pass the hat
To ask for money, especially from a group of people; to solicit donations or contributions.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“We will pass the hat to buy a gift for our teacher.”
“They pass the hat at the end of every street performance.”
“We pass the hat to help a friend who lost his job.”
“The team decided to pass the hat around the office to help their colleague pay for his unexpected medical bills.”
“When the local park was damaged by the storm, the neighbors decided to pass the hat to pay for new trees.”
“The club members pass the hat during the monthly meeting to cover the cost of snacks and drinks.”
“Instead of charging a fixed ticket price, the band prefers to pass the hat after they finish playing their set.”
“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.”
Derived from the literal practice of circulating a hat among a gathered group to collect monetary contributions. The figurative application, denoting a request for funds, is an extension of this physical gesture.
- 01
all hat and no cattle
Full of big talk but lacking action, power, or substance; pretentious.
- 02
all hat and no cowboy
Full of big talk but lacking action, power, or substance; pretentious.
- 03
black hat
A villain in a story, especially in a Western (a film or other work of the Western genre).
- 04
brick in one's hat
Drunkenness.
- 05
buy straw hats in winter
Of stocks, to buy when both demand and price are low, so as to sell when demand and price are high.
- 06
come to pass
To happen; to occur.
- 07
does the Pope wear a funny hat
Obviously! Rhetorical question in response to a question where the answer is an emphatic yes.
- 08
eat one's hat
Used in a result clause to express disbelief in a proposition expressed in a conditional clause.
Last updated August 10, 2026