hand someone their hat

present singular third person hands someone their hat · participle present handing someone their hat · participle past handed someone their hat · past handed someone their hat · alternative give someone his hat

1. USidiomaticTo require someone to depart; to dismiss someone.

   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.

   1972 July 25, Bob Considine, “Letter to Kremlin”, in Reading Eagle, US, retrieved 10 Nov 2015, page 4

   2 more examples

   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."

   1948 November 27, Drew Pearson, “The Washington Merry-go-round”, in Ludington Daily News, US, retrieved 10 Nov 2015, page 4

   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.

   1984 February 6, Mary McGrory, “Feldstein doggedly speaks his mind”, in Eugene Register-Guard, US, retrieved 10 Nov 2015, page 15A

   Synonyms: expel, kick out, send someone packing, throw out