straphang

straphang

English

Etymology

strap +‎ hang

Verb

straphang (third-person singular simple present straphangs, present participle straphanging, simple past and past participle straphung)

1. (intransitive) To ride public transport while standing and holding onto a strap.
   • 1932, Great Britain, Parliamentary debates: Official report: Volume 269

     Instead of having people coming from the outskirts, straphanging in omnibuses and trains, working in the centre under congested conditions in badly lit, insanitary buildings […]

   • 1957, Brian Moore, The Feast of Lupercal

     Unheeding the conductor's warning glare, Mr. Devine straphung, smiling, his lips forming soundless phrases as though he enjoyed a delightful, inaudible conversation.

   • 1989, Thomas Boyle, Only the dead know Brooklyn

     He straphung for five stops, pressed on three sides by a young Rastafarian wearing a green-suede pillbox hat, an elderly, tiny Chinese couple, and a coffee-coloured nurse who was literally asleep on her feet.

Related terms

• straphanger