1857. Carlyle, Miscell., iv. 95. The man was but tipsified when he went; happily when he returned, which was very late, he was drunk.
1886. D. Teleg., 12 Jan. That apparently innocuous beverage which has hitherto passed itself off as the teetotaller's tipple.
1888. Denton, Eng. in 15th Century, 203. Still adulteration went on, and at almost every manor court the tipplers . . . those who sold the ale not those who drank it . . . were fined.
Tippybobs, subs. (American).—The
wealthy classes (Bartlett).
Tip-top, subs. adj. and adv. (colloquial).—The
best; first-rate; in
the highest degree: hence tip-topper
(Grose).
English Synonyms. A 1; about East; about right; above par; all brandy; all there; all the way; as good as they make it; as good as wheat; at par; bang up; Bible; bobbish; boiler-plated; bona; bully; cheery; the cheese; cheesy; chic; clean potato; clean wheat; clinking; clipping; crack; creamy; crushing; a corker; a daisy; dossy; downy; down to the ground; doubled-distilled; first chop; first-rate-and-a-half; fizzing; fly; gamey; hunky; jammy; jonnick; lummy; nap; out-and-out; pink; plummy; proper; pure quill; real jam; right as ninepence; ripping; rooter; rum; screaming; scrumptious; ship-shape; slap-up; slick; splash up; splendacious; splendiferous; to the knocker; to the nines; to rights; true marmalade; tsing-tsing; up to Dick. See also Whopper.
French Synonyms. Abracadabrant; aux petits oignons; aux pommes; bath (or bate); du flan; hurf; un peu ça; bath aux pommes; chenâtre; chic (or chicque); chicard; chicancardo; chicandard; chocnoso; chocnosof; chocnosogue; koscnoff; chouette; chouettard; chouettaud; épatant; épatarouflant; farineux; flambant; frais (ironically); grand'largue (sailors'); mirobolant; muche; numero un; obéliscal; ruisselant d'inouisme; rup (or rupin); schpile; sgoff; snoboye; superlifico (or superlificoquentieux) = splendiferous; tapé.
d.1720. Vanbrugh, Provoked Husband, iii. 1. Everything that accomplishes a fine lady is practised . . . she herself is at the very tip top of it. . . . In tip-top spirits.
1766. Goldsmith, Vicar, ix. What appeared amiss was ascribed to tip-top quality breeding.
1772. Bridges, Burlesque Homer, 361. They're of the very tip-top breed.
1849. Thackeray, Hoggarty Diamond, iv. He was at the West End on Thursday, asked to dine, ma'am, with the tip-top nobs.
1866. Eliot, Felix Holt, xvii. That . . . Stake it, means the tip-top—and nobody can get higher than that, I think.
1866. London Misc., 3 Mar., 58. 3. No little let-down for a cove that's been tip-topper in his time.
1874. Siliad, 92. While shop-boys, trying tip-top swells to be, Have robbed the till, and call for S. and B.
1882. Century Mag., xxxv. 621. 'That suits us tip-top, ma'am,' said the coxswain.
1885. Field, 26 Dec. Several other tip-toppers being behind the pair. Ibid. (1886), 23 Jan. I promised to provide them with tip-top shooting for one season.
1891. Carew, Autobiog., 416. As fly a bewer she were, as ever chucked a stall, a reg'lar tip-top tam-tart.
1899. Whiteing, John St., v. You should see 'em goin' out o' Saturday nights, tiptop. Won't speak to nobody.
1900. Lynch, High Stakes, xxxii. I've lost my bearings; used to know all the tip-top fences—see!
Tique, subs. (Harrow).—1. Arithmetic;
and (2) mathematics.
[Warner: from a French
master's peculiar English.]
