At the drop of a hat

[Dieter Britz]

How did this originate? Was it some historical
event, or something people did at one time to
signal something or other?

--
Dieter Britz

[Einde O'Callaghan]

On 17.05.2013 09:53, Dieter Britz wrote:
> How did this originate? Was it some historical
> event, or something people did at one time to
> signal something or other?
>

DROP OF A HAT - "Acting readily or on some single signal. In the 19th
century it was occasionally the practice in the United States to signal
the start of a fight or a race by dropping a hat or sweeping it downward
while holding it in the hand. The quick response to the signal found its
way into the language for any action that begins quickly without much
need for prompting." "Dictionary of Cliches" by James Rogers (Wings
Books, Originally New York: Facts on File Publications, 1985)

Regards, Einde O'Callaghan

[Whiskers]

Interesting. The online OED goes no further than saying the phrase is 'US
colloquial' in origin.

I wonder if this use of hats is related in some way to formal signals such
as the Greenwich Time Ball?
<http://www.rmg.co.uk/explore/astronomy-and-time/time-facts/the-greenwich-time-ball>
or <http://preview.tinyurl.com/c8rceou> (link to Royal Museums Greenwich
web site).

--
-- ^^^^^^^^^^
-- Whiskers
-- ~~~~~~~~~~

[Dev]

In article <slrnkpeufa.2...@ID-107770.user.individual.net>,

More likely related to the dropping of a flag (e.g. motor racing), or of
some silken cloth (e.g. jousting in ye olde dayes), or of a leafy bough
(e.g. hominid fights in even older times ;-).

Why go searching for a flag when everyone has a useful substitute to hand
(in the days when everyone wore wide-brimmed hats)?

--
Dev

Om Namah Shivaya | Om Sasi-shekha-raya namaha