put one's name in the hat en · VERB
Pronunciation
- (Australia) audio
Etymology
From the informal practice of putting ballots into a hat, and then drawing a single ballot from the hat at random to decide the winner. When one put one's own name on a ballot in the hat, one would therefore be eligible to win.
Meanings
-
(idiomatic) To run in an election or to nominate oneself for consideration in some other selection process; to nominate someone other than oneself for such consideration.
"Most students now think to themselves: ‘How can I not apply to Yale?’" he said. "You just have to put your name in the hat."
2006 May 14, Brian Wise, “A Free Ride at Yale? Where Do I Sign Up?”, in New York Times, retrieved 16 Jun 2011:"Oh hiiii @AmericanIdol—I hear a seat opened up at the judges table!" she [Jordin Sparks] wrote on X (formerly known as Twitter) in February. "I’m putting my name in the hat! 🙋🏻♀️."
2024 September 4, Adrianna Freedman, “Who Will Replace Katy Perry as an 'American Idol' Judge? Here's Who's Taking Over in 2025”, in Cosmopolitan:[H]e would not embarrass his friends by running. So they rose up and put his name in the hat—which is exactly what I expected them to do.
1996, Lillian Smith, edited by Margaret Rose Gladney, How Am I to Be Heard?: Letters of Lillian Smith, →ISBN, page 118:"That's why I decided to put my name in the hat and see if there's a fit here."
2009 October 17, “Astros interview ex-manager Garner for vacancy”, in USA Today, retrieved 16 Jun 2011:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| throw one's name in the hat | alternative | lexicographic | |
| put one's name in the hat | Tense=Past, VerbForm=Part | lexicographic | |
| put one's name in the hat | Tense=Past | lexicographic | |
| toss one's name in the hat | alternative | lexicographic | |
| putting one's name in the hat | Tense=Pres, VerbForm=Part | lexicographic | |
| puts one's name in the hat | Number=Sing, Person=3, Tense=Pres | lexicographic |