the idea for this shirt came from a tom waits song on real gone. the song itself is cool enough to inspire a shirt, but the origin of the phrase “hoist that rag” is better, i think.

i’m told it was a theater thing. the same way an audience might call for encore, “hoist that rag” or “hist the rag” or “h’ist the rag” was a demand to raise the curtain and start the show. this bit from the galaxy (full text) sets it up well:

“Half an hour before the time announced for opening the door, the sixty ticket-holders kicked at it so furiously that, after many expostulations and useless thrashings, the manager yeilded, and the audience pouring pell-mell into the theatre, filled it, and instantly began a furious stamping. There were cat-calls, whistling with two fingers, with three fingers, with four fingers, cries of disapprobation at delay, and threats of vengeance. There were successful imitations of every domestic animal. Accordingly, the manager came before the curtain and requested that cries of “hist the rag” and “physic!” and all personal controversies in the pit should cease. ”