Hello.
I’ve heard several times during my brief time upon this earth a saying that some one or some thing being “as tight as Dick’s hat band”. My question is, who is Dick and why is his hat band so tight?
Thank you,
Jeff
I haven’t heard this phrase before, but “Dick’s hat band” makes me think of, well, the prepuce. I’m surprised that article doesn’t mention that as a theory.
The word “dick” to mean penis dates back to at least the 18th-century, which would tie in with the earliest recorded instance of this phrase (1796, according to the article linked to). It doesn’t seem to take a huge leap of logic to get that phrase, and its meaning could then have spread and change as the origin got forgotten.
Just a theory, mind.
I’ve always heard the phrase as “as [whatever] as NICK’s hatband” (The most usual being “as black as Nick’s hatband” relating to a person’s colour)
The “Nick” in question being Old Nick himself - the devil.
It’s pretty old fashioned though.