> as lemmas

1639 J. Taylor Iuniper Lect. viii. 58 He turne away that fine Mistris Minks your maid,..your nose bled forsooth the other day, and you must needes throw your bloody hand-kerchiffe to her.]

1697 M. Pix Innocent Mistress ii. 17 The Handkercheif dropt, a fair invitation.

1749 H. Walpole Let. 20 July in Corr. (1941) IX. 91 Till all the juries of matrons have finished their inquest, one shall not care to make one's choice—I was going to say, throw one's handkerchief.

1764 H. Walpole Let. 5 June (1904) VI. 78 Lord Tavistock has flung his handkerchief to Lady Elizabeth Keppel.

1785 J. O'Keeffe Fontainbleau ii. 27 So, Mr. Mogul, don't drop your handkerchief at my sister.

1825 R. P. Ward Tremaine II. xxxix. 338 I imagine he must do something more than merely throw his handkerchief.

1830 E. Morton Trav. Russia viii. 398 He considered some of the young ones comely enough, but..Madame B— was the lady at whom he should fling the handkerchief.

1870 E. C. Brewer Dict. Phrase & Fable 384/1 ‘The committee was at a loss to know whom to throw the handkerchief to’ (The Times)..the allusion is to the game called in Norfolk ‘Stir up the dumplings’, and by girls ‘Kiss in the ring’.

1932 Times Lit. Suppl. 16 July 506/3 If he hesitate today whether he shall throw the handkerchief to Germany or Russia, does not such an embarrassment prove his power?

1953 G. Heyer Cotillion iii. 46 Don't want to be married. Drop the handkerchief when he chooses.

2007 K. DeYoung Soldier xi. 221 Jordan knew that Powell was a loyal soldier... ‘But that didn't mean I should not drop the handkerchief.’