Brewer's: Manche

(French). Aimer mieux la manche que le bras. Cupboard love. Manche is a slang word; a gratuity given to a cicerone cabman, or porter. It is the Italian buona mancia.

Jeter le manche apres la cognée.
To throw the helve after the hatchet. To abandon what may be useful, out of caprice, because a part of what you expected has not been realised. A horse is stolen, and the man, in ill-temper, throws away saddle and bridle.
Source: Dictionary of Phrase and Fable, E. Cobham Brewer, 1894
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