old hat

Definition

Something regarded as very familiar and unoriginal, hackneyed, or out of date.

Etymology

From old + hat, possibly a reference to something familiar and well-used. The Oxford English Dictionary suggests a connection to German alter Hut (“something familiar and hackneyed”, noun, literally “old hat”).

Example Sentences

• "Oliver. What was the address about, to begin with? / Willie. Oh, the same old hat—Freedom."
• "We curved through the bright mile or two of the Strip, […] past the Georgian-Colonial vogue, now old hat, past the handsome modernistic buildings in which the Hollywood flesh-peddlers never stop talking money, […]"