I'd Rather Be Well Hung Than Well Hanged, Especially Around Heroin

Because I've seen these two misusages more frequently than others, I'm posting this PSA.

Heroine: female protagonist:
"The heroine, Betty Hardcore, kicked Random Bob in the neck."
Heroin: a street drug:
"Dude, I shot heroin last night. That was pretty messed up."

If you shoot heroine, your book is pretty much over.

Hung: past tense of hang, as in "hang a picture." Does not apply when hanging a person:

"Bob hung the painting."

Hanged: past tense of hang in the specific use of hang to denote hanging a living being by the neck with a rope or similar material to kill them:

"Epstein was not hanged by himself."

Note also that the following, though both can be correct, have vastly different meanings and are usually mutually exclusive in use (though not always in fact):

"Bob was hanged."

"Bob was hung."




Thus demonstrating why we must differentiate the terms.


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