Tin Hat

[tigga]

Anybody know why we call it a 'tin hat' when playing pool and pot all our balls before opponent pots any ?

Thanks

[Quizmonster]

My guess is that it is related to the war-time saying: "That's put the tin hat on it!" It was used in situations which involved bringing about the 'end' of something. For example, one of a group of schoolboys stealing apples might have cried: "Here's the farmer...that's put the tin hat on it!" (A similar phrase was 'to put the kybosh on' things.) It was no doubt related to the idea that a tin helmet - otherwise known as a tin hat - was almost certainly the very last item of his uniform a soldier actually put on before going on duty.

I've never actually heard it used in a pool-playing situation, but the above seems a reasonable explanation to describe a total whitewash...ie it's all over.

[Jansy]

In all my years of playing pool, being a captain and on the committee of a local pool league, I have never heard of that being called a 'tin hat'. In our area (Devon), it's generally called a 'whitewash' when your opponent is left with all their balls on the table.

[chrisn]

like jansy, i have never heard of "tin-hat" being used in pool.  In my local, it's called "7-balling" your opponent.