Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. (US) of both people and objects, wonderful, marvellous, excellent; thus you’re aces!

1901		‘Hugh McHugh’ Down the Line 96: Those musicale things would be aces if the music didn’t set them back.
1916		J. Lait ‘Omaha Slim’ in Beef, Iron and Wine (1917) 117: Your dope is all aces.
1925		Gleason & Taber Is Zat So? I i: chick: Gee, Hap, do you think it’s all right? hap: Aces, you sap!
1936		Cab Calloway ‘Copper Colored Gal’ 🎵 Oh, gee, sweet as can be, / You’re aces with me, / I mean, aces high.
1936		Wodehouse ‘Trouble Down at Tudsleigh’ in Young Men in Spats 75: ‘Don’t you love “Locksley Hall”?’ ‘Oh, rather. And the “Lady of Shalott”. ‘And “Maud”?’ ‘Aces,’ said Freddie.
1937		P. Cheyney Dames Don’t Care (1960) 33: The way she has her hair done is aces. It is swell.
1942		R. Chandler High Window 143: ‘Oh, yes,’ she said. ‘Yes, indeed.’ Leslie was aces. With her.
1951		J.D. Salinger Catcher in the Rye (1958) 54: You’re aces, Ackley kid.
1962		(con. WWII) J.O. Killens And Then We Heard The Thunder (1964) 427: She’s aces, mytes, and she’s full quid all the way.
1971		N. Smith Gumshoe (1998) 59: I’m aces with crushing remarks.
1979		G. Wolff Duke of Deception (1990) 179: He loved his stepmother. ‘Tootie was aces.’.
1983		R. Price Breaks 240: You’re fuckin’ aces, kid!
1991		R.G. Barratt ‘Aunty’s Aces’ in What Do You Reckon (1997) [ebook] Apart from that [...] Aunty’s aces by me.
2004		E. Weiner Drop Dead, My Lovely (2005) 24: ‘Boss? A Ms. Flonger to see you.’ ‘Aces, Miss Constantino. Show her in.’.
2017		S.M. Jones August Snow [ebook] ‘And I would do this for you—why?’ I shrugged. ‘Because you think I’m aces?’.

2. (US, also aces up) esteemed, well-respected, favoured.

1903		‘Hugh McHugh’ Out for the Coin 34: Murf [...] you’re aces up with me from this moment.
1905		H. Green Actors’ Boarding House (1906) 355: You, who used to be aces with all the chorus girls, too!
1937		J. Tully Bruiser 35: A gut who can tear Maley to pieces is aces up with me.
1943		‘“Ace” and its Progeny’ in AS XVIII:1 Feb. 72/1: aces up. Excellent, pleasing.
1990		S. Morgan Homeboy 369: But I’m aces with the A.B. here.
1999		E. Bunker Mr Blue 60: Anybody’d nail that piece of shit is aces with me.