Lirka Mar 26, 2009:

Totally agree with Oliver; this is a warning message not to lie directly on the sand; should use a towel or a surfboard as a surface...

Noni Gilbert Riley Mar 26, 2009:

Agree with Oliver Quite!

Jocelyne S Mar 26, 2009:

That's it, Cilian.

Cilian O'Tuama Mar 26, 2009:

= Lie on wet sand, or on a towel

Piotr Sawiec (asker) Mar 26, 2009:

Folks, you made my day better with these pictures, soldiers especially. The article really says so, hookworms larvae reside in animal faeces, therefore are perhaps less likely to be acquired when water flushes the sand: http://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/cutaneous la...

Jocelyne S Mar 26, 2009:

There is definitely something odd about the sentence. Piotr, can you check with your client as I think that something has been left out of your sentence; as it stands, it really doesn't make much sense (no one would either use a towel OR lay in the surf).

Oliver Walter Mar 26, 2009:

Lay and lie In grammatically correct English, "to lay" is a transitive verb requiring an object; "to lie" is an intransitive verb requiring no object. The common misuse of "lay" instead of "lie" may be because the past tense of "lie" is "lay". I think the advice is that the traveller should either use a towel between him/herself and the sand or should lie (i.e. be in a horizontal position) in the surf, where the larvae will presumably not be present.

Gary D Mar 26, 2009:

This is the only reason why you shouldn't lay in the surf...
I walk on the beach every morning and every evening barefoot,, no hookworms here:-)
http://www.gather.com/viewImage.jsp?fileId=3096224744170589&...

Lingua.Franca Mar 26, 2009:

The hookworms probably don't live in the surf, then, only on dry land/sand. Maybe that's why the text mentions that one shouldn't walk on ground or on dry sand (--> towel). Maybe...

Gary D Mar 26, 2009:

Cillian... you beat me to it.. but the text does say "DO NOT"walk barefoot on the beach.

Then says Use a towel when you lay on the sand or lay in the surf, which contradicts itself. I think the whole sentence needs clarifying.

Lingua.Franca Mar 26, 2009:

http://imgs.sfgate.com/c/pictures/2006/05/14/mn_sealfit_01_0...
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1135/1271909761_36a78acf2f.jp...
http://pro.corbis.com/images/JA006949.jpg?size=67&uid={AEE4722E-CC3D-4C80-8FC4-38C729A3F7E8}
http://image02.webshots.com/

Cilian O'Tuama Mar 26, 2009:

"Use a towel or lay in the surf"? Is that really what it says?