Cud-hat

noun

1. Refers to a straw or palm-leaf cowboy hat that has been purposely stained and crumpled at the factory for a 'distressed' look. Often, the over-exaggerated 'worn' style is achieved through the use of materials that are totally inferior to those used in real straw or palm-leaf hats. Because of this, real cowboys or cowgirls often comment that such hats appear to have been woven from regurgitated rhino cud, hence the name. A cud-hat usually features a tattered crown and curled brim that looks like it has been through a garbage masher. Despite the wearer's claims to the contrary, a cud-hat is neither functional nor stylish; its sad excuse for a brim fails to protect the wearer from the sun's rays, it falls apart if exposed to rain, and its mere presence assures all who see it that the wearer is a vain country/cowboy poser. Most wearers of cud-hats have never even ridden a horse, despite the fact that their cud-hat comically features a stampede string (an adjustable string or strap running under the wearer's chin to keep the hat in place). Cud-hats are most often worn by young female urbanites who wish to project the illusion that they embrace the country lifestyle when in certain situations, such as rodeos or county fairs. Men have also been known to embrace the cud-hat look, thanks to its promotion by neo-country music artists such as Kenny Chesney, Toby Keith and Jason Aldean.