Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Miscellaneous/2020 June 14

Welcome to the Wikipedia Miscellaneous Reference Desk Archives
The page you are currently viewing is a transcluded archive page. While you can leave answers for any questions shown below, please ask new questions on one of the current reference desk pages.

June 14

Throwing hats at celebrations

Hi! How do you call the tradition of throwing hats at a celebration? And is there an article about it? Ericdec85 (talk) 17:38, 14 June 2020 (UTC)

There are a number of Wikipedia article starting with "hats off". Here's a non-Wikipedia article about the general subject.[1] ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 05:34, 15 June 2020 (UTC)

Here's something about when the tradition at West Point started, 1946:[2] ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 05:37, 15 June 2020 (UTC)

Although a much older custom; this account of an 1856 Republican Convention says that "men threw their hats in the air".

Other sources have: "Chuck: (British) Naval slang for a demonstration of applause. Enthusiastic supporters of a ship's football team or a regatta boat's crew form a chucking-up party. The expression may originate from the practice of throwing hats in the air when excited. An early form of this word was CHUCKER UP" [3]

I'm always curious about how they find the right hat afterwards. Alansplodge (talk) 11:35, 15 June 2020 (UTC)

Surely you'd have your name written in it? DuncanHill (talk) 11:45, 15 June 2020 (UTC)

True, but in a large crowd it can't be easy. This page on 18th century British naval slang has: "Chucker up = applause, from throwing hats in the air". Alansplodge (talk) 11:53, 15 June 2020 (UTC)

Do they also know the word upchuck? —Tamfang (talk) 00:20, 19 June 2020 (UTC)