# Why hang up for terminating a call and not hand down? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 18, 2011, 12:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-hang-up-for-terminating-a-call-and-not-hand-down/600025 "2011-10-18T12:05:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Reza](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Reza](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reza)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2011, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-hang-up-for-terminating-a-call-and-not-hand-down/600025/21 "2011-10-18T20:37:51Z")
> [@guizot](#): > > I think that’s what the OP was saying. > > In any case, **Reza** , the particles in phrasal verbs are not always representational. In fact, they could even be more often conceptual or just arbitrary. The particle _ **up** _ in phrasals often carries the connotation of _completeness_. Hence, for example, the difference between: > > _clean the room ===== **clean up** the room > eat the pizza ===== **eat up** the pizza > fill the glass ======= **fill up** the glass > fix a car ====== fix **up** a car_ > > Only one of these could be seen as indicating the physical notion of _ **up** _. It’s conceivable that hang up was not just a remnant of wall-mounted phone technology, but always a way to carry the connotation of a completely finished communication. We have something similar with _ **out** _ in other electronic communication: > > _the signal faded **out** > log **out** of your account > over and **out**!_ > > Etc. Superb! ---
**Author:** ![Reza](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Reza](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reza)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2011, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-hang-up-for-terminating-a-call-and-not-hand-down/600025/22 "2011-10-18T20:48:14Z")
Thanks everybody for the answer. 1- Most members were reinventing the wheel and explained what I stated about the reason of the phrase. 2- The one who asked me If I hang down my jacket when I get home, Should know that, Nope, simply because the hanger is at higher position than my hand. But to put back a handset is not like what you made as an example. 3- Most posts were going astray, looking like a discussion about the history of phone, rather than pointing the question. By and large, if those who talked a bit irrelevant want to sit in for TOEFL to pass an essay will suffer a poor score due to the lack of unity and incoherence in their writings. 😃 Take it easy, and Thank you all. 🙂 I rate the guizot’s reply as the best since it sounds quite professional and linguistically equipped. ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2011, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-hang-up-for-terminating-a-call-and-not-hand-down/600025/23 "2011-10-18T20:53:57Z")
> [@guizot](#): > > We have something similar with _ **out** _ in other electronic communication: > > over and **out**!\* only in fiction, not useful in real life. ‘over’ would be used separately from ‘out’. ---
**Author:** ![CutterJohn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/91b2a8/32.png) [@CutterJohn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CutterJohn)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2011, 6:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-hang-up-for-terminating-a-call-and-not-hand-down/600025/24 "2011-10-19T06:14:11Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > Hello, Sarah? Oh god, I just listened to that the other day. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2011, 7:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-hang-up-for-terminating-a-call-and-not-hand-down/600025/25 "2011-10-19T07:19:22Z")
> [@Reza](#): > > . . . 2- The one who asked me If I hang down my jacket when I get home, Should know that, Nope, simply because the hanger is at higher position than my hand. But to put back a handset is not like what you made as an example. . . > > I rate the guizot’s reply as the best since it sounds quite professional and linguistically equipped. Our house has a bunch of hooks by the front door, and some of them are at or lower than waist height. I still hang things up on them. Of course if my coat draped upward after I hung it on a low hook, I might say that I hung it down. I also think that quizot hit it. > [@guizot](#): > > . . . The particle _ **up** _ in phrasals often carries the connotation of _completeness_. Hence, for example, the difference between: > > _clean the room ===== **clean up** the room > eat the pizza ===== **eat up** the pizza > fill the glass ======= **fill up** the glass > fix a car ====== fix **up** a car_ . . . Then there’s the old question about how is your house burning up different from your house burning down. Up has some odd uses. Is it showing completeness when you add things up (or say that things just don’t add up), belly up to the bar, brighten up, call someone up, cowboy up, get close up, give up (rather than give over), lawyer up, line up, open up, shut up, speak up, stock up, think up, warm up or write up? The dictionary says it’s added for intensity or emphasis. But I think that we’ve just got an up habit. So, what have you been up to lately? ---
**Author:** ![Shinna\_Minna\_Ma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f08c70/32.png) [@Shinna\_Minna\_Ma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shinna_Minna_Ma)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2011, 8:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-hang-up-for-terminating-a-call-and-not-hand-down/600025/26 "2011-10-19T08:24:49Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > Hello, Sarah? Is this 418-9749? ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2011, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-hang-up-for-terminating-a-call-and-not-hand-down/600025/27 "2011-10-19T13:43:53Z")
> [@Yllaria](#): > > Then there’s the old question about how is your house burning up different from your house burning down. When the dentist begins putting you half-asleep with nitrous oxide, that’s called “taking you down”. When he’s done with your root canal, and discontinues the nitrous oxide so you’ll get fully awake again, that’s called “bringing you down”. Whatever goes down must come down! 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Darth\_Panda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ee7513/32.png) [@Darth\_Panda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Panda)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2011, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-hang-up-for-terminating-a-call-and-not-hand-down/600025/28 "2011-10-19T13:58:07Z")
> [@redtail23](#): > > And now the “flash” button on my old phone makes sense, as well. [Do they still have “flash” buttons or do they call them something else now?] You’re saying that the removing of one’s pants is not the intended function of this button? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-hang-up-for-terminating-a-call-and-not-hand-down/600025.md?page=1)