Chiefly slang or low colloq. [f. TOP sb.1 + -ER1; in some uses perh. f. senses of TOP v.1]
1. 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 gentlefwok 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. Astley, 50 Years Life, I. 59. He was a real good fellow then, and … he is a topper now.
2. 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.
3. A blow on the ‘top’ or head. slang.
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 March, 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.
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 Topper v., trans. to knock on the head; to kill by a ‘topper’ or blow on the head. slang.
1869. E. Farmer, Scrap Bk. (ed. 6), 128. Full ninety [rats] had died, Without counting seven they’d topper’d outside.
