What it means
Used to give someone proper credit, basically saying you respect what they’ve done. It comes from the old habit of literally removing your hat as a sign of respect. You’ll say it for graft, bravery, or a job well done, and it can be sincere or a bit tongue in cheek when someone’s pulled off something unlikely.
Usage examples
"She sorted the whole fundraiser solo, bookings, raffle, the lot. Hats off to her, I’d have bottled it after the first phone call."
"Hats off to the volunteers at the food bank in Sheffield, three full lorry loads sorted by twelve people in six hours, and they still managed to share a sandwich and a hot tea with the dozen families who came through the door before closing."
"Hats off to my brother for getting through his first year of teaching at the secondary school in Manchester, twenty-eight teenagers in the class, a curriculum nobody had touched in years, and only one nervous breakdown for the staff room in May."
"Hats off to Nan, honestly. Eighty-two and still runs that market stall better than half the lads with card machines and a caffeine problem."
"He rebuilt that bike from scraps he found in his uncle's shed. Hats off to him, that's wizard-level stubbornness."
Where it comes from
This one comes from the old custom of actually taking your hat off to someone as a sign of respect. That was common across Britain and other English-speaking places for ages. The hats mostly vanished from everyday life, but the phrase stayed behind and kept its little respectful sparkle.
Editors of this term
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- An example
- Your patch
- Your voice