eat one's hat

verb

Used to express absolute certainty that something will not happen or is untrue.

“He said he would eat his hat if more than ten people came. He'd better fetch a knife and fork!”

Ask AI about this wordChatGPTClaudePerplexityGoogle AIGrok

Meanings

verbeat one's hat (third-person singular simple present eats one's hat, present participle eating one's hat, simple past ate one's hat, past participle eaten one's hat)

present singular third person eats one's hat · participle present eating one's hat · past ate one's hat · participle past eaten one's hat

  1. idiomaticUsed to express absolute certainty that something will not happen or is untrue.

    He said he would eat his hat if more than ten people came. He'd better fetch a knife and fork!

Translations

Chinese Cantonese 批個頭落嚟畀你當凳坐 /批个头落嚟畀你当凳坐
  • 批個頭落嚟畀你當凳坐 /批个头落嚟畀你当凳坐to express disbelief about a proposition
Chinese Mandarin 名字倒過來寫 /名字倒过来写
  • 名字倒過來寫 /名字倒过来写to express disbelief about a proposition
Dutch zijn hoed opeten
  • zijn hoed opetento express disbelief about a proposition
Estonian oma mütsi ära sööma
  • oma mütsi ära söömato express disbelief about a proposition
Finnish syödä hattunsa
  • syödä hattunsato express disbelief about a proposition
French manger son chapeau
  • manger son chapeauto express disbelief about a proposition
German ich freß einen Besen, wenn, ich will Emil heißen, wenn
  • ich freß einen Besen, wennto express disbelief about a proposition
  • ich will Emil heißen, wennto express disbelief about a proposition
Italian mangiarsi il cappello
  • mangiarsi il cappelloto express disbelief about a proposition
Japanese 首をやる
  • 首をやる (kubi o yaru)to express disbelief about a proposition
Polish kaktus na dłoni wyrośnie
  • kaktus na dłoni wyrośnieto express disbelief about a proposition
Portuguese comer o chapéu, querer ser mico de circo
  • comer o chapéuto express disbelief about a proposition
  • querer ser mico de circoto express disbelief about a proposition
  • dar a mão à palmatóriato express disbelief about a proposition
Russian дава́ть голову́ на отсече́ние
  • дава́ть голову́ на отсече́ние (davátʹ golovú na otsečénije)to express disbelief about a proposition
Spanish que me maten si
  • que me maten sito express disbelief about a proposition
Cite this entry
APA

eat one's hat. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/eat%20one's%20hat

MLA

“eat one's hat.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/eat%20one's%20hat. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “eat one's hat,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/eat%20one's%20hat.

Source: eat one's hat on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.