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]

Related Words

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