On my way back from the gallery I again passed the cafe and remembered that in other days, when it was a bookstore, on one of the shelves near the floor stood an art book with a red cloth cover.

It says the words probably came from the sport of boxing, or prizefighting. The book says the saying began because a competitor's face was cleaned with a cloth towel or other material.

Allow (as long as it's safe) the baby to touch the book, chew on it (if it's cloth or waterproof), and otherwise physically touch it.