wear more than one hat
Meaning(s)
1. have more than one role or set of responsibilities at one time
Popularity
Medium
Professional
Medium
Social
How to Memorize
I wear more than one hat at the company
Analysis
Sometimes in English, we refer to our different personalities or roles in life as ‘hats’, for example: If you are a person who is a teacher, a parent and also someone who likes extreme sports you might be about to walk into a room where your children are arguing and say to your friend ‘time to put my parent hat on now’. Likewise, you might be in a situation where you are considering approaches or opinions from different points of views “If I put my teacher hat on, this doesn’t seem like a sensible idea, but as someone who loves extreme sports I say we go for it!” Someone who ‘wears more than one hat’ therefore, is a person who has a number of different distinct roles or responsibilities that they move to and from at different times depending on what is required of them. This is a useful expression in both social and professional contexts.
Social Examples (Advance)
- Jane wears many hats. She's a doctor, writer, and also a part-time musician.
Professional Examples (Advance)
- We don't have a lot of staff, so I'm required to wear more than one hat at the company. I simultaneously take care of the administrative and marketing side of the business.
- Peter's versatility means that he wears more than one hat at the school. Not only does he teach a few different subjects but he also coaches the sports teams.