[hat] 
noun, verb, hat⋅ted, hat⋅ting.| 1. | a shaped covering for the head, usually with a crown and brim, esp. for wear outdoors. |
| 2. | Roman Catholic Church.
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| 3. | to provide with a hat; put a hat on. |
| 4. | hat in hand, humbly; respectfully: He approached the boss, hat in hand. |
| 5. | pass the hat, to ask for contributions of money, as for charity; take up a collection: The lodge members passed the hat to send underprivileged children to summer camp. |
| 6. | take off one's hat to, to express high regard for; praise: We took off our hats to their courage and daring. |
| 7. | talk through one's hat, to speak without knowing the facts; make unsupported or incorrect statements: He is talking through his hat when he says he'll make the team. |
| 8. | throw or toss one's hat in or into the ring, to become a participant in a contest, esp. to declare one's candidacy for political office: His friends are urging him to throw his hat in the ring. |
| 9. | under one's hat, confidential; private; secret: I'll tell you the real story, but keep it under your hat. |
| 10. | wear two or several hats, to function in more than one capacity; fill two or more positions: He wears two hats, serving as the company's comptroller as well as its chief executive officer. |
talk through (one's) hat
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talk through one's hat
Talk nonsense; also, hold forth about something one knows very little about. For example, He was talking through his hat when he described the shipwreck, or Mother went on and on about various screwdrivers but in fact she was talking through her hat. The allusion in this idiom makes no sense either, which may be the point. [Late 1800s]
