Q&A Questions and Answers:
Cowboy Bob,
I love all the information I found on your website. It is loaded full of great cowboy facts.
But I was looking for information on the quote "toss in the hat." Where did it come from? I assume it means to quit, but cowboys aren’t know quitters and have a high respect for their hats, so I was thinking it might mean something else altogether. Maybe a rodeo term?
ANSWER:
To "toss in the hat" isn't a rodeo term. Rather, it is usually a political figure of speech, and has its roots in the world of boxing. In the early days of boxing, when someone wanted to challenge a boxer, he would toss his hat into the ring. Obviously, the only way to retrieve that hat would be to crawl int the ring -- and thus face the pugilist who was there.
John L. Sullivan (1858 – 1918), the first heavyweight champion of gloved boxing, made the hat toss an art form. After defeating his opponent, Sullivan would take his hat and toss it into the ring as a challenge to anyone in the audience who wanted to face him. If an audience member stayed on his feet till the end of the bout, Sullivan would reward him with a prize.
By the end of the 19th century, candidates who filed for political office were said to have "tossed their hat in the ring." In other words, the candidate had issued a challenge to other candidates. Thus, as a legislative candidate, every time I ran for political office, I "tossed my hat in the ring."
Far from indicating defeat, the term is an offer to take on all comers.
Return to Questions and Answers Index
Return to the "Learning More About Horses..." page
COPYRIGHT © 2010 BOB LEMEN, GRAND RAPIDS,
MINNESOTA. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
The contents of this document are not for reproduction.