If only he was a goat, he wouldn't be struggling with this at all.
"I'll eat my hat if you don't like it!"
— The Fat Controller, Thomas & Friends
When people make wagers, one possible penalty for losing is to eat a piece of your clothing. Hats are the most common form of clothing that can be eaten, especially in period pieces. However, sometimes they eat their pieces of clothing to show that they're frustrated.
A Sub-Trope of Extreme Omnivore and Humiliating Wager. Compare Eating Shoes, normally done out of desperation.
Examples:
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Advertising
- This Mini advert
begins with a man bitterly pulling the hat off his head and eating it while the narrator announces the obvious "Man eats hat. The End." Then the scene runs backward through the events that led to him doing so.
- In this Dutch commercial for the beer brand Bavaria, a man is rushed to the hospital, where it's revealed he has a whole shoe in his stomach. The scene then rewinds to reveal he promised to eat the shoe because he couldn't believe a new Bavaria beer contained no alcohol.
Comic Books
- In the Disney Ducks comics, John D. Rockerduck has a Running Gag of eating his hat whenever he is defeated by Scrooge. In one story, he complains to Glomgold about how he's got a stomach ache from having to eat his hat after every defeat.
- A variation in one Archie Comics story, where Betty tells the gang about a dream she's had where one of Riverdale High's female sports teams wins a game because of Jughead; Reggie promptly swears that any day that happens in real life, he'll eat Jughead's hat. Well, it soon turns out that some of the girls from that very sports team need to get their grades up in order to play, and they approach Jug for tutoring, and of course they go and win their next game...cue Reggie gnawing on Jughead's hat while Jug dryly comments that Reggie owes him a new hat now.
Films — Animation
- The Aristocats: When Edgar confides in Frufru that he'd kidnapped Duchess and her kittens, he is about to bet his hat to eat that it won't be traced back to him...before promptly realizing he left behind his hat, umbrella, and motorcycle sidecar while doing the deed.
Edgar: Oh, they won't find a clue to implicate me. Not one single clue. Why, I-I'll... I'd eat my hat if they... MY HAT! MY UMBRELLA! Oh, oh gracious! I-I have to get those things back tonight!
- Eight Crazy Nights has social outcast Davey defend a talented youngster from b-ball court bullies. Davey and the kid challenge them to a first-to-five match of honor. One bully, bloated with conceit, ups the ante with "If you win, I'll eat my jockstrap." Davey raises the stakes: "If we win, you'll eat his jockstrap," indicating a sweaty, corpulent fellow of iffy hygiene. In fairness, the loser is seen attempting to chew the putrid thing, even while committing arson in retaliation.
Films — Live-Action
- Way Out West: As Stan and Ollie go to retrieve the deed, Stanley vows if they fail he'll eat Ollie's hat. They fail. Ollie makes him keep his promise - at first Stanley faces his task with whimpering distaste, but seems blankly contented by his third bite.
- German film director Werner Herzog once made a wager with his friend, documentarian Errol Morris, promising that he would eat his shoe if Morris ever completed his full-length film Gates of Heaven. When Morris did, Herzog used the wager to raise publicity and dined on the footwear at a local restaurant after the premiere. Another filmmaker, Les Blank, recorded the event for the short film Werner Herzog Eats His Shoe. If you're wondering, he boiled it with soup stock and garlic first. He didn't eat the sole, saying that "one does not eat the bones of the chicken".
Literature
- Did I Ever Tell You How Lucky You Are?: at one point, the narrator says of the Schlottz, an unfortunate beast with its tail tied in knots, "If he isn't muchly more worse off than you, I'll eat my umbrella, that's just what I'll do."
- In Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, as part of its song to the first years, the Sorting Hat declares that it'll eat itself if anyone can find a smarter hat than it.
- Later: Early in the book, Jamie Conklin's neighbor, Mrs. Burkett, dies, after which her husband has trouble finding his late wife's rings. Due to being able to communicate with ghosts, Jamie learns from Mrs. Burkett that she left the rings on the top shelf of the hall closet, which he tells to his mother, who discreetly suggests to Mr. Burkett to look there. Mr. Burkett is skeptical and vows to eat his hat if the rings are there. When the rings turn up exactly where Jamie said, Jamie briefly considers asking Mr. Burkett if he wants salt and pepper on his hat but decides not to since the man is still grieving and he doesn't want to come off as a smartass.
- Milly, Molly: The book "Milly and Molly Go Camping", and the cartoon episode based on said book that is simply titled "Go Camping", both have the girls camping in Milly's backyard. Due to them having wussed out during their previous attempts, Molly's father says that he'll eat his hat if they manage to stay all night in the tent. When the girls succeed, Molly says, "Jack and Tom will never believe that we stayed out all night!" and Milly says, "They will when they see your dad eat his hat."
- In volume one of Reflections of Eterna, several unars (pages) at the Laik School make a bet about who of them is the true identity of "Count Suza-Muza" — a prankster tormenting the boorish Superintendant Aramona, — with the punishment for losing being eating one's own hat. After the mystery is resolved (many volumes later), the loser does honor their agreement and eats his hat (with mustard), albeit "off-screen", i.e. in-between chapters.
Live-Action TV
- When Elton John guest starred on The Muppet Show, Sam complained about his outrageous costumes. Kermit explains that it's common for musicians to dress extravagantly, using Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart as an example. Sam vows that if Kermit can prove it, not only will he introduce Elton's closing number, but he'll also eat his hat. At that very moment, Scooter arrives with a portrait of Mozart in period appropriate powdered wig, stockings and high heels. Sure enough, Sam introduces the closing number in a sequined costume... and as he leaves the stage, he chews on his hat.
- In an episode of Mythbusters, the build team is modifying a bus to be remotely driven. As there have been cases of remotely driven vehicles going AWOL before, Grant puts a large number of fail-safes in to prevent any issues. He's so confident that the bus is safe that he offers to eat his multi-tool pouch if the bus goes out of control. When the bus fails to stop because the batteries used to operate the brakes fail, Grant timidly requests his multi-tool pouch be fried - with a little bit of powdered sugar.
- Matthew Corbett from The Sooty Show has him eating his hat as a result of him losing a bet to Sooty during the Mini-Golf Episode.
- On The Dukes of Hazzard, in an episode that flashed back to when the Dukes built the General Lee, Boss Hogg vowed to eat his hat if the Dukes won the upcoming race (at that time, Boss Hogg ALWAYS won these races) against him. They won.
Music
- Steam Powered Giraffe's Sky Sharks features a rap segment by Professor Elemental. He vows he is the man to stop the sharks, or he'll eat his hat. He is not successful.
Sharks are landing, grey and vicious,
On the other hand, this hat tastes delicious!
Video Games
- Duolingo: The Indonesian course asks you to translate "Saya memakan topi saya." — "I eat my hat."
- Luigi's Mansion: One of the things Luigi can say while looking at the mansion's furnishings through the Game Boy Horror is "If that's an antique, I'll eat my hat."
Web Comics
- In the backstory of Girl Genius, Prince Vadim of Sturmhalten said he'd eat his hat if Dante Heterodyne built a cathedral in Mechanicsburg. The cathedral was built, so the prince ate his hat. "Prince of Sturmhalten's Big Bet" is now Hash House Lingo for a hat sandwich in Mechanicsburg.
Western Animation
- The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron, Boy Genius: In "The Retroville 9", Butch bets that he'll eat his hat if Jimmy hits the ball he's pitching. When Jimmy hits a home run with his scientifically-enhanced bat, Butch makes good on his end and says his hat's not that bad. He's later seen taking another bite - with a few more taken out of the hat than before - during the montage of losses against Jimmy's team.
- Danny Phantom: When Lancer has Danny and Dash compete in putting together a Halloween exhibit, the two make a bet. Danny ends up losing and is forced to eat Dash's underwear. Danny's friends gives him salt, pepper, and a clothespin for his nose for the inevitable.
Dash: Bon appe-tidey whitey!
- DuckTales (1987): At the end of "Wronguay In Ronguay", Flintheart Glomgold eats his hat after losing a bet with Scrooge.
- In an episode of Futurama, Bender bets his coworkers he'll set a new record on a mechanical bull. He does set a record - shortest ride. Naturally, he weasels out of the bet. Dr. Zoidberg decides someone should eat the hat, and dips it into a bowl of salsa before chowing down.
- In one cartoon of The Hillbilly Bears, when a gopher is in Maw's garden, Paw declares that he'll eat his hat if he fails to get it. At the end of the cartoon, while the rest of the family has to eat grits due to there not being any vegetables, Paw ends up having his hat for dinner.
- Laff-A-Lympics: One episode had this exchange between commentators Snagglepuss and Mildew Wolf.
Snagglepuss: Remember what you said you'd do if she did it?
Mildew: 'Course I know, and I don't mind eating my words. But my straw hat? (chows down) I'll spoil my din-din. Pass the ketchup? - The Simpsons:
- In "Ned 'n Edna's Blend", Ned Flanders gets married to Edna Krabappel, and Bart reminds Homer that he vowed to eat his hat if Ned ever got remarried... and his "hat" at the moment is a crown of thorns for playing Jesus in a Passion Play. Fortunately, it's made of licorice.
Homer: Mmmm... historically inaccurate.
- In "Take My Wife, Sleaze", the Hells Satans force Homer to eat every article of clothing he owns with their name on it after he used it for his own biker gang.
- In "Ned 'n Edna's Blend", Ned Flanders gets married to Edna Krabappel, and Bart reminds Homer that he vowed to eat his hat if Ned ever got remarried... and his "hat" at the moment is a crown of thorns for playing Jesus in a Passion Play. Fortunately, it's made of licorice.
- Spider-Man: The Animated Series: In "Night of the Lizard", Eddie Brock discovers Dr. Connors is the lizard, and takes J. Jonah Jameson to Connors' house to prove it, claiming he will "Eat today's issue of the Bugle" if he's wrong. However, by this time Connors has already been cured and is human again (though he would "relapse" later in the series). When Jameson sees the perfectly normal Dr. Connors, he offers Brock the newspaper with the question if he wants it cooked or raw.
- The Fat Controller from Thomas & Friends has had his hat eaten multiple times.
- The first instance was in "Edward, Gordon and Henry" when he leaned out of the window to wave at Edward and Henry but the train was going quite fast, his hat blew off and landed in a field where a goat ate it.
- In the episode "Baa!", he said he'd eat his hat if the sheep didn't like it, but the sheep ate it anyway because it blew off.
- Viva Piñata: In "Horstachio of a Different Color", Pecky Pudgeon expresses his belief that Hamilton will win the upcoming Horstachio competition saying that he will eat his shoe if Hudson wins (because Hudson's friends point out he doesn't wear shoes, he changes the terms to eating somebody else's shoe). When Hamilton gets disqualified for turning into a Zumbug, Fergie pulls out a shoe for Pecky to snack on.
- In WordGirl, Warden Chalmers often will say things like "And I promise you right here and now, if you don't have the best time of your lives this weekend, well I'll eat my hat!" Luckily, he has multiple hats made out of meat.
- The Adventures of Lariat Sam segment of Captain Kangaroo has the villain Badlands Meanie claim that his Evil Plan will come to fruition, or he'll eat his black cowboy hat. Of course, The Hero Lariat Sam and his horse Tippytoes succeed in thwarting Meanie, who removes his chapeau and regards it glumly. A nearby cow inquires, "Can I have a bite?"
- A variant occurs in The All-New Popeye Hour episode "The Empire Strikes Back" - Bluto bets that if Popeye manages to win the game, he'll eat the homefield. Popeye wins, so Bluto chows down.
Real Life
- During the 1938 FA Cup final, as the match entered the final minute with the score still at 0-0, commentator Thomas Woodrooffe declared, "If there's a goal scored now, I'll eat my hat". Seconds later, Preston were awarded a penalty, from which George Mutch scored, winning the game for Preston. Woodrooffe duly had a hat made out of cake and marzipan so he could keep his promise.
- In 2015 British politician Paddy Ashdown claimed he would eat his hat on live TV if polls predicting huge losses for his party were right. They were. He was offered a hat, but didn't eat it.
- A Redditor over at the BitcoinMarkets subreddit was so sure about one of his predictions that he declared he would eat his hat with ketchup should he be proven wrong. At this point, you have probably already guessed how well that went.
- Peter Beck, the founder and CEO of American/New Zealander rocket company Rocket Lab, claimed he would eat his hat if he made plans for a rocket larger than his Electron smallsat rocket. Right before making the first announcement of his Neutron medium-lift rocket, he put a hat in a blender, and ate several of the shredded threads.
Peter Beck: In avoidance of all doubt, this hat is not tasty.
