topping, n.² — Green’s Dictionary of Slang

topping n.²

1. execution by hanging; also attrib.

a.1790		H.T. Potter New Dict. Cant (1795).
1809		G. Andrewes Dict. Sl. and Cant.
1812		Vaux Vocab. of the Flash Lang. in McLachlan (1964) 238: dues [...] like many other cant terms, it is not easily explained on paper: for example, speaking of a man likely to go to jail, one will say, there will be quodding dues concerned, of a man likely to be executed; there will be topping dues [etc.].
1821		Flash Dict.
1835		G. Kent Modern Flash Dict.
1848		Flash Dict. in Sinks of London Laid Open.
1928		R.J. Tasker Grimhaven 28: Do they talk about topping?
1958		F. Norman Bang To Rights 173: The day after a topping it is all forgotten and nobody ever speaks of it again.

2. suicide; also attrib.

1995		J. Cameron Vinnie Got Blown Away 11: Put him on the topping list, meant they looked in once a night if you’re lucky.
2000		P. Temple Dead Point (2008) [ebook] It’s a bit like suicide [...] Toppin’s a bit like hide and seek, know what I mean?

topping cheat (n.) [cheat n. (1); lit. ‘hanging thing’]

(UK Und.) the gallows.

1674		Head Canting Academy (2nd edn) n.p.: Topping-cheat The Gallows.
c.1698		B.E. Dict. Canting Crew [as cit. 1674].
1725		New Canting Dict. [as cit. 1674].
1737, 1759, 1760, 1776		Bailey Universal Etym. Eng. Dict. [as cit. 1674].
1785, 1788, 1796		Grose Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue.
1811		Lex. Balatronicum.
1823		Egan Grose’s Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue.
1830		Lytton Paul Clifford I 28: If you cheats toppingly, you may laugh at the topping cheat.

topping cove (n.) [cove n. (1)]

1. (UK Und.) a hangman.

1674		Head Canting Academy (2nd edn) 181: Toppin Cove The Hangman.
c.1698		B.E. Dict. Canting Crew n.p.: Topping-Cove c. the hangman.
1725		New Canting Dict. [as cit. c.1698].
1737, 1759, 1760, 1776		Bailey Universal Etym. Eng. Dict. [as cit. c.1698].
c.1750–1882		B.M. Carew Life and Adventures.
1785, 1788, 1796		Grose Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue.
a.1790		H.T. Potter New Dict. Cant (1795).
1809		G. Andrewes Dict. Sl. and Cant.
1811		Lex. Balatronicum.
1823		Egan Grose’s Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue.
1835		G. Kent Modern Flash Dict.
1848		Flash Dict. in Sinks of London Laid Open.
1859		Matsell Vocabulum.
1895		Crowe Aus. Sl. Dict. 87: Topping Cove, the hangman.

2. see also compounds under topping adj.

topping match (n.)

a judicial hanging.

1840

Flash Mirror 21: Drags let our for parties going to [...] topping-matches, and other amusements.

topping shed (n.)

that part of a prison in which the gallows is kept.

1937		E. Raymond Marsh 317: ‘Where’s the condemned cell?’ ‘Next to the toppin’ shed, matey.’.
1956		‘Charles Raven’ Und. Nights 106: P.O. Ferris was the officer in charge of E wing, which contains the chokey [...] and the topping (or execution) shed.
1962		F. Norman Guntz 45: A man in the topping shed on the morning of his judicial murder is often dragged to the scaffold by his barnet.
1989		in G. Tremlett Little Legs 166: Years ago it [i.e. Pentonville prison] used to have a topping-shed.
2001		Guardian G2 29 Jan. 6: The ‘topping shed’ where James Hanratty was hanged 40 years ago has been demolished.