new hat, old hat, bare head?

SiCantikManis · Sun Jul 20, 2008 16:20 pm *new hat, old hat, bare head?*

Hi,

I just heard this:

Sophie · Sun Jul 20, 2008 16:57 pm *new hat, old hat, bare head?*

Hello.
Well, according to me, to wear one's head bare means you don't wear any hat. So the sentence above means to have something though not good enough is much better than to have nothing.
_________________
On earth there is nothing great but man, in man there is nothing great but mind.

Sophie · Sun Jul 20, 2008 16:58 pm *new hat, old hat, bare head?*

Oh, a mistake: "any hats"!
_________________
On earth there is nothing great but man, in man there is nothing great but mind.

SiCantikManis · Sun Jul 20, 2008 17:22 pm *new hat, old hat, bare head?*

Oh, thanks Sophie.

BTW, I ought to have given the context. I was watching a movie of Marilyn Monroe, "The Prince and the Showgirl" when I heard this dialogue.

The showgirl was questioning the wisdom of the Prince inviting her to a late supper, because in her opinion the Prince should have been inviting a more experienced woman, and they were referring to the women as "hats".

Now that you've given me your view, I think you're right, "bare head" might most possibly refers to "no woman at all".

Wherever did I get the "empty-headed" thing, once again I got carried away in my imagination... Very Happy

Thanks Sophie!
_________________
Thou shalt not use yours to make the whole world jealous.

MrPedantic · Sun Jul 20, 2008 23:02 pm *new hat, old hat, bare head?*

Haihao · Mon Jul 21, 2008 0:30 am *new hat, old hat, bare head?*

Me either. Old hat normally refers to "behind the times; old-fashioned" AFAIK.

SiCantikManis · Mon Jul 21, 2008 2:45 am *new hat, old hat, bare head?*

But several times before I've heard it on the movie people refer to an "old hat" to a an older woman. Confused

I said "old person" because I dislike it being referred to women. Evil or Very Mad

I think maybe information offered by Haihao is more accurate, maybe it's an old person (incidentally) being old fashion.
_________________
Thou shalt not use yours to make the whole world jealous.

Yankee · Mon Jul 21, 2008 3:08 am *new hat, old hat, bare head?*

Hi Cantik

I tend to agree with Sophie's idea.

I can imagine someone saying "Better an old hat than a bare/cold head" to mean basically the same thing as "It's better to have something (even if it's old/tattered/ugly/out-of-date/not exciting/etc.) than to have nothing at all."

Otherwise, if you say that something "is old hat", that has the meaning that Haihao mentioned.
.

SiCantikManis · Mon Jul 21, 2008 3:26 am *new hat, old hat, bare head?*

Yes, Amy. I think so too.

But I am still confused of its reference to an older woman. I think it can in certain context/situation.

Has anyone seen the movie, anyway?(I love it! MM was mesmerizing!)
_________________
Thou shalt not use yours to make the whole world jealous.

Mister Micawber · Mon Jul 21, 2008 7:35 am *new hat, old hat, bare head?*

SiCantikManis · Mon Jul 21, 2008 10:18 am *new hat, old hat, bare head?*

	ESL Forum \| English Vocabulary, Grammar and Idioms	All times are GMT + 2 Hours
Page 1 of 1