ENGLISH
REFERENCE

pass the hat

idiom
Meaning

To ask for money, especially from a group of people; to solicit donations or contributions.


Origin

disputed origin

From the practice of placing money in a hat circulated to collect funds from a small group. The figurative usage is extended from the literal usage.

Examples
SIMPLE

We will pass the hat to buy a gift for our teacher.

CONTEXTUAL

The team decided to pass the hat around the office to help their colleague pay for his unexpected medical bills.

COMPLEX

After the sudden tragedy, the community members began to pass the hat among themselves to ensure the family had enough money for the funeral expenses.

Anchors to
Related idioms8entries
  1. 01

    all hat and no cattle

    Full of big talk but lacking action, power, or substance; pretentious.

  2. 02

    all hat and no cowboy

    Full of big talk but lacking action, power, or substance; pretentious.

  3. 03

    black hat

    A villain in a story, especially in a Western (a film or other work of the Western genre).

  4. 04

    brick in one's hat

    Drunkenness.

  5. 05

    come to pass

    To happen; to occur.

  6. 06

    does the Pope wear a funny hat

    Obviously! Rhetorical question in response to a question where the answer is an emphatic yes.

  7. 07

    eat one's hat

    Used in a result clause to express disbelief in a proposition expressed in a conditional clause.

  8. 08

    gray hat

    A morally ambiguous character; an antihero.

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