> as lemmas

1578 T. Garter Commody of Susanna sig. E.iij Oh now thou lyest thou wicked man, vnto thy head I speake, And looke that God his vengeance will with shame vpon thee wreake.

1600 W. Shakespeare Midsummer Night's Dream i. i. 106 Demetrius, Ile auouch it to his heade, Made loue to Nedars daughter, Helena, And won her soule. View more context for this quotation

1607 T. Rogers Faith, Doctr., & Relig. sig. ¶¶¶¶2 The..London Brethren tell K. Iames to his head, how the Subscription..is more then the Lawe requireth.

1680 C. Darby Bacchanalia Epil. 14 As if she wou'd Now tell you, to your Head, 'Tis you alone, But whom she's scorch't, disordred, and undone.

1724 T. Atkinson Diary 15 Mar. in Reg. Officers & Members Soc. Colonial Wars New Hampsh. (1907) 36 The Indian Sd he was a warr^r & if the Govr Denyed it he would tell it to his head.

1759 R. Forster Let. 27 Aug. in Coll. towards Parochial Hist. Berks. (1783) 57 When they [sc. the inhabitants of Shefford] should say, I told him so to his face, they say, I told him so to his head.

a1825 R. Forby Vocab. E. Anglia (1830) (at cited word) We say, ‘I told him so to his head’, not to his face, which is the usual phrase.

1866 Every Sat. 22 Dec. 745/2 If he asked you tenpence a pound for sirloin, and you thought that ninepence was a plenty for it, you would have no scruples about telling him so to his head.

1919 I. Zangwill Jinny the Carrier xiii. 582 That Christy Dolphin [i.e. Christadelphian] stuff..don't bring the peace of God, and Oi'll tell her sow to her head the next time she's at me to be a Jew!

1974 N. Shaw & T. Rosengarten All God's Dangers 163 I said, ‘Don't you hit me with that shovel’—told him to his head, didn't bite my tongue.

2009 J. Burditt Ones in 30 Rock (NBC TV script: shooting draft) 3rd Ser. Episode 19. 6 I love Jack so much, I don't know if I have the strength to tell him to his head.