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Glite Dictionary
putting a hat on a hat

putting a hat on a hat

9.9
Adding an extra thing to something that is already enough
  • idiom
  • Informal
translation icon : añadir algo innecesario
  • Adding more features to the already complicated app is just putting a hat on a hat.

Examples

  • We all agreed that installing two alarms is putting a hat on a hat.

  • He described the extra paperwork as putting a hat on a hat.

  • Stop putting a hat on a hat with all those extra features!

  • Isn't putting a hat on a hat just a waste of resources?

  • Adding more features to the already complicated app is just putting a hat on a hat.

  • He described the extra paperwork for the project as putting a hat on a hat.

  • We all agreed that installing two different alarms was simply putting a hat on a hat.

Synonyms

to tack on
vsputting a hat on a hat
19 4.1

Add something extra that was not planned

adds extras that are redundant rather than useful to something already sufficient
to gild the lily
vsputting a hat on a hat
  • Informal
2 8.8

To make unneeded changes to something already beautiful

adds extras that are redundant to what is already sufficient
to put on frills
vsputting a hat on a hat
7.2

To add small not needed decorations to clothes or events to make them seem fancier

adds extras that are redundant when the thing is already enough

Antonyms

sufficient
447 2.8

Enough to do what is needed

Surface Forms

putting a hat on a hat main

Morphology

put + a + hat + on + a + hat

The meaning is directly inferable from the literal composition: 'put/placing' + 'a hat' + 'on' + 'a hat' evokes placing one hat on another, which clearly conveys unnecessary duplication. This is a straightforward compositional image that a B1 learner who knows the constituent words would readily interpret as redundancy.

Etymology

Putting a hat on a hat gives a clear picture: you already have one hat, so putting another hat on top does nothing useful. That's why it means 'unnecessary'.