Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. (UK Und.) golden.

1841		Sheffield Indep. 7 Aug. 5/2: The officer explained that ‘norah owlers’ and ‘ridge quiz’ signified golden eye-glasses.
1848		Ladies’ Repository (N.Y.) Oct. VIII:37 317/1: Ridge Blunt, See Blunt.
1865		Leaves from Diary of Celebrated Burglar 20/2: It happened just then that Tommy was in want of a ‘ridge thimble,’ he having blowed his last one in France.

2. (Aus.) valuable, good.

1923		Bulletin (Sydney) 8 Dec. 22/4: ‘An’ the first thing I done w’en I got to Brisbane was to buy a little bracelet watch - ridge, it was, an’ no brum - an’ I posted it back to the nurse ’oo’d looked after me’ .
1937–84		Partridge DSUE (1984) 975/1: since ca. 1930.
1939		Williamstown Chron. (Vic.) 15 Apr. 2/3: ‘Remember, folks, the heading of this column (They Say), and what they say in my hearing and I check up on is ‘ridge’ (right) .
1949		Mirror (Perth) 13 Aug. 6/3: With all the galahs and dills that’ll drag in this yike, it’d be ridge to have someone who’s a wake-up to yabber with.
1953		K. Tennant Joyful Condemned 4: ‘What’s the idea?’ Hector demanded. ‘It’s ridge, Hec,’ she assured him. ‘He won’t come here again.’.
1967		‘Whisper All Aussie Dict.’ in Kings Cross Whisper (Sydney) xxxix 4/4: ridge or ridgery didge: True for real.
1971		D. Ireland Unknown Industrial Prisoner 130: I convinced her the whole thing was ridge!