tug one's forelock

Verb

tug one's forelock (third-person singular simple present tugs one's forelock, present participle tugging one's forelock, simple past and past participle tugged one's forelock)

1. (idiomatic, intransitive, often satirical or contemptuous) To show deference or obsequious respect.
   • These students were quite capable of tugging their forelocks while raising two fingers behind their backs (Newby, 1977), i.e. producing deferential behaviour as part of a more complicated game of manipulation.1988, David Corson, Education for Work: Background to Policy and Curriculum, page 228
   • "Aw, lay off, will you? It's part of my job, you know that." "Yeah, bowing and scraping and tugging your forelock to all those rich old crones. Somebody's chauffeur probably got a scratch on the El Dorado, huh?"2013, William G. Tapply, The Dutch Blue Error

   Synonyms:

   bow and scrape, pull one's forelock, touch one's forelock