Brass Hat
Preserved but no longer current.
A soldier's name for a staff officer, or an officer of high rank. It dates from the South African War (1899-1902), and refers to the gold oak leaves with which such officers* hats were ornamented on the brim.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “Brass Hat” mean?
A soldier's name for a staff officer, or an officer of high rank. It dates from the South African War (1899-1902), and refers to the gold oak leaves with which such officers* hats were ornamented on the brim.
Is “Brass Hat” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.