out that one does not normally lay "a" siege. One "lays siege to", or "besieges" somewhere.

One can lay a trap and lay a bet, I assume that a general can lay a siege. I wonder how the language handled this when sieges were in vogue. I can see how (consider - go to hospital and go to university) the "a" could be taken out from BrE, but what was used in the past? Also, is it "lays siege to" or, "lay siege to"?