ðˌoʊ ɪɾ ɪz pˈɑːpjʊlɚli səpˈoʊzd ðætðə wˈʊd wʌz jˈuːzd fɔːɹ hˈæŋɪŋ ðoʊz hˌuː wɜː kˈɔːt, ɐ mˈoːɹ lˈaɪkli ɛksplɐnˈeɪʃən fɚðə nˈeɪm ɪz ðə wˈʊdz loʊkˈeɪʃən ˌɔn stˈiːp slˈoʊps sˌoʊ ðætðə tɹˈiːz ɐpˈɪɹ tə hˈæŋ fɹʌmðə slˈoʊp.
Though it is popularly supposed that the wood was used for hanging those who were caught, a more likely explanation for the name is the wood's location on steep slopes so that the trees appear to hang from the slope.