Browse phrases beginning with: [A][B][C][D][E][F][G][H][I][J][K][L][M][N][O][P][Q][R][S][T][U,V][W][X,Y,Z] Talk through one's hatMeaning Talk nonsense; especially on a subject that one professes to be knowledgeable about but in fact is ignorant of. Origin This began life in the USA, in the late 19th century, with a slightly different meaning from the present one. It then meant to bluster. Farmer and Henley Slang and Its Analogues, 1888:
It would be nice to be able to report that this graphic phrase alludes to some event where someone used a hat to disguise their speech, or similar. The only practice that comes close to fitting the bill is that of 'topping', in the UK parliament. To be allowed to make a 'a point of order', which is an interruption to a previous speech in order to query something that had been raised, MPs had to be 'seated and covered'. That is, seated and wearing a hat. Topping was the name given to 'talking out' a bill, otherwise known as filibustering, by continuing to speak until debating time ran out. Having made a point of order and while wearing a top hat, an MP couldn't be interrupted and could continue talking for as long as he/she wished. Naturally, as these speeches often lasted hours, they were frequently filled with rambling nonsense. Unfortunately, although the link is plausible, I can't find any documentary evidence that links this practice with talking through one's hat. It also seems unlikely that the arcane practices of top-hatted Victorian gentlemen in the UK parliament would have crossed the Atlantic. Much more likely that the phrase originated in the USA and the meaning changed slightly over time. |