to eat one's hat
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
Indicative of strong emphasis. "I'd eat my hat first," "I'd be hanged first.
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 “to eat one's hat” mean?
Indicative of strong emphasis. "I'd eat my hat first," "I'd be hanged first.
Is “to eat one's hat” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.