"blowing on one's fingers"

[Joel S. Berson]

I believe "blowing on one's fingers" has the same meaning as today's
"twiddling one's thumbs" -- waiting idly for something to
happen.  The phrase is not in the OED per se, but there are two
suggestive quotations:

1611 R. COTGRAVE Dict. French & Eng. Tongues at Ceincture, They
thinke their wiues liue *peakingly at home, and pull strawes..or blow
their fingers.
1819 Sport. Mag. 274 He will blow upon his fingers before Mildmas
[Note Michaelmas].

Does anyone have more data, particularly whether it was common in, or
quotations from, the 18th century?

Joel

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