s_s_sridhar  +  160013 Fri, 18 Nov 05 01:34 PM Hi, What is the meaning of the phrase ‘eat my hat’? , example, “If that is not going well, I will eat my hat”. If somebody can explain with origin of this then that would be interesting. Thanks, SS s_s_sridhar Joined on Mon, Aug 23 2004 New Member 50

	goldmund  +  160021 Fri, 18 Nov 05 01:58 PM Dear SS, The speaker does not doubt that it will go well. He is prepared therefore to «eat his hat» if it does not go well. The absurdity of the offer accords therefore with the absurdity of the possibility. It is unusual to eat one's hat, I think. I have seen it in cartoons. Kind regards, Goldmund goldmund Joined on Fri, Jun 10 2005 Regular Member 581 «Tout homme peut dire véritablement; mais dire ordonnément, prudemment et suffisamment, peu d'hommes le peuvent.» - Michel de Montaigne Regards

	Jussive  +  160029 Fri, 18 Nov 05 02:16 PM I read that 'hatte' was some type of food. Maybe you could explore that further if you're interested in the origins. Jussive Joined on Sun, Sep 25 2005 Full Member 144

	Vorpar  +  160050 Fri, 18 Nov 05 03:13 PM Sounds more like it originated in the '40s, when the majority of American men wore hats. Maybe the act of eating something that they couldn't part with adds to the oddness of the situation. Vorpar Joined on Tue, Sep 20 2005 Santa Barbara, CA Regular Member 940

	CalifJim  +  160112 Fri, 18 Nov 05 07:27 PM Google: "eat my hat" origin idiom CJ CalifJim Joined on Mon, Aug 2 2004 California Veteran Member 22,463 "There are no facts, only interpretations" - Nietzsche

	paco2004  +  160277 Sat, 19 Nov 05 08:22 AM  CalifJim wrote: Google: "eat my hat" origin idiom Actually Google wouldn't give good answers. This was used in literature first by Charles Dickens in "Pickw.ick Papers" (1837) : "If I knew as little of life as that, I'd eat my hat and swallow the buckle whole". The OED suggests the original form was "I'll eat an old Rowley's hat" but gives no further information. paco paco2004 Joined on Wed, Nov 17 2004 Senior Member 4,095 In Japan today even dogs are learning how to bow-wow in English. Literature, Idioms

	MrPedantic  +  160327 Sat, 19 Nov 05 12:58 PM "Old Rowley" was a nickname of Charles II. It derived from the name of his favourite racehorse, according to Brewer (Dict. Phrase & Fable). MrP MrPedantic Joined on Tue, Oct 12 2004 Veteran Member 12,592 ...opella forensis / adducit febris...