# talk through one's hat

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/talk-through-ones-hat
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

To speak lacking expertise, authority, or knowledge; to invent or fabricate facts.

## Examples

- He's talking through his hat again about politics.
- You are talking through your hat about how this engine works.
- The guest on the show was talking through his hat, claiming facts that anyone could easily disprove.
- The new manager is talking through his hat when he promises to double our sales without hiring any more staff.
- I realized the lawyer was talking through her hat because she could not explain the basic rules of the contract.
- Though he spoke with confidence, the critic was clearly talking through his hat, having never set foot in the country he described so vividly.

## Origin

Attested from the late 19th century in the United States, the phrase originally denoted the act of bluffing. The contemporary sense, indicating one who speaks without authority or knowledge, developed at a later date. A popular speculation connects the idiom to the former requirement that British Members of Parliament wear hats. The connection is regarded as implausible.

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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.