An idiom meaning "without hesitation" or "rawther eagerly" because people used to signal the start of a race, or other sport, by dropping a hat.

Now-a-days people use a gun to shoot the person they're betting against and everyone starts running 'cause they're afraid it might be them. But nobody ever says "at the shot of a gun".

An album by comedy duo Flanders and Swann. (Its followup was "At the Drop of Another Hat.")

Contains:

• Introduction
• A Transport of Delights
• Song of Reproduction
• The Gnu Song
• Design for Living
• Songs for our Time: Philological Waltz
• Satellite Moon
• A Happy Song
• A Song of the Weather
• The Reluctant Cannibal
• Misalliance
• Madeira M'dear
• The Hippopotamus Song