I presented Joe to Herbert, who held out his hand; but Joe backed from it, and held on by the bird's-nest

I presented Joe to Herbert, who held out his hand; but Joe backed from it, and held on by the bird’s-nest.

– Charles Dickens

Great Expectations, Chapter 27. Joe feels embarrassed and out of place in Pip’s London home. When Pip introduces him to his friend and fellow lodger Herbert Pocket, Joe awkwardly declines his hand. Instead he clings tightly onto his hat, which in a metaphor is likened to a bird’s nest.

Charles Dickens Quotes