bowler hat out

English

Etymology

Reputed to be from the practice of turning Royal Air Force men out by giving them their bowler hat and telling them to go.

Verb

bowler hat out (third-person singular simple present bowler hats out, present participle bowler hatting out, simple past and past participle bowler hatted out)

1. (dated, military, slang, UK, usually passive voice) To eject (someone) from an organization.

   Joe was bowler hatted out of the R.A.F. for misconduct.

   • 1946, Richard McMillan, Miracle Before Berlin:

     "Bit of luck my being here," said the brigadier, with a smile, rather like a schoolboy who has done something and got away with it. "You see, I was bowler-hatted out there. Question of age. Then, when I came back they reconsidered things.

   • 1958, P.H.H. Bryan, The Barford Cat Affair:

     If an idea flopped, a subordinate would be bowler-hatted out of the gang; if the idea was successful, then it was Ted Donnell done it.

   • 1979, Oliver Reed, Reed All about Me: The Autobiography of Oliver Reed:

     His name was Bill Sulis and amazingly he had been bowler hatted out of the Royal Air Force for flying a monoplane upside down and pranging it.