high_hat

[greenhand]

if i want to flatter someone, could i say

I give a high hat to someone...

If yes, is it a common saying?

tks advanced..

 

[Tdol]

It's not that common nowadays and means 'snobbish', so it would not flatter them at all but criticise their bahaviour, suggesting superiority. ;-)

 

[Susie Smith]

It's not that common nowadays and means 'snobbish', so it would not flatter them at all but criticise their bahaviour, suggesting superiority. ;-)

You can take your hat off to somebody as a sign of respect, admiration, or congratulations.

:wink:

 

[Tdol]

Or 'doff your cap'.;-)

 

[MikeNewYork]

Or 'doff your cap'.;-)

The French say "Chapeau!", don't they? :roll:

 

[Tombraiders]

high-hat in English has a different meaning:

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition. 2000.

high-hat

TRANSITIVE VERB: Inflected forms: high-·hat·ted, high-·hat·ting, high-·hats
Informal To treat in a condescending or supercilious manner.
ADJECTIVE: Snobbish; haughty.


greenhand's version of high-hat is a direct translation from Chinese. When you overly flatter someone else, especially your superiors, you put a high-hat on their head, making them look taller than they are.

 

[Tdol]

Thanks for the Chinese tip. Ours comes from the top hats, etc, worn by the wealthy.;-)

 

[greenhand]

tksall

well, it actuall comes from a joke as following. Just wandering if it's a native people's writing though i understand it quite well
======
One day a graduate student went to see his teacher. He had just got an important job and now was coming to say good-bye to him. The teacher asked him how he would behave among the high officials。The graduate said, " I will be all right. I have prepared a hundred' high hats', one for each official I meet. I am sure I will succeed. " The teacher became angry at the words. "What!" he cried. " Is this what I have been teaching you for the past ten years? Nothing but a mean flatterer!"" Forgive me, honored master!" the student rose to his feet and apologized hurriedly. "But you have always been interested in your studies only and do not know vulgar the world has come to be. There are few men in the world who are behaving honestly like you." "There is something in what you said," the teacher sighed , nodding his head. So they parted on the best of terms, with the graduate's total number of "high hats" being one less.

 

[Tdol]

I doff my cap to the student. ;-)

 

[Tombraiders]

Even the story is told in English. It's not hard to tell the author's native tongue is not English. Some of the terms are translated directly from Chinese.