Get the Hang Of

[Whickerman]

Where does this phrase come from?

[Grunty]

I don't know whether this is correct, so I don't claim it to be so.

At public executions, the felon could die quickly, or could be left to writhe in pain after the drop, to the amusement of the crowd. Some would have the crowd's sympathy and others could be extremely unpopular. I read somewhere that an experienced executioner could judge the mood of the crowd and then use his skill to produce the required result.

[Quizmonster]

The earliest recorded use of the phrase is from the mid 19th century, so it more or less post-dates public executions. It started life as a piece of colloquial American English and most early references are to the handling of tools...ie such things as "get the hang of the hammer", meaning feel its weight and heft, where best to hold it etc.