doff one's hat to

doff one's hat to (third-person singular simple present doffs one's hat to, present participle doffing one's hat to, simple past and past participle doffed one's hat to)

1. To acknowledge praise towards (someone or something).
   • 1851, George Borrow, Lavengro; The Scholar - the Gypsy - the Priest, volume I, page 209:

     I doffed my hat to the wondrous horse, the fast trotter, the best in mother England; and I too drew a deep ah! and repeated the words of the old fellows around. "Such a horse as this we shall never see again; a pity that he is so old."

   • 2011, Godfrey B. Tangwa, No Trifling Matter: Contributions of an Uncompromising Critic to the Democratic Process in Cameroon, page 15:

     I doff my hat to Mr President of the Republic as he celebrates his eighth anniversary of accession to the pinnacle of political power.

   • 2014, Barbara J. Lehman et al., Creating Books for the Young in the New South Africa‎, page 69:

     Perhaps this is why she enjoys writing series (doffing her hat to all the series she read as a child).