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> forcing JAL to lay on an additional service for 27 wrestlers

I've never seen "lay on" used this way before, but from context I take it to mean they added another plane.

According to Mirriam-Webster "lay on" is used by the British to mean "hire" (as in the opposite of "lay off") and I suppose this is a similar use.

-- U.S. English speaker.

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as a UK English speaker I'm not sure I've ever heard "lay on" used to mean "hire" as M-W claims, and the OED doesn't seem to list that as a sense. The usage in this sentence is the sense the OED defines as:

"To provide for the supply of (water, gas, etc.) through pipes from a reservoir; to provide (a telephone line). Hence, to make arrangements for, to provide (refreshments, entertainment, transport, etc.)"

and which M-W defines more briefly as "provide, arrange".

The most common usage I can think of is "they laid on a great spread" which would mean a fantastic buffet was provided.

Northern England native.

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