Meaning & use
hanging your own shingle
Last updated
Meaning
phraseidiominformalAmerican
Starting to work independently, especially as a professional such as a doctor, lawyer, or consultant, rather than being employed by someone else.
Grammar: Used as a verb phrase; the possessive changes with the subject: 'he hung his own shingle', 'they hung their own shingles'.
Patterns
- hang your own shingle
- hang out your own shingle
- hang your shingle as a something
After ten years at a big law firm, she decided to hang her own shingle and open a small practice downtown.
He hung out his own shingle as a financial adviser last spring.
Hanging your own shingle means you have to find your own clients and handle all the paperwork yourself.
Common combinations
- hang your own shingle
- She finally hung her own shingle after passing the bar exam.
- hang out your own shingle
- He hung out his own shingle as a therapist.
- decide to hang your own shingle
- They decided to hang their own shingle rather than join a large company.
- hang your shingle as a lawyer/doctor/consultant
- She hung her shingle as a consultant after leaving her corporate job.
Synonyms and how they differ
- go into practice for yourself
- This is a more formal, neutral way to say the same thing, often used in professional contexts.
- set up on your own
- This is a common British alternative that focuses on becoming independent, not specifically on the sign outside an office.
- start your own business
- This is broader and can apply to any kind of business, not just professional services.
Opposites
Word family
- shingle noun
- A small signboard, especially one hung outside a professional's office.
Commonly confused: hanging your own shingle or hang up your shingle?
hanging your own shingle vs hang up your shingle
This is a less common variant, but 'hang up' usually means to end a phone call or to put clothes on a hook. The idiom is 'hang out your shingle' or 'hang your shingle'.
Practice
After years of working for a large hospital, Dr. Chen decided to ______ and open a small clinic in her neighborhood.
Choose one answer.
'Hang her own shingle' is the correct idiom meaning to start working independently. 'Hang up' means to end a phone call, 'hang on' means to wait, and 'hang with' means to spend time with someone.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “hanging your own shingle”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.