Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. as an intensifier, total, utter.

1901		Fitzroy City Press (Vic.) 15 Nov. 3/6: Victoria is filled with false pride at what her officials are pleased to consider the super-excellence of her prison system.
1924		Advertiser (Adelaide) 13 June 16/8: Every trade or profession has its super expert. There is the super-chef, super-jockey, super-dancer.
1929		C.G. Gordon Crooks of the Und. 110: I have never yet come across anything approaching the Raffles or super-cracksman yet.
1939		H. Miller Tropic of Capricorn (1964) 177: Then there is the one cunt which is all, and this we shall call the super-cunt.
1940		S. Longstreet Decade 201: Remember this, Erica [...] this super-swine with a half-nelson on God will run out of victims in time.
1951		I.L. Idriess Across Nullarbor 17: ‘Super-optimists!’ I murmured.
1970		J. Bouton Ball Four 78: I thought, boy, this guy is some kind of super rat.
1982		W. Wharton Midnight Clear 111: Dirty Nazi Aryan super fuckers.
1994		J. O’Connor Secret World of the Irish Male (1995) 87: Something should be done about this pantheon of Dublin superbores.
2001		‘John le Carré’ Constant Gardener 275: I’m still the same ruthless bitch who likes leading men around on a string even when they’re super-creeps.
2022		I. Fitzgerald Dirtbag, Massachusetts 67: Surrounded by superjocks, I began to obsess over my body.

2. very good or pleasant, first-rate, excellent; thus as n., someone or something excellent.

1856		Liverpool Dly Post 24 Apr. 4/6: Snake-Eye Tobacco, Fine Cavendish Cut, and London Super Shag .
1890		Bird o’ Freedom 22 Jan. 6: Never ask for soup twice. It is thought bad taste to sit in the front row of the stalls and shout after each act, ‘Supe! Supe!’.
1900		E.H. Babbitt ‘College Words and Phrases’ in DN II:i 65: supe, i.e. superlative, n. A person or thing of high qualities or great excellence.
1913		Camperdown Chron. 11 Jan. 5/5: [headl;ine] A Super ‘Super’ [...] Wundham decided to play the super’s role himself; and he did it so well.
1923		Wodehouse Leave it to Psmith (1993) 367: The Hon. Freddie was a great student of the movies. He could tell a super-film from a super-super-film at a glance.
1947		J. Symons Man Called Jones (1949) 108: State Express. Super. I don’t think I can resist one, though I really shouldn’t.
1954		Beano 27 Mar. n.p.: Come in fellas, I’ve got a [...] super feed of fish.
1957		D. Niland Call Me When the Cross Turns Over (1958) 128: Don’t you think he’s super?
1968		P. Terson Apprentices (1970) I i: You look super in hairpins.
1976		‘Hergé’ Tintin and the Picaros 53: It’s super!
1982		Beano 17 Apr. 14: Wow! Super!
1999		Guardian Weekend 17 July 52: Do not say ‘jolly’, ‘super’ or ‘righto’.
2000		Indep. Rev. 17 Jan. 1: ‘Everything going all right?’ he asks. ‘Super,’ I say.