▪ I. topper, n.1
(ˈtɒpə(r))
[f. top v.1 + -er1.]
1. a. A person or thing that tops; one who cuts off the top of a tree; an instrument for topping (top v.1 4, 7); a candle-snuffer; a comb-maker's equilateral single-cut file or float.
| 1688 R. Holme Armoury iii. 381/2 A pair of Snuffers, or a pair of Toppers. 1874 Knight Dict. Mech. s.v. Float, A single-cut file, or one in which the teeth are parallel and unbroken by a second row of crossing teeth... The floats of comb-makers and ivory-carvers..are known by specific names, as graille, found, carlet, topper. 1883 H. Walker in Leisure Hour 505/1 Beeches unscathed by topper and lopper. 1895 Oracle Encycl. II. 125/1 Finished off with wedge-shaped files, called the graille, carlet, topper, &c. |
† b. One who ‘tops’ (top v.1 17 a) at dice; a cheating gamester. Obs. rare.
| 1671 Shadwell Humourist iii. Wks. 1720 I. 174 Nor is it five months, since I saw you..by help of a dozen men, chastise one poor Topper or Palmer. |
c. A horse or rider that tops a fence.
| 1854 J. W. Warter Last of Old Squires xii. 133 A fence that would have baulked a Leicestershire topper. |
2. One who makes or adds the top to something; one who works at the upper part of a garment.
| 1884 E. Simcox in 19th Cent. June 1041 A shirtmaker proper, otherwise called a ‘topper’. 1905 Daily Chron. 23 June 8/7 Shirt Hands.—Wanted a few good button⁓holers and toppers. |
3. An action, remark, etc., that puts a finishing touch to what has gone before, esp. an outrageous one or one that cannot be capped. Cf. top v.1 12 b.
| 1939 J. O'Hara Pal Joey (1940) 98 It was a famous historical topper when Josephine was informed that the poor people did not have any bread and she said ‘Why don't they eat some cake’. 1973 Black Panther 6 Oct. 6/3 The topper is that Foster completes this vicious cycle with a cold beg..to get his money under the..Law Enforcement Assistance Act. 1977 Amer. Film July-Aug. 18/1 The shot was part of a gag..a ‘topper’ that Keaton used to finish off a duel between two Civil War locomotives. 1977 New Yorker 12 Sept. 92/3 ‘Will you do me a favor and take me over to the Carnegie Deli..?’ The driver said sure, swung off his bus route, and deposited Henny at the door. Henny's topper? He got off the bus and said, ‘Pick me up in twenty minutes.’ |
▪ II. topper, n.2 Chiefly slang or low colloq.
(ˈtɒpə(r))
[f. top n.1 + -er1; in some uses perh. f. senses of top v.1]
1. a. A ‘top’ thing or person; a person or thing surpassingly or exceptionally good or excellent; the best or one of the best of the kind. colloq.
| 1709 Brit. Apollo II. No. 2. 3/2 A Bowl that is full of Punch, of all these is the Topper. 1802 R. Anderson Bards of Tyne 22 The king's meade a bit of a speech, And gentle⁓fwok say it's a topper. 1825 Brockett N.C. Words, Topper, any thing superior—a clever, or extraordinary person. 1828 Craven Gloss. s.v., This coat's a topper for turning rain. 1891 A. Lang Angling Sk. 115 He gets flurried with a big fish... And this one is a topper. 1894 Sir J. D. Astley 50 Years Life I. 59 He was a real good fellow then, and..he is a topper now. |
b. U.S. Mil. slang. A first sergeant. Cf. top sergeant s.v. top n.1 34.
| 1918 Radiator 22 Aug. 2 Sergeant Hulbert, the ‘topper’ of 95. 1937 Our Army (U.S.) Jan. 19 ‘I'm sure there's no Lieutenant McGonigle here,’ replies the Topper. |
2. a. A top-hat, a tall hat. slang and colloq.
| 1820 Sporting Mag. VI. 269 The wind blew his white topper out of the ring. 1885 Jessopp in 19th Cent. July 48 We all wear black coats and dark trousers and ‘toppers’, at least in London. 1905 H. A. Vachell The Hill v, The ‘topper’ you wear on Sunday. |
b. A kind of loose-fitting jacket or short coat worn by women or children. orig. and chiefly U.S.
| 1937 Los Angeles Times 2 Sept. 5/1 (Advt.), Soft, fluffy casual toppers tailored in the best British way. 1938 Sears, Roebuck Catal. Spring/Summer 20/2 The absolutely perfect topper coat. 1948 N.Y. Times Mag. 8 Feb. 38 (Advt.), A boxy topper with cardigan neckline. 1960 News Chron. 22 July 6/4 Attractive little top jackets (‘toppers’). 1972 Country Life 30 Nov. 1533 Printed dress..worn with a topper jacket in orange wool. 1978 Detroit Free Press 4 Mar. d10/4 (Advt.), There are girls' topper sets and perky dresses. |
3. A blow on the ‘top’ or head. slang.
| 1785 Sessions Papers 6 Apr. 571/2 One of them said, damn his eyes, give him a topper at once. 1803 in Occasional Papers Univ. Sydney Austral. Lang. Res. Centre (1980) No. 18. 44 He..had ‘knocked him down and given him a topper for luck!’ 1834 H. Ainsworth Rookwood iv. ii, Vile Jem..Straight threatened Tommy with a topper. 1887 Fenn Dick o' Fens xvi, How I should have liked to give him a topper with the pole. |
4. pl. The largest and finest fruit (esp. strawberries) displayed at the top of a punnet or package; cf. to top one's fruit (top v.1 9 c). slang.
| 1839 Mogridge Old Humphrey's Observ. 252 There are toppers in dress,..and toppers in religion, as well as toppers in strawberries. 1891 Brit. Workman Aug., The punnet was a very bad case of what is generally bad enough at the best—of ‘toppers’. The few good berries at the top were the only good ones. 1898 Daily Tel. 2 Mar. 5/4 Has a keen eye for ‘toppers’..the attractive oranges which are displayed in the first row in order to entice buyers. |
5. A large wave with curling or breaking summit.
| 1863 N. Macleod Remin. Highl. Parish iii, Quick as lightning the little craft, having again gathered way,..is spinning over the third topper, not a drop of water having come over the lee gunwale. |
6. A cigar-stump or cigarette-end; also, the remains of tobacco in a pipe-bowl. slang.
| 1874 Hotten Slang Dict. 327 Topper, the tobacco which is left in the bottom of a pipe-bowl..; or the stump of a smoked cigar. 1888 in Cassell's Encycl. Dict. 1902 Westm. Gaz. 13 Nov. 5/1 It was his custom to rise before daybreak every morning and search the streets of the West End,..picking up the ends of cigarettes and cigars commonly known as ‘toppers’. |
Hence ˈtopper v., trans. to knock on the head; to kill by a ‘topper’ or blow on the head. ˈtoppering vbl. n. slang.
| 1829 P. Egan Boxiana 2nd Ser. II. 671 The topper-ing system was in full practice, till poor Cock Robin went down quite exhausted! 1869 E. Farmer Scrap Bk. (ed. 6) 128 Full ninety [rats] had died, Without counting seven they'd topper'd outside. |
▪ III. topper
obs. dial. form of tapper1.