hang up
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
To rob with violence, to garrotte. Most likely from throttling associations in connexion with the practice of garrotting.
Era: ca. 1874 (Victorian)
Where it’s used:
Origin
British & Irish English
Sources & notes
Historical definition reproduced from Hotten’s The Slang Dictionary (1874, public domain; Project Gutenberg #42108, retrieved 2026-07-31). Reflects the attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “hang up” mean?
To rob with violence, to garrotte. Most likely from throttling associations in connexion with the practice of garrotting.
Is “hang up” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.