A "respectful nod" is a gesture where you slightly lower your head to show acknowledgment or agreement with someone in a polite and considerate way. Full definition
With respectful nods to Matisse, Judy Chicago and Rirkrit Tiravanija's cooking - as - art, the piece was artful, eye - catching, conservative and companionable, all of which Independent is, too. (nytimes.com)
Simplified vehicle, climbing and parachuting sections make respectful nods towards variation, but all the action is restricted to tight corridors. (theguardian.com)
That would have made sense: a unifying, respectful nod to our great country, while still making a break from the past. (inc.com)