| 1. | a protective helmet of metal or plastic, esp. as worn by construction or factory workers. |
| 2. | a uniformed soldier of a regular army, as opposed to a guerrilla. |
[hahrd-hat] 
| 1. | a construction worker, esp. a member of a construction workers' union. |
| 2. | a working-class conservative. |
| 3. | pertaining to or characteristic of hard-hats: enlisting hard-hat support for his policies. |
hard hat
A working-class ultraconservative. For example, They were counting on a large number of votes from the hard hats. This term alludes to the rigid protective headgear worn by construction workers, who were noted for their conservatism during the tumultuous 1960s. [c. 1960]