--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Exchanging Hats Unfunny uncles who insist…" description: "\"“Exchanging Hats Unfunny uncles who insist in trying on a lady's hat, --oh, even if the joke falls flat, we share your slight transvestite twist in spi..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/54c/elizabeth-bishop-9054_hats_exchanging-hats-unfunny-uncles-who-insis_115134.png" --- # Exchanging Hats Unfunny uncles who insist in trying on a… ![“Exchanging Hats Unfunny uncles who insist in trying on a lady's hat, --oh, even if the joke falls flat, we share your slight transvestite twist in spite of our embarrassment. Costume and custom are complex. The headgear of the other sex inspires us to experiment. Anandrous aunts, who, at the beach…” quote by Elizabeth Bishop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/54c/elizabeth-bishop-9054_hats_exchanging-hats-unfunny-uncles-who-insis_115134.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/54c/elizabeth-bishop-9054_hats_exchanging-hats-unfunny-uncles-who-insis_115134.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/54c/elizabeth-bishop-9054_hats_exchanging-hats-unfunny-uncles-who-insis_115134.png) > ““Exchanging Hats Unfunny uncles who insist in trying on a lady's hat, --oh, even if the joke falls flat, we share your slight transvestite twist in spite of our embarrassment. Costume and custom are complex. The headgear of the other sex inspires us to experiment. Anandrous aunts, who, at the beach with paper plates upon your laps, keep putting on the yachtsmen's caps with exhibitionistic screech, the visors hanging o'er the ear so that the golden anchors drag, --the tides of fashion never lag. Such caps may not be worn next year. Or you who don the paper plate itself, and put some grapes upon it, or sport the Indian's feather bonnet, --perversities may aggravate the natural madness of the hatter. And if the opera hats collapse and crowns grow draughty, then, perhaps, he thinks what might a miter matter? Unfunny uncle, you who wore a hat too big, or one too many, tell us, can't you, are there any stars inside your black fedora? Aunt exemplary and slim, with avernal eyes, we wonder what slow changes they see under their vast, shady, turned-down brim.”” [Elizabeth Bishop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-bishop/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The passage satirically explores how fashion and identity are fluid, using exaggerated hat imagery to critique social expectations and the absurdity of conformity. **In simple terms:** Fashion masks identity; absurdity reveals truth. Key Takeaway Identity is mutable; social norms are often absurd. Themes identity fashion conformity satire creativity Mood playful ironic Type satirical poetic When to use this quote - designing a costume for a performance - navigating workplace dress codes - expressing gender non‑conformity through style Key Concepts social performance cultural symbolism Practical Applications - use humor to challenge rigid dress expectations - experiment with unconventional accessories to spark conversation Questions to Reflect On - What does a 'hat' symbolize in your own life? - How do you balance personal expression with social expectations? A Different Perspective The dense, whimsical language may obscure the core message for many readers. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Exchanging Hats](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/exchanging-hats-1357027/) [Fedora Aunt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fedora-aunt-1357025/) [Hats](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hats/) [Hats Unfunny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hats-unfunny-1357026/) [Next year](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/next-year/) [Unfunny Uncles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unfunny-uncles-1357028/) ## Related quotes > [If we could understand the full significance of a woman's hat we could prophesy her clothes for the next year, the interior decoration of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-laver/if-we-could-understand-the-full-significance-of-a-woman-s-hat-we/) [James Laver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-laver/) > [Next year I'm going to be a guesting soloist with orchestras all over Europe, to start off with.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-emerson/next-year-i-m-going-to-be-a-guesting-soloist-with-orchestras-all-over/) [Keith Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-emerson/) > [If you have all seniors, then it probably doesn't mean much because those guys aren't going to be back. 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Tight end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shaquille-o-neal/write-this-since-my-boy-is-the-coach-i-m-going-to-try-out-for-the/) [Shaquille O'Neal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shaquille-o-neal/) > [In mid-May, the House of Representatives approved the full amount of money that the Veterans Administration said was needed for next year - plus…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doc-hastings/in-mid-may-the-house-of-representatives-approved-the-full-amount-of/) [Doc Hastings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doc-hastings/) > [You're never guaranteed about next year. People ask what you think of next season, you have to seize the opportunities when they're in front…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brett-favre/you-re-never-guaranteed-about-next-year-people-ask-what-you-think-of/) [Brett Favre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brett-favre/) > [“Simply put, we tend to repeat our errors. We want to be successful, so we increase our volume and intensity to make the big…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-johns/simply-put-we-tend-to-repeat-our-errors-we-want-to-be-successful-so/) [Dan Johns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-johns/) > [Fans, you guys are awesome. I could not have made it through this whirlwind of a year without your support and I really hope…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-stroup/fans-you-guys-are-awesome-i-could-not-have-made-it-through-this/) [Jessica Stroup](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-stroup/) > [“Several times that day, the name or thought of Papa had come up. And each time, Francie had felt a flash of tenderness instead…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betty-smith/several-times-that-day-the-name-or-thought-of-papa-had-come-up-and/) [Betty Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betty-smith/) > [“Guess it didn't go so well, huh?" "What was your first clue?" I turned my head slightly, then went back to staring blankly out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-mankin/guess-it-didn-t-go-so-well-huh-what-was-your-first-clue-i-turned-my/) [Michelle Mankin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-mankin/) > [Diabetes is an all-too-personal time bomb which can go off today, tomorrow, next year, or 10 years from now - a time bomb affecting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-tyler-moore/diabetes-is-an-all-too-personal-time-bomb-which-can-go-off-today/) [Mary Tyler Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-tyler-moore/) ## More by Elizabeth Bishop > [“At the Fishhouses Although it is a cold evening, down by one of the fishhouses an old man sits netting, his net, in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-bishop/at-the-fishhouses-although-it-is-a-cold-evening-down-by-one-of-the/) [Elizabeth Bishop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-bishop/) > [I am sorry for people who can't write letters. But I suspect also that you and I ... love to write them because it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-bishop/i-am-sorry-for-people-who-can-t-write-letters-but-i-suspect-also-that/) [Elizabeth Bishop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-bishop/) > [Time to plant tears, says the almanac. The grandmother sings to the marvelous stove and the child draws another inscrutable house.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-bishop/time-to-plant-tears-says-the-almanac-the-grandmother-sings-to-the/) [Elizabeth Bishop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-bishop/) > [“All the untidy activity continues, awful but cheerful.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-bishop/all-the-untidy-activity-continues-awful-but-cheerful/) [Elizabeth Bishop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-bishop/) > [“But they made me realize more than I ever had the rarity of true originality, and also the sort of alienation it might involve.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-bishop/but-they-made-me-realize-more-than-i-ever-had-the-rarity-of-true/) [Elizabeth Bishop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-bishop/) > [“Should we have stayed home and thought of here?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-bishop/should-we-have-stayed-home-and-thought-of-here/) [Elizabeth Bishop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-bishop/) > [“The art of losing isn't hard to master; so many things seem filled with the intent to be lost that their loss is no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-bishop/the-art-of-losing-isn-t-hard-to-master-so-many-things-seem-filled/) [Elizabeth Bishop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-bishop/) > [The armored cars of dreams, contrived to let us do so many a dangerous thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-bishop/the-armored-cars-of-dreams-contrived-to-let-us-do-so-many-a-dangerous/) [Elizabeth Bishop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-bishop/) > [Hoping to live days of greater happiness, I forget that days of less happiness are passing by.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-bishop/hoping-to-live-days-of-greater-happiness-i-forget-that-days-of-less/) [Elizabeth Bishop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-bishop/) > [Someone loves us all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-bishop/someone-loves-us-all/) [Elizabeth Bishop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-bishop/) > [Open the book. (The gilt rubs off the edges of the pages and pollinates the fingertips.)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-bishop/open-the-book-the-gilt-rubs-off-the-edges-of-the-pages-and-pollinates/) [Elizabeth Bishop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-bishop/) > [Democracy in the contemporary world demands, among other things, an educated and informed people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-bishop/democracy-in-the-contemporary-world-demands-among-other-things-an/) [Elizabeth Bishop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-bishop/) > [All my life I have lived and behaved very much like the sandpiper - just running down the edges of different countries and continents,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-bishop/all-my-life-i-have-lived-and-behaved-very-much-like-the-sandpiper/) [Elizabeth Bishop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-bishop/) > [“I leave a lovely opalescent ribbon: I know this.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-bishop/i-leave-a-lovely-opalescent-ribbon-i-know-this/) [Elizabeth Bishop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-bishop/) > [“Each night he must be carried through artificial tunnels and dream recurrent dreams. Just as the ties recur beneath his train, these underlie his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-bishop/each-night-he-must-be-carried-through-artificial-tunnels-and-dream/) [Elizabeth Bishop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-bishop/) [Explore all 75 Elizabeth Bishop quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-bishop/) ## More Hats quotes > [Hats off to starting a franchise younger than we all did in 'Twilight' and keeping your cool. The 'Harry Potter' men and women had,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kellan-lutz/hats-off-to-starting-a-franchise-younger-than-we-all-did-in-twilight/) [Kellan Lutz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kellan-lutz/) > [Meanwhile someone is shining my head to get it dry to attach my top-hat to my head with toupee tape. I get into microphone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tituss-burgess/meanwhile-someone-is-shining-my-head-to-get-it-dry-to-attach-my-top/) [Tituss Burgess](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tituss-burgess/) > [What do you think it is to be normal?' Why in the world would you want to be?' she says. I don't know. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-jones/what-do-you-think-it-is-to-be-normal-why-in-the-world-would-you-want/) [Patrick Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-jones/) > [I wear T-shirts and backwards hats and buy my shoes at Payless!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kaitlyn-bristowe/i-wear-t-shirts-and-backwards-hats-and-buy-my-shoes-at-payless/) [Kaitlyn Bristowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kaitlyn-bristowe/) > [With a project like 'Teachers Lounge,' you're wearing a lot of hats, so it demands hard work and focus if you want to do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-alexandro/with-a-project-like-teachers-lounge-you-re-wearing-a-lot-of-hats-so/) [Ted Alexandro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-alexandro/) > [People think I was born in top hat and tails.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-astaire/people-think-i-was-born-in-top-hat-and-tails/) [Fred Astaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-astaire/) > [Strange, isn't it, that no chemical will give a human being the iridescence that illusions have given them? Give me your hat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anais-nin/strange-isn-t-it-that-no-chemical-will-give-a-human-being-the/) [Anais Nin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anais-nin/) > [There are lots of real men out there - men who could fall in love with you at the drop of a hat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-sparks/there-are-lots-of-real-men-out-there-men-who-could-fall-in-love-with/) [Nicholas Sparks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-sparks/) > [The most peaceful thing in the world is plowing a field. Chances are you’ll do your best thinking that way. And that’s why I’ve…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-most-peaceful-thing-in-the-world-is-plowing-a-field-chances-are/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Any plan where you lose your hat is a bad plan.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-foglio/any-plan-where-you-lose-your-hat-is-a-bad-plan/) [Phil Foglio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-foglio/) > [What I love most about Her Majesty is that she has kept hats alive in people's minds for more than 60 years. You can't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-treacy/what-i-love-most-about-her-majesty-is-that-she-has-kept-hats-alive-in/) [Philip Treacy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-treacy/) > [Iron and coal dominated everywhere, from grey to black: the black boots, the black stove-pipe hat, the black coach or carriage, the black iron…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-mumford/iron-and-coal-dominated-everywhere-from-grey-to-black-the-black-boots/) [Lewis Mumford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-mumford/) > [With hat in hand, one gets on in the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/berthold-auerbach/with-hat-in-hand-one-gets-on-in-the-world/) [Berthold Auerbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/berthold-auerbach/) > [I love hats](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonyaboo/i-love-hats/) [Sonyaboo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonyaboo/) > [I always felt so much more comfortable in the Western. The minute I got a horse and a hat and a pair of boots…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-mccrea/i-always-felt-so-much-more-comfortable-in-the-western-the-minute-i/) [Joel McCrea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-mccrea/) [Browse all 1,272 Hats quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hats/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Exchanging Hats Unfunny uncles who insist in trying on a lady's hat, --oh, even if the joke falls flat, we share your slight transvestite twist in spite of our embarrassment. Costume and custom are complex. The headgear of the other sex inspires us to experiment. Anandrous aunts, who, at the beach with paper plates upon your laps, keep putting on the yachtsmen's caps with exhibitionistic screech, the visors hanging o'er the ear so that the golden anchors drag, --the tides of fashion never lag. Such caps may not be worn next year. Or you who don the paper plate itself, and put some grapes upon it, or sport the Indian's feather bonnet, --perversities may aggravate the natural madness of the hatter. And if the opera hats collapse and crowns grow draughty, then, perhaps, he thinks what might a miter matter? Unfunny uncle, you who wore a hat too big, or one too many, tell us, can't you, are there any stars inside your black fedora? 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