Meaning of put a hat on a hat | Babel Free

Definitions

To do something unnecessary, to go over the top

idiomatic

Equivalents

Examples

“"You don't need⟳ to put⟳ a hat on a hat.” He was saying: If you comment⟳ on it, you kill⟳ it. If there's a hat already on your head, why in God's name⟳ would you put⟳ another hat on top of it? The audience doesn't like⟳ to see⟳ you wink.”

“Puccini's music is 'overblown', 'so huge' that there is a danger of putting 'a hat on a hat' if you match⟳ 'epic staging with epic music and epic slightly melodramatic acting'. Goold wanted it to feel⟳ more like⟳ Lars von Trier's musical[…]”

“I mean⟳, it's kind of putting a hat on a hat. Nobody thinks a trip⟳ to the Hall of Doom is going to be as uplifting as one to the Hall of Justice. Nobody thinks Mount⟳ Doom or an abandoned amusement park⟳ or chemical factory would make⟳ as[…]”

CEFR level