hung parliament, hanged man

[helyg]

I am becoming increasingly annoyed by the use of cartoons depicting Brown, Cameron and Clegg being hanged in order to illustrate the hung parliament.

I have seen them on the BBC and also in broadsheet newspapers over the weekend.

Do they not realise that a man killed by hanging is hanged and not hung?

Has anyone else noticed them?

Would it be better if they were hung up on butcher's hooks like a good side of beef?

Much, much better!

I've noticed this creeping into tv dramas - 'he hung himself'. Me, shouting at the telly, 'No he didn't, he hanged himself!'. I can always remember my mother repeating 'People are hanged, meat is hung'.

I suspect however it's a losing battle...

Thank you for this! It irritates me, too (not the cartoons, but the incorrect usage).