Page:Farmer - Slang and its analogues past and present - Volume 7.pdf/170

 Top-diver, subs. phr. (old).—'A Lover of Women. An old Top-diver, one that has Lov'd Old-hat in his time' (B. E. and Grose).

Top-dressing, subs. phr. (journalistic).—An introduction to a report: usually written by an experienced hand and set in larger type.

Tope, verb. (old: now colloquial).—To drink: spec. to drink hard. Hence toper = a confirmed tippler, a soaker (q.v.); to tope it about = to keep the bottle going briskly (B. E. and Grose).

1675. Cotton, Scoffer Scofft, 'Juno and Jupiter.' A sturdy Piece of Flesh, and proper, A merry Grig, and a true Toper.

d. 1680. Butler, Epig., 'On Club of Sots.' The jolly members of a toping club.

1688. Dryden, To Sir Geo. Etherege, 59. If you tope in form, and treat, 'Tis the sour sauce to the sweet meat, The fine you pay for being great.

1694. Motteux, Rabelais, v. xxii. They toped cool sparkling syrup; which went down like mother's milk. Ibid., xlii. Oh! that we gentlemen topers had but necks some three cubits long.

1765. Tucker, Light of Nature, I. i. v. Sits among his fellow topers at the twopenny club.

d. 1796. Burns [Merry Muses (c. 1800), 118]. Three wives, Who often met to tope and chat, And tell odd tales of men.

d. 1845. Hood, Don't You Smell Fire? Was there ever so thirsty an elf?—But he still may tope on.

1877. Besant and Rice, Son of Vulcan, Prol. i. In the public houses the topers keep [New Year's Eve] as they keep every feast  by making it a day more than usually unholy.

Top-heavy, adj. phr. (old).—Drunk: see Screwed (Ray, B. E. and Grose).

Top-honours, subs. phr. (old nautical).—Top-sails.

1700. Prior, Carmen Seculare, 36. Let all the naval World due Homage pay; With hasty Reverence their Top-honours lower.

Top-joint. See Top-o'-reeb.

Toplights. See Top, subs.

Top-lofty, adj. phr. (American).—Pretentious; bombastic; high-falutin (q.v.): also top-loftical.

1879. Congregationalist, 17 Dec. Toploftical talking and inflammatory speeches.

Top-o'-reeb, subs. phr. (back slang).—A pot of beer. Top-joint = a pint of beer.

Top of the Morning, subs. phr. (common).—A cheery greeting.

1855. Taylor, Still Waters, ii. 2. The top of the mornin' to ye, my boy! I'll be off to the City.

Topper, subs. (tramps').—1. A cigar stump; and (2) a plug of tobacco at the bottom of a pipe. Hence topper-hunter = a scavenger of half-smoked and refuse tobacco.

3. (common).—A lanky person; a lamp-post (q.v.).

4. See Top, subs. and verb.

Topping-cheat. See Top, subs. 1.

Top-ropes. To sway away on all top ropes, verb. phr. (old).—To live riotously or extravagantly (Grose).