pass the hat

Idioms and Phrases

Ask for financial contributions, as in Let's pass the hat so we can get her a nice going-away gift . This expression alludes to the actual practice of passing a hat around a gathering, but it is also used more figuratively, as in The board decided to pass the hat again among the corporate sponsors . [Late 1800s]

Example Sentences

The former president, who led a vast rollback of environmental protections and safety regulations on the oil and gas industry, invited executives to Mar-a-Lago last month to pass the hat around, per the Washington Post.

From Salon

Put the papers in a hat, pass the hat, everyone draws one.

From New York Times

“My father would load that old piano onto the back of his truck, we’d drive somewhere, unload it, I’d give a show, we’d pass the hat, he’d load it back on again, and we’d go home and see what we’d got,” he said.

From New York Times

I offer to go door-to-door for donations and pass the hat around the cafeteria.

From Literature

Please consider giving money, if you can spare it, to any of these shows that pass the hat or have a QR code for Venmo that either covers the cost of the show or directly goes to the performers.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• award
• bequeath
• contribute
• devote
• give
• give away
• grant
• hand out
• present
• provide