hanging
Preserved but no longer current.
In difficulties. A man who is in great straits, and who is, therefore, prepared to do anything desperate to retrieve his fortunes, is said, among sporting men, to be "a man HANGING," i.e., a man to whom any change must be for the better.
Era: ca. 1874 (Victorian)
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 “hanging” mean?
In difficulties. A man who is in great straits, and who is, therefore, prepared to do anything desperate to retrieve his fortunes, is said, among sporting men, to be "a man HANGING," i.e., a man to whom any change must be for the better.
Is “hanging” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.