Idiom
tug one's forelock
Meaning
To show deference or obsequious respect.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Examples
“He had to tug his forelock to show respect to the boss.”
“You do not need to tug your forelock to get a promotion here.”
“In the old days, servants were expected to tug their forelock whenever they passed their employer in the hallway.”
“Modern employees should not have to tug their forelock just because the company director enters the room to give a brief update.”
“The villagers felt forced to tug their forelock before the local landlord, a gesture that highlighted the deep social divide of the era.”
Examples
simple
“He had to tug his forelock to show respect to the boss.”
“You do not need to tug your forelock to get a promotion here.”
contextual
“In the old days, servants were expected to tug their forelock whenever they passed their employer in the hallway.”
“Modern employees should not have to tug their forelock just because the company director enters the room to give a brief update.”
complex
“The villagers felt forced to tug their forelock before the local landlord, a gesture that highlighted the deep social divide of the era.”
Origin
Derived from a traditional gesture of deference toward the higher classes, the expression describes a physical motion intended to substitute for a formal bow. The practitioner would pull down a lock of hair at the front of the head, or the peak of a cap if one were worn, as a visible acknowledgement of social rank. Though the physical requirement for the salute has largely vanished, the phrase persists as a shorthand for the act of performing an excessively submissive greeting.
Key words
Related idioms
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