lay to

[Gość: lelum]

context: “So long as mothers are like this, their children will take
advantage of them; and they lay to that” in “Peter Pan” by Barrie

[Gość: Steve]

Where in Peter Pan?
'Lay to' means 'to stop a ship in open water'.

[Gość: Steve]

Thinking further, sailing ships were often said to lay to outside the harbour
waiting for the tide to turn (so that the water is flowing in and the water is
deep enough) or for the wind to be in the right direction. The quote would then
mean that the children wait for their mother to be in mood when she would let
them do what they wanted, perhaps ignoring her in the meantime.