> as lemmas

a1450 York Plays (1885) 463 (MED) Þer Jewes..sawe..þis wondir sight..wroght vndir þer nose.

1548 Hall's Vnion: Henry V f. xxxviii Why doth your grace..couet a countrey farre from your sight, before a realme vnder your nose?

1587 W. Harrison Hist. Descr. Iland Brit. (new ed.) ii. i. 138/2 in Holinshed's Chron. (new ed.) I In some places where the kings and princes dwelled not vnder his [sc. the Pope's] nose.

1607 J. Norden Surueyors Dialogue i. 7 You are but a meane obseruer of the course..of things passing dayly under your nose.

1670 C. Cotton tr. G. Girard Hist. Life Duke of Espernon i. iv. 153 They..suffer'd the Duke..to continue his work under their noses.

1707 J. Freind Acct. Earl of Peterborow's Conduct in Spain 240 His Lordship procur'd and bought near 800 Horses, under the Enemies nose.

1749 J. Cleland Mem. Woman of Pleasure I. 20 I being actually hired under the nose of the good woman that kept the office, whose shrewd smiles and shrugs I could not help observing.

1794 R. B. Sheridan Duenna (new ed.) iii. 63 They continue to sin under my very nose.

1809 W. Irving Hist. N.Y. I. iii. viii. 188 So daring did these men of Pyquag become, that they extended those plantations of onions..under the very noses of the garrison of Fort Goed Hoop.

1858 ‘G. Eliot’ Mr. Gilfil's Love-story i, in Scenes Clerical Life I. 162 A parson, always under your nose on your own estate.

1912 J. Conrad Some Reminisc. iv. 128 I was composed enough to perceive..the matchbox lying there on the mantelpiece right under my nose.

1991 Times 17 Dec. 21/1 Rolls-Royce has won a £500 million order from under the noses of American arch rivals.