Hanging fire what does it mean

Word of the Day goodwill. Blog Outsets and onsets! Read More. November 08, To top. Sign up for free and get access to exclusive content:. Free word lists and quizzes from Cambridge.

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Follow us. Choose a dictionary. Clear explanations of natural written and spoken English. Think about the teenage years as a time of "hanging fire"—a dangerous time between childhood and adulthood, a long and risky pause. In fact, the phrase has entered conversational English to signify a delay in progress. Yep, it sure sounds like a perfect encapsulation to teenagehood to us.

Even though "hanging fire" is not just relegated to weaponry jargon, the phrase still retains that connection to guns. And by titling her poem with a gun metaphor, Lorde is alerting us to the danger in this poem. There's a threat underlying the speaker's teenage anxieties. Parents Home Homeschool College Resources. Study Guide. By Audre Lorde. Previous Next.