white hat
black hat = white hat
used in reference to the bad {or good) party in a situation
This idiom refers to the colour of the hats traditionally worn by the bad (or good) characters in cowboy films.
RELATED IDIOMS :
be all hat and no cattle
tend to talk boastfully without acting on your words - US informal
keep something under your hat keep
something a secret
pass the hat round
collect contributions of money from a number of people for a specific purpose
pick something out of a hat select
something, especially the winner of a contest, at random
pull one out of the hat
bring off an unexpected trick in an apparently desperate situation
The image here is of a rabbit pulled out of a magician's hat.
1971 - James McClure - The Steam Pig - I must say you've really pulled one out of the hat this time.
take your hat off to
state your admiration for someone who has achieved something – British
throw your hat into the ring
indicate willingness to take up a challenge or enter a contest
1998 - Times - We have been anticipating that South Africa would throw its hat into the ring for some time and have a high regard for the candidacy.
white hat :
Idioms Index – Previous Page
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