It's a simple nod to nautical without going completely overboard. (chicagoparent.com)
(Not being acknowledged with an effortless «hello» or a simple nod of the head reminds me of the times when my ancestors were arbitrarily counted as 3/5 of a whole person. (sciencemag.org)
While this request is usually met with a simple nod by the juice bar attendant, this time the guy looks up and says, «Why no spinach? (thehealthyhomeeconomist.com)