Has someone surprised you by making something you thought to be impossible happen? You could say they just “pulled a rabbit out of a hat.”
Keep reading to learn more about this phrase and its origins.
Meaning
You can talk about “pulling a rabbit out of a hat” or say that something is “like a rabbit out of a hat.”
These closely-related expressions describe something that happened “like magic.” The events being described are implausible or rather impressive, just like pulling a rabbit out of a (previously empty) top hat.
Example Usage
Use these example sentences to get a better feel for the expression “rabbit out of a hat” before you use the phrase yourself:
- “Maggie really managed to pull a rabbit out of the hat when Jane asked her to organize a last-minute surprise birthday party for Tom. It was one of the best parties I’ve ever been to!”
- “The company is set to go bankrupt, and short of pulling a rabbit out of the hat, there’s nothing you can do to stop its decline.”
- “I’ll do my best, but you can’t expect me to pull a rabbit out of my hat. I’ll have to make do with what I’ve got.”
- “My husband returning from his deployment early was the best gift ever! Jimmy watched his daddy like he was a rabbit pulled from a magician’s hat. It was magical.”
Origin
The phrase “to pull a rabbit out of the hat” refers to a popular magic trick in which the magician pulls a white rabbit out of a (previously empty) top hat.
This trick is so widespread that it’s the first thing many people think of when they imagine a magic show.
Louis Apollinaire Christian Emmanuel Comte, “The Kings Conjurer,” was probably the first magician to introduce this trick — in the 1830s. The trick quickly gained traction and remains popular to this day.
Although it is unclear when the saying “to pull a rabbit out of a hat” first came into use, the phrase cannot predate the 1830s and is more likely to have emerged in the 1850s or later.
Like the magic trick to which it refers, the idiom “to pull a rabbit out of the hat” is still popular today.
Phrases Similar to Rabbit out of a Hat
Other phrases you can use to describe seemingly impossible things that nonetheless happened include:
- Like walking on water — referring to a miracle Jesus performed in the Bible.
- Silver bullet — a “magical” solution to all your problems.
Other idioms that refer to magic include:
- That does the trick — meaning that works.
- To conjure up (a solution).
Phrases Opposite to Rabbit out of a Hat
The phrase “to pull a rabbit out of a hat” invokes images of doing the impossible. Would you like to make it clear that hard work and grit made your success possible, and there was nothing magic about it? You could say:
- Through blood, sweat, and tears.
- Buckle down — meaning get ready to work hard.
- Go the extra mile — doing everything you can to achieve results.
- Give it 110 percent — meaning doing more than you ever think you’ll be able to.
What Is the Correct Saying?
The correct saying is “to pull the rabbit out of the hat.” This expression means doing something that seems impossible, or achieving impressive results.
Ways People May Say Rabbit out of a Hat Incorrectly
The image of the magician pulling a white rabbit out of a top hat is so ubiquitous that it is hard to get this expression wrong.
Don’t use this expression to talk about things that are truly impossible; in this case, it would be better to use another expression like “as rare as hen’s teeth.”
Acceptable Ways to Say Rabbit out of a Hat
You can use the expression “to pull a rabbit out of a hat” to describe a seemingly impossible achievement.
If you want to make it clear that you can’t perform magic, you can also say that you “can’t pull a rabbit out of a hat.”