Learn English – Is “leave out to dry” an accepted variation of “hang out to dry”

Collins Cobuild English dictionary:

hang up

means the same as hang: "I found his jacket, which was hanging up in the hallway".

if you hang up or hang up the phone, you end a phone call. If you hang up on someone you are speaking to on the phone, you end the phone call suddenly and unexpected.

You can use hang up to indicate that someone stops doing a particular sport or activity that they have regularly done over a long period. For example, when a footballer hangs up his boots, he stops playing football.

hang-up

If you have a hang-up about something, you have a feeling of fear, anxiety, or embarrassment about it.

hang on

If you ask someone to hang on, you ask them to wait or stop what they are doing or saying for a moment. "Can you hang on for a minute?"

If you hang on, you manage to survive, achieve success, or avoid failure in spite of great difficulties or opposition. "Manchester United hung on to take the cup."

If you hang on to or hang onto something that gives you an advantage, you succeed in keeping it for yourself, and prevent it from being taken away or given to someone else. "The British driver was unable to hang on to his lead. ... The company has been struggling to hang onto its sales force."

If you hang on to or hang onto something, you hold it very tightly, for example to stop it falling or to support yourself. "She was conscious of a second man hanging on to the rail. ... a flight stewardess who helped save the life of a pilot by hanging onto his legs. ... He hangs on thightly, his arms around my neck."

If you hang on to or hang onto something, you keep it for a longer time than you would normally expect. "You could, alternatively, hang onto it in the hope that it will be worth millions in 10 years time. ... In the present climate, owners are hanging on to old ships."

If one thing hangs on another, it depends on it in order to become successful. "Much hangs on the success of the collaboration between the Groups of Seven governments and Brazil."

hang out

If you hang out clothes that you have washed, you hang them on a clothes line to dry.

If you hang out in a particular place or area, you go and stay there for no particular reason, or spend a lot of time there. (mainly American) "I often used to hang out in supermarkets. ... We can just hang out and have a good time."

All of these, like most idioms, are for informal use.

To "keep something on" and to "leave something on" mean virtually the same thing. Either can refer to an article of clothing that one intends to (or is admonished to) persist in wearing, or to some kind of powered machine (a car, a refrigerator, an electric light, etc.) that one intends to or is requested to permit to remain in the running state.

Both of those can also take "off" instead of "on" as a complement to turn the meaning around into a negative.

Please keep [or leave] the light off. I'm trying to sleep.

To "hang on to" something is a bit different. It can mean one intends to or is requested to not get rid of something.

Hang on to your hopes.

Hang on to that receipt. You'll need that if the IRS audits you.

"Hang on" can also be a request for someone to wait.

Hang on! I'll be there in a minute.

Note that using "off" changes the meaning into something that is not the opposite. It means to literally suspend something or someone from something else.

I wouldn't want to hang off the side of a building until we see world peace.

"Leave off" also can refer to a point where someone stopped doing something:

Where did I leave off in the story I was reading to the kids?

And "keep off" can be a warning against trespassing:

Keep off the grass!