# A grammar pet peeve: Hanged vs. Hung **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [February 28, 2013, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-grammar-pet-peeve-hanged-vs-hung/651669 "2013-02-28T21:33:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![california\_jobcase](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9d8465/32.png) [@california\_jobcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/california_jobcase)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2013, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-grammar-pet-peeve-hanged-vs-hung/651669/81 "2013-03-02T18:56:13Z")
Speaking of feeling, I hate how no one thinks any more. That is, I hate it when someone says “I feel” when he should say “I think”. Same thing with share and tell. ---
**Author:** ![drewtwo99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d07c76/32.png) [@drewtwo99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewtwo99)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2013, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-grammar-pet-peeve-hanged-vs-hung/651669/82 "2013-03-02T20:21:05Z")
Should “As I lay me down to sleep” actually be “As I lay myself down to sleep”? When you are the object of your own actions, don’t you use myself instead of me? Also, when you answer the phone shouldn’t you say “It’s I” or “It is I” and not “It’s me”? ---
**Author:** ![guizot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guizot/32/3636_2.png) [@guizot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guizot)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2013, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-grammar-pet-peeve-hanged-vs-hung/651669/83 "2013-03-02T22:34:34Z")
> [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](#): > > I don’t think so. The subject of a verb in the passive voice is that who has it done **to**. > [@Hari\_Seldon](#): > > No, it is the subject of a passive mode verb, but still the subject. Right–it’s the subject of that particular verb structure, but more importantly, it’s not the _agent_. And the difference is not about the agent, but rather the _patient_. In this way, the distinction between _hung_ and _hanged_ is not _subject_ governed–it’s _ **semantically** _ governed. We say it’s semantically governed because really you’re talking about different verbs: _hanging_ a person is a form of execution. (If you were just bullying someone, for example, then you could indeed say that you _hung_ him up.) And there are indeed other words that actually represent different semantic lexemes, such that past forms differ. Take _shine_, for example: _The sun shone intensely._ _The boy shined the man’s shoes intensely._ You can focus on the subject if you want, but that’s just a distraction, and not really why there’s a difference. > [@Leaffan](#): > > Years ago I was at a mall and leafed through Bill Clinton’s biography and was astounded that all the pictures were captioned with “Hilary and I,” “Mother and I,” etc. > > What’s up with that? Nothing. It’s predicate nominative, in as much as it’s a label. It’s an abbreviated way of saying: _This is Hilary and I_. ---
**Author:** ![Irishman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b487fb/32.png) [@Irishman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Irishman)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2013, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-grammar-pet-peeve-hanged-vs-hung/651669/84 "2013-03-02T23:18:36Z")
I will sometimes say “I\* could\* care less,” then follow it with “but I don’t.” I know, it doesn’t actually say the right thing, either, but it contextualizes the could. > [@sbunny8](#): > > Oh! I just thought of one! I hate it when people say “I feel badly”. What they’re trying to tell you is that they have nerve damage and can’t tell smooth from bumpy or soft from hard. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![senpai71](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7993a0/32.png) [@senpai71](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/senpai71)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2013, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-grammar-pet-peeve-hanged-vs-hung/651669/85 "2013-03-02T23:36:24Z")
> [@california\_jobcase](#): > > Speaking of feeling, I hate how no one thinks any more. That is, I hate it when someone says “I feel” when he should say “I think”. Same thing with share and tell. Same with feeling and doing: “How are you?” “I’m doing good.” “No you’re not. Superman does good. You’re feeling good.” I was always told by my father (an English professor at Oxford, FWIW), that _inflammable_ was the original word, and that _flammable_ started to be used afterwards because there was concern that people might mistake inflammable to mean not flammable (because _in-_ is a common prefix meaning not). Or something like that. This is what Wikipedia says also: [Combustibility and flammability - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flammability#Linguistics:_flammable_vs._inflammable). ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2013, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-grammar-pet-peeve-hanged-vs-hung/651669/86 "2013-03-03T00:44:17Z")
> [@senpai71](#): > > Same with feeling and doing: > > “How are you?” > > “I’m doing good.” > > “No you’re not. Superman does good. You’re feeling good.” You have got to be kidding me. “I’m doing good” is perfectly fine. “Superman does good” is an answer to “What does Superman do?” not “How is Superman doing?” They are not analogous meanings of the verb “to do.” ---
**Author:** ![Bremidon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ac91a4/32.png) [@Bremidon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bremidon)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2013, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-grammar-pet-peeve-hanged-vs-hung/651669/87 "2013-03-03T01:17:02Z")
> [@california\_jobcase](#): > > Speaking of feeling, I hate how no one thinks any more. That is, I hate it when someone says “I feel” when he should say “I think”. Same thing with share and tell. To be fair, saying that you “feel” something is just another way of implying that what you are about to say is a gut feeling and not the product of rational thought. If this is what the speaker or writer means, then I see no problems with it. As for “share and tell,” I assume you mean when it’s used like: “My dad shared the baseball score,” rather than “My dad shared his wisdom with us.” Then I agree. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![SCAdian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scadian/32/3292_2.png) [@SCAdian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SCAdian)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2013, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-grammar-pet-peeve-hanged-vs-hung/651669/88 "2013-03-03T23:25:43Z")
> [@rsat3acr](#): > > Using first with no second. He just hit his first home run of the season. Until he hits another this season it is his only home run of the season. A friend’s pet peeve: “Next week we’re having the first annual whatever.” No, you’re having _a_ whatever - wait until next year (or better yet, a third year) to see if it’s really an annual event! > [@](#): > > incorrect comparisons. Our new product is better than ever. No it is better than ever before, now is part of ever so it can’t be better than it is. “Nobody can do it like McDonald’s can!” ---
**Author:** ![SCAdian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scadian/32/3292_2.png) [@SCAdian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SCAdian)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2013, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-grammar-pet-peeve-hanged-vs-hung/651669/89 "2013-03-04T00:02:37Z")
> [@sbunny8](#): > > It seems to me that using the wrong word (as in “for all intensive purposes”) isn’t really a mistake of grammar, per se. The vast majority of the pet peeves I can think of, as well as the ones I see posted here (including “for it’s own sake”, “This is a photo of my sister and I”, and “I could care less”) are actually malapropisms, not grammar mistakes. Malapropisms or eggcorns. ---
**Author:** ![Didact\_Lectorem777](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f05b48/32.png) [@Didact\_Lectorem777](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Didact_Lectorem777)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2013, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-grammar-pet-peeve-hanged-vs-hung/651669/90 "2013-03-04T02:07:33Z")
> [@stpauler](#): > > I should _ **of** _ never opened this thread. And there goes my last shred of patience for this thread. I could bear the foolish use of the language described here, but if a human being is capable of accessing this thread and understanding it well enough to formulate a response, the least that bit of carbon could do is organize that thought is a cromulent form. Yes, I know it was intentional to visualize your point. > [@WhyNot](#): > > It does, really, it does. The problem is, I can’t decide if it’s flammable or inflammable… 😉 Both are acceptable. But don’t waste your time if it’s **non** flammable ---
**Author:** ![Thuringwethil](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f17d59/32.png) [@Thuringwethil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thuringwethil)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2013, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-grammar-pet-peeve-hanged-vs-hung/651669/91 "2013-03-04T13:59:24Z")
My pet peeve is the increasing tendency to substitute “enormity” for “enormous” (or “enormousness”). The former refers to monstrous evil while the other refers to size. I realize that dictionaries are now moving toward conflating the two (the online Mirriam-Webster dictionary has “the quality or state of being huge” as the third definition for “enormity”. I realize that dictionaries are descriptive rather than prescriptive but I don’t think these two should become synonyms. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2013, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-grammar-pet-peeve-hanged-vs-hung/651669/92 "2013-03-04T15:42:40Z")
Either “The Titanic sank” or “The Titanic had sunk.” NOT “The Titanic sunk.” ---
**Author:** ![MacLir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9e8a1a/32.png) [@MacLir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MacLir)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2013, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-grammar-pet-peeve-hanged-vs-hung/651669/93 "2013-03-04T15:53:21Z")
People pronouncing the candy made from boiled sweetened milk as carmel :mad: It’s CARAMEL (kare-a’-mel), people! Carmel (kar’-mel) is a mountain in Israel and a city (kar-mel’) in central California.:dubious: ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2013, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-grammar-pet-peeve-hanged-vs-hung/651669/94 "2013-03-04T16:08:40Z")
> [@MacLir](#): > > People pronouncing the candy made from boiled sweetened milk as carmel :mad: > > It’s CARAMEL (kare-a’-mel), people! Carmel (kar’-mel) is a mountain in Israel and a city (kar-mel’) in central California.:dubious: You sure you want the accent on the second syllable there? In both pronunciations, it’s on the first syllable. I use both pronunciations, but it’s definitely “carmel corn” not “caramel corn” in pronunciation. Where do we stand on “sherbet”? I don’t think I’ve ever heard it pronounced as anything but “sherbert.” ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2013, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-grammar-pet-peeve-hanged-vs-hung/651669/95 "2013-03-04T16:24:05Z")
I say sherbert and carmel and anyone who has a problem with that is cordially invited to buy their own damn desserts. ---
**Author:** ![DirkGntly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d9b06d/32.png) [@DirkGntly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DirkGntly)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2013, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-grammar-pet-peeve-hanged-vs-hung/651669/96 "2013-03-04T18:13:27Z")
> [@conway](#): > > Length is all like, what up you better stop and the lashes are like hell no bitch. I looked, but may have missed it…did anyone else parse this out with proper quotes and commas?? Length is all, like, “What up? You better stop!,” and the Lashes are like, “Hell no, bitch.” ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2013, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-grammar-pet-peeve-hanged-vs-hung/651669/97 "2013-03-04T18:20:51Z")
No, but then I didn’t have any issues reading it to begin with. ---
**Author:** ![bigbwana](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b487fb/32.png) [@bigbwana](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bigbwana)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2013, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-grammar-pet-peeve-hanged-vs-hung/651669/98 "2013-03-04T19:01:02Z")
I have two: “Bring him to the doctor”. I always thought that you brought something to yourself and took (take) some thing to another place. The other pet peeve is: “Like I said”. I find that this is a good indicator of someone’s education, or lack thereof. I would like to hear more of “As I mentioned or said” I agree , that “Hanged/Hung is often misused, hanged as in gallows and hung as with clothing. Hung has also come to signify well endowed, which somehow conjurers up an awful picture in one’s mind. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2013, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-grammar-pet-peeve-hanged-vs-hung/651669/99 "2013-03-04T19:02:17Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > Where do we stand on “sherbet”? I don’t think I’ve ever heard it pronounced as anything but “sherbert.” To me it’s always been “sherbet.” When I hear “sherbert” I cringe. ---
**Author:** ![bigbwana](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b487fb/32.png) [@bigbwana](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bigbwana)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2013, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-grammar-pet-peeve-hanged-vs-hung/651669/100 "2013-03-04T19:14:44Z")
> [@SCAdian](#): > > Malapropisms or eggcorns. are actually malapropisms, not > [@](#): > > grammar mistakes. We could nit-pic all day, but I think you should have used “grammatical” mistakes [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-grammar-pet-peeve-hanged-vs-hung/651669.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-grammar-pet-peeve-hanged-vs-hung/651669.md?page=6)