# Hoover flag

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/hoover-flag
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

An empty (penniless) pocket, turned inside out, showing that someone has no money (especially during the Great Depression.)

## Examples

- He showed his empty pockets like a Hoover flag.
- After losing his job, he turned his pockets out to show a Hoover flag to his friends.
- The man stood on the street corner, turning his pockets inside out to display a Hoover flag as a silent testament to his poverty.

## Origin

From Hoover (“Herbert Hoover, US president at the start of the Great Depression”) + flag.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.