Green’s Dictionary of Slang

mover n.

1. an ambitious and successful person, both socially and with the opposite sex; ext. as movers and shakers, movers and groovers; occas. therefore just as shaker n.

[[US]W. Pegler George Spelvin Chats 177: They made a very unfavorable impression on the hot-eyed world-shakers of the New Deal].
[US]B. Schulberg On the Waterfront (1964) 17: A step below them the local movers like Johnny F., then the lieutenants such as himself.
[US]H. Ellison Rockabilly (1963) 53: How about maybe we buy a piece of this kid, he smells like he’s gonna be a mover.
[UK]T. Keyes All Night Stand 113: He’s like that you know, not much of a mover.
[US]G.V. Higgins Digger’s Game (1981) 35: The movers that don’t always go home at night.
[US]Time 22 Apr. 61/2: He had enormous influence among the movers and shakers in Washington.
[US]Eble Campus Sl. Mar. 5: mover – sexually aggressive male.
[US]S. King Christine 434: Libertyville’s movers and shakers lived here.
[UK]T. Blacker Fixx 82: One of London’s unofficial movers and shakers.
[UK]S. Bell If... 2 Nov. in If Files (1997) 36: Are your parents movers and shakers and how much do they earn??
[UK]N. Cohn Yes We Have No 52: A sharp dresser, a mover, quick with words.
[UK]J.J. Connolly Layer Cake 14: People who were movers and groovers on the arts scene, actors and actress, film-makers, musicians.
[UK]Observer Screen 23 Jan. 27: Movers and shakers such as Beatles manager Brian Epstein.
[US]T. Piccirilli Fever Kill 74: You parents were top line shakers and you were born on Fifth Avenue.
[Aus]T. Spicer Good Girl Stripped Bare 114: I’m doing a series of docos on movers and shakers.

2. an attractive person, usu. female.

[Aus]B. Humphries Barry McKenzie [comic strip] in Complete Barry McKenzie (1988) 82: She’s a fast little mover.
[US](con. 1970s) G. Pelecanos King Suckerman (1998) 39: You gotta admit, she’s a mover.

3. the person in charge.

[US]W.R. Burnett Little Men, Big World 50: The Mover had said that to him once, and the Mover was right, as he always was.
[UK]J.J. Connolly Layer Cake 115: He says the top mover from this side was a guy called Duke.

4. (US drugs) a drug trafficker [move v. (5)].

[US]R. Daley Prince of the City 298: The four detectives had been trying to make a case against Manuel Noa, another major narcotics mover.

In phrases

big mover (n.)

(Aus.) one who is a consistent success, e.g. as a womanizer.

[Aus]A. Buzo Rooted III:iii: gary: So you’re a big mover with Diane, are you? bentley: Practically home and hosed.