When you’re hanging out with your friends, chances are you’re not debating the origins of the phrase “hang out.” Then again, if you’ve made your way to this language-focused article, maybe you are.
We initially assumed "hangout" was a fairly modern phrase, maybe something that came about in the 1950s. But it's actually much older. According to Green’s Dictionary of Slang, there's evidence of “hang out” going back to 1811. Back then, it had a different meaning.
In the early 1800s, the verb “to hang out” meant to live somewhere or establish a residence. By the 1830s, however, the phrase had shifted to mean spending time idly or at leisure. You might talk about the people you hang out with, or ask someone where they like to hang out.
By the 1850s, “hangout” had become a noun and could refer to a residence or lodging. Around the same time, American university slang used “hangout” to describe a feast or gathering, something we’d probably just call a party today. By the 1860s, a "hangout" could also describe a place where a group tended to meet.
There's also the shortened form of the verb, "hang." By the 1920s, this verb could be used to talk about passing time idly, as in "Let's hang after work."
"Hang out" is a great example of how language shifts over time. It started as a term for establishing a residence and gradually transformed into a way to talk about spending time together. For more on "hang out" and slang in general, listen to the audio above.
