Meaning
Instantly and without hesitation, at the slightest signal or provocation. Usually describes a readiness or eagerness to act - travel, argue, resign, cry, volunteer - that others would need persuading to match. Informal; suggests eagerness or hair-trigger readiness, sometimes rashness. Regional use: General English; American in origin.
Origin
The phrase is nineteenth-century American. The earliest known appearance, documented by World Wide Words, is in the Register of Debates in Congress of 12 October 1837, where it is already idiomatic ('in the twinkling of an eye - at the drop of a hat - at the crook of a finger'); an 1850 novel and an 1852 Milwaukee newspaper use it too, the latter describing men ready to fight at the drop of a hat, and an 1851 London report shows a footrace started by the drop of a hat. Two rival explanations are offered: that a dropped hat signalled the start of a fight, as Brewer's claims for the American frontier, or that races and contests began at the downward sweep of a hat. Michael Quinion judges the fighting story guesswork, since several early examples have nothing to do with fighting, and notes the racing theory also lacks direct proof. Because the 1837 example is already figurative, any literal practice behind the phrase predates surviving records.
Research Sources
References used to check this entry’s meaning, history, or documented forms.
Variants
- at a drop of a hat
- at the drop of the hat
- drop of a hat
Usage Examples
- She would pack a bag and fly anywhere at the drop of a hat.
- The two old rivals start arguing at the drop of a hat, usually about football.
- At the drop of a hat he volunteered to move offices, which surprised nobody who knew him.