1869. Whyte-Melville, M or N. 'I'll marry a top-sawyer,' he used to say, whenever his uncle broached the question of his settlement in life.
1871. Lowell, Study Windows, 326. Of all who have attempted Homer [Chapman] has the topping merit of being inspired by him.
1872. Hardy, Under Greenwood Tree, iv. 4. I don't like her to come by herself, now she's not so terrible topping in health.
1892. Pall Mall Gaz., 17 Oct., 2. 1. The song 'If I was only long enough' landed me with one bound at the top or the tree.
1898. Gould, Landed at Last, iv. When I have been beaten I have always met a better horse than my own. This year I fancy I shall be on top.
1901. Johnston, Old Dominion, i. I have the most topping fellow in all London for my guest.
3. (colloquial).—To put in a finishing touch; to conclude: spec. to drink (or toss off) a bumper, or to wind up a meal by a special course. Also to top up (or off).
1614. Terence in English [Nares]. Its no heinous offence . . . for a young man to hunt harlots, to toppe off a canne roundly; its no great fault to breake open dores.
1853. Dickens, Bleak House, xi. Four engage to go half-price to the play at night, and top up with oysters. Ibid. (1861), Great Expectations, x. What'll you drink, Mr Gargery; at my expense, to top up with?
1885. Century Mag., xli. 47. A heavy sleep evolved out of sauerkraut, sausages, and cider, lightly topped off with a mountain of crisp waffles.
4. (old).—To snuff (a candle): also top the glim (Grose and Clark Russell). [Amongst work-people, one cried 'Top!' the others followed, the last having to do duty: long obsolete.] See verb 1.
1607. Middleton, Five Gallants, i. 1. Top the candle, sirrah! methinks the light burns blue.
5. (old).—'To cheat, to trick, to insult' (B. E. and Grose); to get the better of (or a bulge on) one (q.v.); spec. to cheat with dice: see quots.
1674. Cotton, Complete Gamester (1681), ii. That is, when they take up both dice, and seem to put them in the box, and shaking the box, you would think them both there, by reason of the ratling occasioned with the screwing of the box, whereas one of them is at the top of the box, between his two forefingers, or secured by thrusting a forefinger into the box.
c. 1696. B. E., Dict. Cant. Crew, s.v. Top. What do you Top upon me? c. do you stick a little Wax to the Dice to keep them together, to get the Chance, you wou'd have? He thought to have Topt upon me, c. he design'd to have Put upon me, Sharpt me, Bullied me, or Affronted me.
6. (venery).—To copulate: see Ride, and cf. tup.
1602. Shakspeare, Othello, v. 2. 136. Othello. Cassio did top her. . . . Thy husband knew it all. . . . Emil. That she was false to wedlock? Othello. Ay, with Cassio.
To cry in top of, verb phr. (old).—(1) To overrule; (2) to talk down, to outspeak.
1596. Shakspeare, Hamlet, ii. 2. 459. Others whose judgments in such matters cried in the top of mine.
To top a clout, verb. phr. (old).—'To draw the corner or end to the top of a person's pocket, in readiness for shaking or drawing, that is, taking out, when a favourable moment occurs, which latter operation is frequently done by a second person.' (Vaux).
To-pan, subs. (Winchester).—'A
large basin of red earthenware
placed in each chamber for washing
the feet in' (Mansfield,
c. 1840).
