# Hanged vs. Hung

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hanged-vs-hung/636657>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [October 4, 2012, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hanged-vs-hung/636657 "2012-10-04T03:08:07Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 7\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\
**Post date:** [October 5, 2012, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hanged-vs-hung/636657/21 "2012-10-05T04:31:39Z")

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Now, tell me this. It’s **pleaded** guilty, and not **pled** guilty, right?

(Or _not_ guilty, depending)

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**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\
**Post date:** [October 5, 2012, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hanged-vs-hung/636657/22 "2012-10-05T14:56:02Z")

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> [@Dallas\_Jones](#):
>
> You can be well hung but you cannot be well hanged.

Tell that to a prideful hangman and see what happens.

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**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:** [October 5, 2012, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hanged-vs-hung/636657/23 "2012-10-05T15:41:05Z")

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If you’re not gonna say “pled”, you better start saying “bleeded” and “leaded.”

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**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\
**Post date:** [October 5, 2012, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hanged-vs-hung/636657/24 "2012-10-05T19:44:02Z")

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> [@VOW](#):
>
> …If the person is already dead, he becomes an object, and would therefore be hung after death.
> 
> ~VOW

I cannot believe this is the second opportunity to mention this cite this week, but the act you are referring to is gibbeting.

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**Author:** ![lawbuff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/13edae/32.png) [@lawbuff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lawbuff)\
**Post date:** [October 5, 2012, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hanged-vs-hung/636657/25 "2012-10-05T19:51:04Z")

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All I know is “They’re hangin’ Danny Deever in the mornin’”!

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**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:** [October 5, 2012, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hanged-vs-hung/636657/26 "2012-10-05T20:08:01Z")

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> [@GuanoLad](#):
>
> Now, tell me this. It’s **pleaded** guilty, and not **pled** guilty, right?
> 
> (Or _not_ guilty, depending)

> [@Spenser's Faerie Queene](#):
>
> Strongly did Zele her haynous fact enforce,  
> And many other crimes of foule defame  
> Against her brought, to banish all remorse,  
> And aggrauate the horror of her blame.  
> And with him to make part against her, came  
> Many graue persons, that against her pled;

I’m not saying pled has a history almost as long and reputable as pleaded, but a word that’s been around since at least the 1590s has about as much right to be used as any other word.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\
**Post date:** [October 6, 2012, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hanged-vs-hung/636657/27 "2012-10-06T00:01:41Z")

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> [@california\_jobcase](#):
>
> If you’re not gonna say “pled”, you better start saying “bleeded” and “leaded.”

> [@Inner\_Stickler](#):
>
> I’m not saying pled has a history almost as long and reputable as pleaded, but a word that’s been around since at least the 1590s has about as much right to be used as any other word.

Well I was referring to its use in official legal situations, not just in casual. But looking around online it seems that both are used equally these days, so both are acceptable (except in my own head).

And, you know what, I think “bleeded” actually is used sometimes.

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