Hang ten

Posted by ESC on January 05, 2006

In Reply to: I was better at taking five than hanging ten posted by RRC on January 05, 2006

: : : Hi , can anybody tell me the meaning of this phrase? "i was better at taking five than hanging ten" .

: : : Send it to my email, metroguide82@hotmail.com. Thanks

: : We normally post answers here for everyone to see and learn from, rather than email them to individuals. I hope you'll understand.

: "taking five" is a rest break (maybe even a nap), "hanging ten" is a surfing term referring to surfing with all ten toes at or off the front of the board, so the phrase says "I was better at resting than surfing."

"hang ten (verb American) - to ride a surfboard (at near-optimum speed or full stretch) with the toes of both feet hooked over the front. From the jargon of American surfers since the early 1960s. The phrase is sometimes used figuratively to mean something like 'go full-tilt on a risky course.'" "The Dictionary of Contemporary Slang" by Tony Thorne. Pantheon Books.