hempen cravat

English

Noun

hempen cravat (plural hempen cravats)

  1. (archaic, euphemistic) The hangman's noose.
    Synonyms: hempen collar; see also Thesaurus:hangman's noose
    • 1861, E. J. Guerin, Mountain Charley, page 22:
      I am no prophet, yet am not unwilling to say that if he has not yet graced a hempen cravat, he either will at some future time, or his deserts will not be meted out to him.

References

  • John Camden Hotten (1873) The Slang Dictionary
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