pull (someone or something) out of a hat
pull (someone or something) out of a hat
To select someone or something entirely at random. I don't understand why our company is being targeted. It's as if the IRS pulled us out of a hat to scrutinize! It doesn't really matter who gets promoted to assistant manager—just pull a name out of a hat for all I care!
See also: hat, of, out, pull
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.
pull something out of a hat
and pull something out of thin air1. Lit. [for a magician] to make something, such as a live rabbit, seem to appear by pulling it out of a top hat or out of the air. He pulled a rabbit out of a hat and then pulled a chicken out of thin air.
2. Fig. to produce something seemingly out of nowhere. Where am I going to get the money? I can't just pull it out of a hat! I don't know where she found the book. She pulled it out of thin air, I guess.
See also: hat, of, out, pull
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.
pull out of a hat
Produce suddenly and surprisingly, as if by magic. For example, We can't just pull the answers out of a hat. This expression alludes to the magician's trick of pulling some unexpected object out of a hat. That object is often a rabbit, and the expression pull a rabbit out of a hat is often used to mean "get magical results," as in Much as I would like to be able to pull a rabbit out of a hat, I doubt if I can find further funding for this project .
See also: hat, of, out, pull
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
- pull out of a hat
- pick (someone or something) out of a hat
- pick something out of a hat
- pick, etc. something out of a hat
- be picked out of a hat
- crush (something) out of (someone or something)
- crush out of
- a brick in (one's) hat
- what with
- what with something