English

Alternative forms

• give someone his hat

Verb

hand someone his hat

1. (chiefly US, idiomatic) To require someone to depart; to dismiss someone.
   • 1948 Nov. 27, Drew Pearson, "The Washington Merry-go-round," Ludington Daily News (US), p. 4 (retrieved 10 Nov 2015):

     McNeil replied, "It may have been Hitler who helped Chamberlain with his overcoat but don't forget it was the British people who handed him his hat."

   • 1972 July 25, Bob Considine, "Letter to Kremlin," Reading Eagle (US), p. 4 (retrieved 10 Nov 2015):

     You grew up under dictators who would have put people to the sword if they dared hand them their hats and invite them to buzz off.

   • 1984 Feb. 6, Mary McGrory, "Feldstein doggedly speaks his mind," Eugene Register-Guard (US), p. 15A (retrieved 10 Nov 2015):

     The President's men, nonetheless, view him the way the Vatican saw Galileo—as a dangerous heretic. . . . They would hand him his hat if they dared.

Usage notes

• Sometimes used in the alternative passive voice forms: have one's hat handed to one or get one's hat handed to one.

Synonyms

• expel, kick out, send someone packing, throw out