old hat

Noun

Something regarded as very familiar and unoriginal, hackneyed, or out of date.

Adj

Very familiar and unoriginal; common, hackneyed, out of date.

Etymology

Cognate with German: alter Hut

In summary

From old + hat, possibly a reference to something familiar and well-used. The Oxford English Dictionary suggests a connection to German alter Hut (“something familiar and hackneyed”, noun, literally “old hat”).

Synonyms

banal

commonplace

hackneyed

shopworn

threadbare

timeworn

tired

😫

trite

well-worn

Translations

abgedroschen

abgenutzt

banal

ausgelutscht

banal

rebattu

banale

stravecchio

trito

trito e ritrito