Keep it under your hat! Careless talk costs lives
Loose-talk security sheet: a large black helmet fills the upper half, with the quoted slogan 'Keep it under your hat!' in heavy type below and 'Careless talk costs lives' in a lighter face. The fear-appeal is carried by the slogan alone; no casualty or enemy is shown. The pun joins the helmet to the verb 'keep'.
Propaganda techniques used in this poster
- Date
- 1941
- Period
- Second World War
- Made by
- G-2, VI Army Corps
- Region
- North America
- Country
- United States
- Medium
- Poster
- Issuer type
- Military
- Regime
- Roosevelt Administration
- Leader
- Franklin D. Roosevelt
- Audience
- Mixed
- Purpose
- Warn or inform
- Themes
- Security and surveillance, War and the military
- Event
- World War II
- Regime
- Roosevelt administration
- Leader
- Franklin D. Roosevelt
- Source
- Identified Openly sourced: the speaker is who they say they are
- Source
- U.S. National Archives and Records Administration, Record Group 44, World War II Posters, retrieved October 4, 2026
- Rights
- Public domain (U.S. government work)
G-2, VI Army Corps. National Archives and Records Administration, RG 44, 44-PA-1193 (NAID 514799).
Text on the object
"Keep it under your hat!" CARELESS TALK COSTS LIVES G-2 VI ARMY CORPS 1 [handwritten: 44-PA-1193]
