to tug (on) a forelock
- idiom
- Archaic
:
tirar del flequillo
- People in the village were expected to tug their forelock when the squire passed by.
Examples
-
She refused to tug on her forelock just to please those in authority.
-
He seemed reluctant to tug his forelock to the new manager, preferring to speak his mind.
-
In the traditional ceremony, the villagers would tug their forelock to show respect to the chief.
-
As the distinguished guest entered the room, everyone was expected to tug their forelock in appreciation.
-
He always tugs his forelock when meeting someone of higher rank out of respect.
Antonyms
How Respectful
42
7.4
- Formal
5
9.9
132
1.7
- Archaic
442
1.0
Surface Forms
Morphology
The components 'tug' (to pull) and 'forelock' (a lock of hair at the forehead) transparently describe a literal action of pulling a small lock of hair, so a learner can picture the gesture. However, understanding that this specific gesture conventionally signals respect or submission is culturally and pragmatically specific (and 'forelock' is relatively rare), so the full idiomatic meaning is not fully predictable without prior exposure.
Etymology
Tug (on) a forelock comes from an old gesture where people would pull the small front lock of hair—the forelock—when a boss or important person walked by to show they were humble. So the picture of lowering the head and tugging the hair led the phrase to mean 'to show respect or submission'.