noun General Slang

Brass Hat

/braes haet/ · noun · slang

A high-ranking officer — the 'brass' whose decisions the enlisted men had to live with.

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Definitions

1

By extension, any top boss or executive far removed from the rank and file.

“The brass hats upstairs cut our budget again.”
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2

Collectively as 'the brass,' the leadership making the calls.

“That's a decision for the brass hats, not us.”
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3

A senior military officer, especially a general or staff officer — named for the gold braid and insignia on their caps.

“The brass hats flew in to inspect the base on Monday.”
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Brass Hat In A Sentence

The brass hats never had to dig the trenches they ordered.
Word came down from the brass hats to move out at dawn.
He griped that the brass hats didn't understand life on the line.

Origin & Usage

Military slang with British roots dating to before WWI, in heavy use among Allied troops through the 1940s. It refers to the gold braid ('brass') decorating senior officers' caps, and broadened to mean any high-up boss.

Variants brassthe brassbrasshat
Tags #1940s#wartime#swing#vintage#military#rank

People Also Ask

What does brass hat mean?

A high-ranking military officer, or by extension any senior boss.

Where did brass hat come from?

From British military slang predating WWI and common through the 1940s, referring to the gold braid on senior officers' caps.

Why 'brass'?

The decorative gold-colored braid and insignia on officers' uniforms looked like brass, so the men called the wearers 'brass.'

Is 'the brass' still used?

Yes — 'the brass' for top leadership remains common in both military and civilian workplaces.

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