top drawern.adj.

Brit.

/ˌtɒp ˈdrɔː/, U.S.

/ˌtɑp ˈdrɔr/

Origin: Formed within English, by compounding. Etymons: top adj., drawer n.

Etymology: < top adj. + drawer n.

Chiefly British and Irish English.

A. n.

1. With the. The highest social class or group; the elite. Chiefly in prepositional phrases, esp. out of the top drawer, indicating that a person belongs to such a class or group.

ΘΚΠ

society > society and the community > social class > nobility > aristocracy or upper class > [noun]

optimacy1579

aristocracy1651

great world1699

peerage1725

well-connected1788

governing class1795

patriciate1795

well-connected1831

caste1842

(the) salt of the earth1842

the leisured class(es1848

japonicadom1851

countyocracy1859

masterclass1861

proprietariat1872

four hundred1888

the Establishment1923

gratin1934

power élite1942

U1954

upper1955

topside1958

1905 H. A. Vachell Hill i Such boys as a rule don't come out of the top drawer.

1944 A. Thirkell Headmistress (1996) ii. 53 Quite a good lot of girls too. Not exactly out of the top drawer, but that's all the better for them nowadays.

1958 ‘A. Bridge’ Portuguese Escape iii. 42 The composed decision that somehow had so much distinction. ‘She is out of the top drawer, isn't she?’

1995 Independent 13 Feb. 14/2 They believe that people are defined by their travel arrangements; that businessmen are the top drawer of society.

2. With the. The highest level in excellence or quality. Only in prepositional phrases, esp. out of the top drawer, indicating that something is of the highest quality.

ΚΠ

1911 Evening News (Sydney) 3 June 4/4 Some are quite out of the top drawer.

1948 Daily Tel. 25 June 3/1 Morris's 105 was right out of the top drawer.

2011 Daily Tel. 14 Mar. 29/1 Terence Rattigan's Flare Path (1942), rarely ranked in the top drawer of his plays, emerges..as a three-handkerchief weepie.

2014 Today's Golfer Mar. 110/1 The golf on offer is right out of the top drawer.

B. adj.

1. Belonging to an elite, superior, or privileged group; esp. belonging to a high social class. Also: of, relating to, or characteristic of such a group.

ΘΚΠ

society > society and the community > social class > nobility > aristocracy or upper class > [adjective]

aristocratic1596

select1602

qualified1604

patrician?1614

classical1629

aristocratical1742

ruffle-shirted1805

connected1817

thoroughbred1821

upper1825

eupatrid1833

optimate1846

classy1870

silver-tailed1890

upper-bracket1945

upscale1966

1920 R. Macaulay Potterism i. i. 10 The Potter family, however respectable now, wasn't really ‘top-drawer’.

1960 Guardian 25 June 4/4 The word ‘Hampstead’ with all its associations of top-drawer socialism.

1976 Time 20 Dec. 10/3 Tanaka and four other Diet members linked to Lockheed's scheme to buy top-drawer influence and stimulate sales with more than $2 million in bribes were re-elected by loyal rural constituencies.

1977 C. McCullough Thorn Birds vii. 149 Quite respectable, socially admissible, but not top drawer. Never top drawer.

2006 Attitude Nov. 10/1 Bobbi has become a top-drawer socialite on the US party scene.

2. Of the highest quality; first-class.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > goodness and badness > quality of being good > excellence > [adjective] > very excellent or first-rate

gildenc1225

prime1402

rare1483

grand1542

holy1599

pre-excelling1600

paregal1602

classic1604

of (the) first rate1650

solary1651

first rate1674

superb1720

tip-top1722

tip-top-gallant1730

swell1819

topping1822

of the first (also finest, best, etc.) water1826

No. 11829

brag1836

A11837

A No. 11838

number one1839

awful1843

bully1851

first class1852

class1867

champion1880

too1881

tipping1887

alpha plus1898

bonzer1898

grade A1911

gold star1917

world-ranking1921

five-star1936

too much1937

first line1938

vintage1939

supercolossal1947

top1953

alpha1958

fantabulous1959

beauty1963

supercool1965

world-class1967

primo1973

1938 Sun (Sydney) 12 Jan. 23 (advt.) ‘Top drawer’ clothes. ‘Top drawer’, a turn of English slang, so ably expresses quality in all its excellence that we use it to describe these fine clothes... Truly ‘top-drawer’ in quality, but fair in price.

1944 Billboard Mus. Year Bk. 56/1 However, it [sc. the air] hasn't been kind to all voices even if the voices technically were top drawer.

1959 Vogue Dec. 61 (advt.) Vedonis also make top-drawer ladies' underwear, top-drawer sweaters, nightwear..and bed jackets. They're top-drawer because everything about Vedonis is so good.

2015 Time Out London 25 Aug. 56/3 (advt.) We have top-drawer photographers taking pictures of our houses.

This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, September 2022).

单词	top drawer
释义	top drawern.adj. Brit. /ˌtɒp ˈdrɔː/, U.S. /ˌtɑp ˈdrɔr/ Origin: Formed within English, by compounding. Etymons: top adj., drawer n. Etymology: < top adj. + drawer n. Chiefly British and Irish English. A. n. 1. With the. The highest social class or group; the elite. Chiefly in prepositional phrases, esp. out of the top drawer, indicating that a person belongs to such a class or group. ΘΚΠ society > society and the community > social class > nobility > aristocracy or upper class > [noun] optimacy1579 aristocracy1651 great world1699 peerage1725 well-connected1788 governing class1795 patriciate1795 well-connected1831 caste1842 (the) salt of the earth1842 the leisured class(es1848 japonicadom1851 countyocracy1859 masterclass1861 proprietariat1872 four hundred1888 the Establishment1923 gratin1934 power élite1942 U1954 upper1955 topside1958 1905 H. A. Vachell Hill i Such boys as a rule don't come out of the top drawer. 1944 A. Thirkell Headmistress (1996) ii. 53 Quite a good lot of girls too. Not exactly out of the top drawer, but that's all the better for them nowadays. 1958 ‘A. Bridge’ Portuguese Escape iii. 42 The composed decision that somehow had so much distinction. ‘She is out of the top drawer, isn't she?’ 1995 Independent 13 Feb. 14/2 They believe that people are defined by their travel arrangements; that businessmen are the top drawer of society. 2. With the. The highest level in excellence or quality. Only in prepositional phrases, esp. out of the top drawer, indicating that something is of the highest quality. ΚΠ 1911 Evening News (Sydney) 3 June 4/4 Some are quite out of the top drawer. 1948 Daily Tel. 25 June 3/1 Morris's 105 was right out of the top drawer. 2011 Daily Tel. 14 Mar. 29/1 Terence Rattigan's Flare Path (1942), rarely ranked in the top drawer of his plays, emerges..as a three-handkerchief weepie. 2014 Today's Golfer Mar. 110/1 The golf on offer is right out of the top drawer. B. adj. 1. Belonging to an elite, superior, or privileged group; esp. belonging to a high social class. Also: of, relating to, or characteristic of such a group. ΘΚΠ society > society and the community > social class > nobility > aristocracy or upper class > [adjective] aristocratic1596 select1602 qualified1604 patrician?1614 classical1629 aristocratical1742 ruffle-shirted1805 connected1817 thoroughbred1821 upper1825 eupatrid1833 optimate1846 classy1870 silver-tailed1890 upper-bracket1945 upscale1966 1920 R. Macaulay Potterism i. i. 10 The Potter family, however respectable now, wasn't really ‘top-drawer’. 1960 Guardian 25 June 4/4 The word ‘Hampstead’ with all its associations of top-drawer socialism. 1976 Time 20 Dec. 10/3 Tanaka and four other Diet members linked to Lockheed's scheme to buy top-drawer influence and stimulate sales with more than $2 million in bribes were re-elected by loyal rural constituencies. 1977 C. McCullough Thorn Birds vii. 149 Quite respectable, socially admissible, but not top drawer. Never top drawer. 2006 Attitude Nov. 10/1 Bobbi has become a top-drawer socialite on the US party scene. 2. Of the highest quality; first-class. ΘΚΠ the mind > goodness and badness > quality of being good > excellence > [adjective] > very excellent or first-rate gildenc1225 prime1402 rare1483 grand1542 holy1599 pre-excelling1600 paregal1602 classic1604 of (the) first rate1650 solary1651 first rate1674 superb1720 tip-top1722 tip-top-gallant1730 swell1819 topping1822 of the first (also finest, best, etc.) water1826 No. 11829 brag1836 A11837 A No. 11838 number one1839 awful1843 bully1851 first class1852 class1867 champion1880 too1881 tipping1887 alpha plus1898 bonzer1898 grade A1911 gold star1917 world-ranking1921 five-star1936 too much1937 first line1938 vintage1939 supercolossal1947 top1953 alpha1958 fantabulous1959 beauty1963 supercool1965 world-class1967 primo1973 1938 Sun (Sydney) 12 Jan. 23 (advt.) ‘Top drawer’ clothes. ‘Top drawer’, a turn of English slang, so ably expresses quality in all its excellence that we use it to describe these fine clothes... Truly ‘top-drawer’ in quality, but fair in price. 1944 Billboard Mus. Year Bk. 56/1 However, it [sc. the air] hasn't been kind to all voices even if the voices technically were top drawer. 1959 Vogue Dec. 61 (advt.) Vedonis also make top-drawer ladies' underwear, top-drawer sweaters, nightwear..and bed jackets. They're top-drawer because everything about Vedonis is so good. 2015 Time Out London 25 Aug. 56/3 (advt.) We have top-drawer photographers taking pictures of our houses. This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, September 2022). < n.adj.1905
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