1
general::
Phrase(s): pass the hat (around) (to someone)
Fig. to collect donations of money from people. (Could also be literal.) • Jerry passed the hat around to all the other workers. • He passed around the hat to everyone. • I’ll pass the hat around.
McGrawhill's American Idioms And Phrasal Verbs
2
general::
Ask for financial contributions, as in Let's pass the hat so we can get her a nice going-away gift. This expression alludes to the actual practice of passing a hat around a gathering, but it is Also used more figuratively, as in The board decided to pass the hat again among the corporate sponsors. [Late 1800s]
American Heritage Idioms