Meaning & Origin

“At the drop of a hat” means right away — acting immediately without hesitation or planning. The phrase likely comes from hat‑dropping as a quick signal to start a contest, race, or fight in the 19th–20th centuries.

Pronunciation Guide

• drop — rhymes with “shop.”
• hat — short “a,” like “cat.”
• Natural rhythm: at the DROP of a HAT.

Usage & Sentence Examples

Use it when someone is ready to act instantly or when things happen with no delay.

• If legal needs revisions, we can update the doc at the drop of a hat.
• She’ll travel at the drop of a hat for a good story.
• The on‑call team responds at the drop of a hat during incidents.
• He switches priorities at the drop of a hat, which confuses the team.
• With a go‑bag ready, we can deploy fixes at the drop of a hat.
• Partners expect us to join calls at the drop of a hat.

Synonyms

immediately · instantly · in a heartbeat · on a moment’s notice · without hesitation · right away