old hat

English

WOTD – 3 July 2025

Pronunciation

Etymology 1

From old +‎ hat, possibly a reference to something familiar and well-used. The Oxford English Dictionary suggests a connection to German alter Hut (“something familiar and hackneyed”, noun, literally “old hat”).[1]

Noun

old hat (uncountable)

  1. (idiomatic) Something regarded as very familiar and unoriginal, hackneyed, or out of date. [from early 20th c.]
    Hyponyms: old news, yesterday's news
Translations

Adjective

old hat (comparative more old hat, superlative most old hat)

  1. (idiomatic) Very familiar and unoriginal; common, hackneyed, out of date. [from mid 20th c.]
    Synonyms: banal, commonplace, cliché, démodé, passé, unchic; see also Thesaurus:unfashionable
    • 1946 November 11, “The Theater: New Plays in Manhattan, Nov. 11, 1946 [review of Nöel Coward’s Present Laughter (written 1939)]”, in Time‎[1], New York, N.Y.: Time Inc., →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 21 July 2013:
      [Noël] Coward is such an old hand at this kind of thing that he makes it seem old hat.
    • 1964 July, “The Mythology of Monorails”, in Trains Illustrated, London: Ian Allan Publishing, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 1:
      In fact, monorails are rather old hat.
    • 1987 May 8, Elaine Sciolino, “Washington talk: The [Gary] Hart story grips the capital; foreigners amused and baffled”, in The New York Times (B section)‎[2], New York, N.Y.: The New York Times Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 9 October 2022, page 8:
      [I]t is old hat for a sex scandal to bring down a politician.
    • 2007 May 4, Fredrick Kunkle, Paul Duggan, “Straining for a glimpse of royalty: Queen launches visit in Richmond by offering sympathy over Va. Tech tragedy”, in The Washington Post‎[3], Washington, D.C.: The Washington Post Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 19 February 2025:
      As for the greeting she [Elizabeth II] and her husband, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, received when they arrived outside the Capitol about 3:30 p.m. – well, based on the size of the crowd, perhaps the queen is old hat.
    • 2021 September 6, Zack Handlen, “Rick and Morty Ends Its Fifth Season Looking for an Escape Hatch”, in The A.V. Club‎[4], archived from the original on 2 December 2024:
      The only real knock against "Mortshall" is that "Rick and Morty get sick of each other and split up for a while" feels kind of old hat at this point—the comic premise of the show requires their relationship to be toxic (because a lot of the humor comes from seeing Rick be a shit and seeing Morty try haplessly to deal with Rick being a shit), and they can only try and sell the illusion that anything is going to change so many times before it starts to get stale.
Alternative forms
Translations

Etymology 2

From old +‎ hat, the significance being unknown.[1]

Noun

old hat (countable and uncountable, plural old hats) (slang, archaic)

  1. (countable) The female genitalia.
    Synonyms: see Thesaurus:female genitalia
    • [1743, Henry Fielding, “The History of the Life of the Late Mr. Jonathan Wild the Great. Chapter VI. Of Hats.”, in Miscellanies, […], volume III, London: […] A[ndrew] Millar, […], →OCLC, book II, footnote *, page 140:
      I ſhall conclude this learned Note vvith remarking, that the Term Old Hat, is at preſent uſed by the Vulgar, in no very honourable Senſe.]
    • [1788, [Francis Grose], “Hat”, in A Classical Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue, 2nd edition, London: […] S[amuel] Hooper, […], →OCLC:
      Old hat; a vvoman's privities: becauſe frequently felt.
      The latter part of the definition is a joke rather than a proper etymology.]
    • 1980, Erica Jong, chapter XV, in Fanny, Being the True History of the Adventures of Fanny Hackabout-Jones […], New York, N.Y.: New American Library, →ISBN, book I, page 120:
      'Tis a Nest, a Niche, an Old Hat, an Omnibus, an Oyster, a Palace o' Pleasure.
  2. (by extension)
    1. (countable, derogatory) A woman treated as a sexual partner.
      • 1697, [Thomas] d’Urfey, The Intrigues at Versailles: Or, A Jilt in All Humours: A Comedy, […], London: […] F. Saunders […], P. Buck […], R. Parker […], and H. Newman […], →OCLC, Act IV, scene i, page 40:
        VVhy, hovv novv, ye piece of old Hat, vvhat are ye muſty? the Jade's as muſty as a ſtale pot of Marmalade of her ovvn making.
      • [1699], B. E., “Top-diver”, in A New Dictionary of the Terms Ancient and Modern of the Canting Crew, […], London: […] W. Hawes […], P. Gilbourne […], and W. Davis […], →OCLC; reprinted [London]: [Smith, Kay & Co.], 1899, →OCLC, signature M3, recto:
        Top-diver, a Lover of VVomen. An old Top-diver, one that has Lov'd Old-hat in his time.
    2. (uncountable) Sexual intercourse.
      Synonyms: see Thesaurus:copulation
      • 1723, Charles Walker, “Letter XI”, in Authentick Memoirs of the Life Intrigues and Adventures of the Celebrated Sally Salisbury. […], London: [s.n.], →OCLC, page 103:
        [S]he very pertly reply'd, She had done that not vvith a Design to affront but to convince me of the Value ſhe had for my Preſent; for that if the Pedantick Blockhead ſhould come, he ſhould only have a little bit of Old-Hat to ſtay his Stomach, till he got to ſome Harlot of his ovvn Puritanical Flock, […]
Translations

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 “old hat, n. and adj.”, in OED Online ⁠, Oxford: Oxford University Press, July 2023; “old hat, n.”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.

Further reading

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