Although the image of "hanging" suggests something terrible, "to leave someone hanging" is not at all a scary expression. You can use it freely. It simply means to leave someone in an unpleasant position they did not want or expect. It can be used in countless situations. Suppose you are talking with a friend who asks to be excused for a moment because she has to go to the bathroom. She says she will be right back but never returns. She has left you hanging. I had a friend once who, when talking on the phone, would interrupt the conversation because she had to talk to someone on another line. She would just leave you hanging there. Eventually she would return, but I considered it rude, and told her so. It was a habit for her, leaving people hanging. She kept doing it.

“You left me hanging” means that someone didn’t follow through on something, leaving you in uncertainty or without support. Other ways to say it: • “You left me in the dark.” (Lack of information) • “You abandoned me.” (More emotional/dramatic) • “You didn’t get back to me.” (More neutral) • “You left me waiting.” (If expecting a response or action) • “You didn’t follow through.” (If referring to an unfinished task)

Sure! It's a fun expression to use. Have you ever watched the last episode of a TV series where they've left you with a problem but no solution? You could use the expression in this way, "The last episode left me hanging. I can't wait to see if she survived the fall next season." It's a way to express that someone didn't give you a complete answer or full solution. Another example: My dad was telling me about his fishing trip. Right when he started to tell me the size of the fish, we were disconnected. That left me hanging." When were you left hanging?