Etymology Journal ยท K
Keep it under your hat
Meaning
- A command to keep a piece of information secret. It suggests that the information should stay inside your head and not be shared with others.
Confidential, conspiratorial
Used in a sentence
- I am planning to propose next month but keep it under your hat.
- We have a big announcement coming on Monday but keep it under your hat.
- She told me she is quitting, but asked me to keep it under my hat.
The backstory
This is a mid-19th-century phrase that likely refers to the idea of storing secrets in one's head, physically covered by a hat to keep them contained.
Heard in
Nationwide
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