Daily English Pod

Lay low

Jale Qaraqan

For checking the transcript: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2379282

Lay low 

To lay low means to stay out of sight or avoid attention, usually because of fear, stress, or danger.

Examples:

1- The witness was advised to lay low until the trial was over.

2- The celebrity laid low after the scandal to avoid the media.

Hello and welcome to Daily English, As it’s the weekend, we learn English through stories. You’ll find the full transcript in the link below.

Today’s story feels like a movie plot—but it actually happened. In 2020, a man managed to lay low and live secretly in an airport for almost three months without getting caught. Let’s find out how.

What Happened? In October 2020, a man named Aditya Singh arrived at the Chicago O’Hare International Airport. He was supposed to take a flight home to California. But when COVID cases started rising, he got scared to fly. 

So instead of boarding his plane, Aditya decided to lay low—inside the airport. He found an empty gate area and stayed there for nearly 3 months, eating food passengers gave him and using a stolen airport badge to avoid suspicion.

Security finally noticed him in January 2021 and he was arrested. Authorities were shocked that someone had managed to hide in such a busy airport for so long. When asked why he did it, he simply said he was too afraid to fly. He had no bad intentions—he just wanted to disappear and lay low.

Phrasal Verb of the Day: “Lay Low”

To lay low means to stay out of sight or avoid attention, usually because of fear, stress, or danger.

“The witness was advised to lay low until the trial was over.”

“After the argument, he decided to lay low for a few days.”

“The celebrity laid low after the scandal to avoid the media.”

Have you ever needed to lay low for a while—maybe after a stressful time or just to take a break?