Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. superior, high quality; thus occas. low-toned, low quality.

1799		‘Peter Pindar’ ‘Nil Admirari’ Works (1801) V 195: Miss Hannah’s head is now among the clouds [...] The Nymph from vulgar eyes her glory shrouds, To mix with high-ton’d quality her rays.
1807		in Western Pennsylvania Hist. Mag. (1947) Mar–Jun 56: The same editor also states that there were ‘no Demo-Republicans in it, all high-toned gentlemen’ [DA].
1820		W. Combe Doctor Syntax, Consolation (1868) 131/2: I cannot think this high-ton’d preaching / Is the most cordial way of teaching.
1853		Alta Calif. 18 May 2/2: Their deportment gave an unexceptional evidence of the high toned gentleman and thoroughly drilled soldier [DA].
1861		Derry Jrnl 23 Oct. 4/3: ‘You are one of the most high-toned beauties in the sunny South’.
1869		F. Whymper Travel and Adventure in Alaska 308: [It] was, in Californian phraselogy, a ‘high-toned and elegant’ affair.
1873		J. O’Connor Wanderings of a Vagabond 49: Major George Jenks was an old friend of John Travis, and was by him introduced to Giles as a high-toned sporting gentleman.
1879		N.O. Dly Democrat (LA) 20 Apr. 1/6: The sheriff of Lareant county passed here last night taking to Austin three stage coach robbers, all high-toned men.
1883		Bulletin (Sydney) 6 Jan. 5/3: Mrs. Langtry’s fame as a popular beauty was at its height in London [...]. The week after, the high-tone misogynist was at Lord Sherbarne’s to dinner, and, coming in to the drawing room, suddenly found himself face to face with the Lily.
1883		G.W. Peck Peck’s Bad Boy and His Pa (1887) 156: You are a high-toned, gentlemanly sort of a bilk.
1885		‘Lela’ in Maitland Mercury (Aus./NSW) 31 Mar. 2: They’re a set of high-toned gentlemen.
1890		Dead Bird (Sydney) 29 Nov. 1/3: Hartist: ‘Why did you go down to that low-toned place to lodge?’ Prodigal: ‘Low toned? Why, man, I want you to understand that there are lots of big bugs there’.
1896		P.L. Dunbar ‘The Party’ in The Lyrics of Lowly Life 202: Puttin’ on huh high-toned mannahs all de time.
1902		E. Townsend Chimmie Fadden and Mr Paul 93: Why don’t you get a gent’s job, tending bar, or something high-toned, like dat?
1910		‘O. Henry’ ‘The Girl and the Graft’ in Strictly Business (1915) 93: He took me to a high-toned restaurant.
1915		H.E. Rollins ‘A West Texas Word List’ in DN IV:iii 226: high-tony, adj. Putting on airs.
1920		Ade Hand-made Fables 43: He is Rich and High-Toned and has been living at one of those $12-a-Day Palaces.
1925		F.S. Fitzgerald letter c.27 Dec. in Letters (1964) 194: Saw Leslie also and went on some very high-tone parties.
1931		D. Runyon ‘Breach of Promise’ in Runyon on Broadway (1954) 18: I am about to marry [...] a member of one of the most high-toned families in this country.
a.1940		in E. Cray Erotic Muse (1992) 138: Frankie worked in a crib-joint / Behind a grocery store. / She gave all her money to Johnny; / He spent it on high-tone whores.
1944		D. Runyon Runyon à la Carte 87: A high-toned apartment house.
1953		L. Uris Battle Cry (1964) 138: The girl had a copy of some high-tone book.
1954		J. Thompson Swell-Looking Babe 10: It didn’t make any difference [...] how high-toned they acted.
1963		M. Braly Shake Him Till He Rattles (1964) 43: What happened to that high-tone blonde?
1974		J. Lahr Hot to Trot 8: Maybe I’ll date black for a few years, one of those high-toned spades.
1990		M. Morgan Homeboy 253: A hightone twat from Tucson.
2002		D.H. Sterry Chicken (2003) 111: I go from the seedy pit of Hollywood to the clean hightone America of my youth.

2. stand-offish, snobbish; upper-class.

1897		E.W. Townsend Chimmie Fadden 58: I met a mug what’s a barkeep on de Bow’ry, what I uster know before he got high-toned, and now he knows me again cause I got high-toned.
1902		The Bulletin Reciter 1880–1901 122: Just to show them high-toned seraphs what a mallee-man can do.
1917		Wodehouse ‘The Mixer’ in The Man with Two Left Feet 75: I had had enough of those high-toned dogs who look at you as if you were something the garbage-man had forgotten to take away.
1926		Van Vechten Nigger Heaven 192: He caught phrases: posin’ an’ signifyin, high-toned mustard seed.
1931		D. Runyon ‘Breach of Promise’ in Runyon on Broadway (1954) 18: She is so high-toned that [...] she will be very huffy about anybody suing me.
1938		W. Winchell ‘On Broadway’ 18 Mar. [synd. col.] The high-toney guy who peddles mags in Union Square, shouting out, ‘Jest out! [...] The New Mahsses!’.
1948		Z.N. Hurston Seraph on the Suwanee (1995) 858: You can kiss his high-toned, independent, money-making foot!
1952		J. Jones From Here to Eternity (1998) 419: They high-toned friends might get the wrong idea about them.
1993		J. Mowry Six Out Seven (1994) 39: ‘She say I a fine young man an a good friend to you.’ ‘Mmm. Spose you are, Tiger-bro. But don’t go gettin all high-toned over it.’.