Green’s Dictionary of Slang

the head.

1816

J.H. Lewis Lectures on Art of Writing (1840) in DSUE (1984).

1. (orig. UK Und.) an overcoat, a greatcoat.

1781		G. Parker View of Society II 174: Dingers. is a term for throwing away or hiding: A highwayman will ding his Upper-Benjamin, his Jazey, his Sticks, his F1ogger, his Diggers, his Beater cases &c., and having all these on him when he committed the robbery, is totally transformed by dinging.
1788, 1796		Grose Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue (2nd, 3rd edn).
1809		G. Andrewes Dict. Sl. and Cant n.p.: upper-ben an upper coat.
1812		Vaux Vocab. of the Flash Lang.
1820		Carlisle Patriot 9 Dec. 2: Josh Hudson, with his white topper on, a prime fancy upper Benjamin [...] came brushing along, and threw his castor in the ring.
1821		‘An Amateur’ Real Life in London I 615: He was attired in a Whitehall upper Benjamin.
1824		Observer (London) 29 Nov. 4/3: He wore a Whitehall upperBen [...] and a white castor.
1832		Egan Bk of Sports 8: As the last scene of his eventful history, to exchange his upper Benjamin [...] for an article of more lasting description — a wooden surtout!
1835		G. Kent Modern Flash Dict. 24: Oliver sneaks – the moon hid under a cloud, has got his upper Ben on. [Ibid.] 35: Upper Benjamin – an upper coat.
1840		T. Haliburton Letter-bag of the Great Western (1873) 206: Send me a good upper Benjamin of the old cut.
1845		R.S. Surtees Hillingdon Hall II 220: ‘Vot ’ave you got your great hupper binjimin on for?’ asked Mr. Jorrocks, lifting one of the enormous laps with his stick .
1848		Flash Dict. in Sinks of London Laid Open [as cit. 1835].
1848		Bell’s Life in Sydney 15 July 3/1: An upper Benjamin of double-milled drab.
1856		Mons. Merlin 18 Oct. 6/2: My great coat I invariably designate as such. and never personify it as an ‘upper Benjamin’.
1859		‘Scene in a London Flash-Panny’ Matsell Vocabulum 99: Ogle the cove, Bell — he wants to pass for a snafler in his belcher tye, though he never bid higher than a wipe in an upper benjamin.
1860		Westmorland Gaz. 15 Dec. 6/3: We shall find ourselves enveloped in an ‘upper Benjamin’ with half-a-dozen capes for a twenty-four hours’ drive to Manchester.
1876		H.E. Malet Annals of the Road 55: [T]hose gentlemen coachmen [...] in their white hats, and upper benjamins, driving their four spanking horses, in close imitation of their inferiors.
1878		S.F. Trade Herald Aug. 2/2: To soak — to hock — Yer upper benjamin at yer uncle’s, to get the ‘sugar’ for a good square meal [DA].
1891		Exeter & Plymouth Gaz. 15 Oct. 6/4: Then with a great shaking of their ‘upper Benjamins’ (great coats) the crew with their ‘Bendigoes’ on, depart.
1895		Crowe Aus. Sl. Dict. 91: Upper Benjamin, an overcoat.
1949		Monteleone Criminal Sl. (rev. edn) 247: upper ben An overcoat.

2. in pl., a pair of trousers.

1857

advert in ‘Ducange Anglicus’ Vulgar Tongue (1857) 45: Upper Benjamins built on a downy plan, a monarch to half a finnuff.

see separate entries.

see separate entry .

the aristocracy.

1825

Pierce Egan’s Life in London 8 May 116/3: [N]umerous swells of the Upper Fabric preferred becoming outside ones, secure under poor George's large spread, to partake of the gig’s merriment.

see upper storey

the vagina.

1890–1904

Farmer & Henley Sl. and Its Analogues.

the eyes.

1824

Pierce Egan’s Life in London 19 Sept. 269/2: Ned [...] caught Harry on the parting beam of his upper lights and closed one of them.

(US black) the state of feeling physically sick.

2000

Ebonics Primer at www.dolemite.com 🌐 upper miserys Definition: 1.To be sick to ones stomach, nauseated. 2. vomiting, or to be vomiting. Example: Man, I gots me the upper miserys since last night.

an overcoat.

1753		J. Poulter Discoveries (1774) 43: Upper Shell and under Shell; Coat and Waiscoat.
1786		Whole Art of Thieving [as cit. 1753].
1890–1904		Farmer & Henley Sl. and Its Analogues.

breeches.

1890–1904

Farmer & Henley Sl. and Its Analogues.

1. the head, the brain, the mental capacity that resides within it, thus adj. intellectual.

1751		Smollett Peregrine Pickle (1964) 30: I’d have you take care of your upper works; for if once you are made fast to her poop, agad!
1771		Smollett Humphrey Clinker (1925) I 180: Which you imagine to be the new light of grace [...] I take to be a deceitful vapour, glimmering through a crack in your upper storey.
1785		‘Peter Pindar’ More Lyric Odes to the Royal Academicians VII 18: Zooks! their upper stories Look so like tenements to let.
a.1790		C. Dibdin ‘Jack’s Gratitude’Collection of Songs II 151: My poor upper works / Got shatter’d.
c.1790		‘Peter Pindar’ ‘Sir Joseph Banks & the Emperor of Morocco’ Works (1794) II 202: I’m sorry for ye; And pity much your upper storey!
1809		B.H. Malkin (trans.) Adventures of Gil Blas (1822) I 155: We drank hard, and returned to our employers in a pretty pickle, that is to say so-so in the upper story.
1810		‘Johnny Fig Junior’s Bargain’ Tegg’s Prime Song Book 9: Folks thought, who had some understanding, / It had damag’d her upper story.
1810		Columbian (N.Y.) 4 Aug. 3/3: When Lazarus talks of an editor being a ‘little faulty in his upper works,’ we presume he alludes to the editor who, a few years ago, in this city, advertised that he would pay for communications.
1821		Tom Shuttle and Blousalinda 12: Did love or ale at first infuse / In Tommy’s upper storey?
1824		Pierce Egan’s Life in London 21 Nov. 340/2: It [i.e. an opera] was fine science, (we love science,) which was not spoilt by any upper story touches; it was a specimen of delightful harmony.
1828		G. Smeeton Doings in London 89: My upper works were all steady enough.
1830		Egan Finish to the Adventures of Tom and Jerry (1889) 309: Being wide awake – my upper story in perfect repair – and down to what I am about.
1830		N. Ames Mariner’s Sketches 50: She was apparently less ‘crank in the upper works’ then.
1832		Spirit of the Times (NY) 4 Feb. 1/2: Give it to him in his upper storey [...] trowel the dog.
1833		A. Greene Life and Adventures of Dr Dodimus Duckworth I 176: You’re a little flighty in the upper garret.
1837		‘Nights At Sea’ Bentley’s Misc. Dec. 616: I’m blowed if I warn’t reg’larly bamboozled in my upper works.
1840		‘Characters of Freshmen’ in Whibley In Cap and Gown (1889) 179: There is enough wood already in the upper works.
1842		Whip & Satirist of NY & Brooklyn (NY) 22 Jan. n.p.: Crawley [...] planted some blows on the upper works.
1847		Bell’s Life in Sydney 16 Jan. 3/1: [...] depositing the same upon ‘the frontis’ of her masculine assailant, and considerably damaging his upper works.
1848		‘Ned Buntline’ Mysteries and Miseries of N.Y. IV 14: ‘May be – she – she keeps boarders in her upper story!’ ‘What? Ah, yes, I understand. You mean she may be flush with creeping ideas!’.
1851		Manchester Spy (NH) 9 Aug. n.p.: It looks a little [...] as though they had a soft place somewhere in the top of their upper story.
1855		J. Brougham Basket of Chips 369: The state of my hupper works painfully persuaded me.
1857		Bell’s Life in Victoria (Melbourne) 8 Aug. 4/3: [B]oth [fighters] doing execution in the upper works.
1857		‘George Eliot’ Amos Barton (2003) 13: He’s a good sort o’ man, for all he’s not overburden’d i’ th’ upper storey.
1862		J.R. Lowell Biglow Papers 2nd Ser. (1880) 131: Soft-heartedness, in times like these, / Shows sof’ness in the upper story!
1870		Hotten Sl. Dict. 265: UPPER STORY, or upper loft, a person’s head.
1876		‘Dan de Quille’ Big Bonanza (1947) 49: He was always very eccentric, and [...] was considered by many persons to be ‘a little cracked’ in the ‘upper storey.’.
1879		H. Hartigan Stray Leaves (2nd ser.) 315: ‘I’m not such a fool as you take me for,’ said Gill (although he was a ‘wee-bit’ gone in the upper-story).
1882		Bristol Magpie 14 Sept. 6/1: We Hear [...] That his upper storey is certainly the worse for at least one screw.
1884		R.C. Hartranft Journal of Solomon Sidesplitter 145: Divine Almira [...] let me remind you that you occupy my upper storey entirely.
1894		Truth (Sydney) 13 May. 1/5: He have been taking gin and peppermint which have affected him in the hupper storey.
1895		Mirror of Life 5 Oct. 11/1: Boxers are proverbially weak in the upper story.
1897		Mirror of Life 7 July 3/2: ‘[T]he blow on the head received in the Empire Theatre,’ to use his own expressive words, ‘had burst a tile off my upper storey’.
1897		Kipling Captains Courageous cap 1: 🌐 He’s clear distracted in his upper works. He ain't responsible fer the names he's give me, nor fer his other statements.
1900		Bulletin (Sydney) 18 Aug. 14/4: ‘Bit soft in the upper storey, is he?’ said the medicine man.
1912		Bulletin (Sydney) 22 Aug. 36/1: But Governments now is soft in the brainy upper loft.
1914		C. Holme Lonely Plough (1931) 226: He’s a bit rocky in the upper storey, nowadays.
1927		W. Edge Main Stem 129: He’s a horse’s behind. Somepin wrong in a upper story I b’leeve.
1929		K.S. Prichard Coonardoo 300: She was a bit gone in the upper storey.
1930		E. Pound Imaginary Letters 37: His top layer, or his upper story.
1949		H. Miller Sexus (1969) 36: Life isn’t in the upper storey: life is now.
1959		E. De Roo Go, Man, Go! 53: They must have screws loose in their upper story.
1957		A. James ‘Body ona White Carpet’ in Best of Manhunt (2019) [ebook] A high class dish like her would dig upper story music.
1989		R. Dahl Rhyme Stew (1990) 24: By gum, I never would have guessed / An ancient bird like you possessed / Such genius in your upper storey!
1989		H. Rawson Dict. of Invective (1991) 343: soft in the upper works.

2. (US) the female breasts.

1873		W.H. Thomes Slaver’s Adventures 106: She is some on upper works, and no mistake. Who is she?
1966		Trimble 5000 Adult Sex Words and Phrases.

see separate entries.

a greatcoat, an overcoat.

1810		Sporting Mag. Mar. 280/1: Say nothing; leave all to me: you shall slip on my lily shallow and upper toggery.
1823		Egan Grose’s Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue n.p.: And with his upper togger gay, / Prepared to toddle swift away.
1828		High Life in London 10 Feb. 8/1: [A] neighbouring farmer, who humanely administered in and out comfort including a hog-maned shirt and upper toggery.
1830		Egan Finish to the Adventures of Tom and Jerry (1889) 309: To Philip Timothy Splinter, Esq., I bequeath my upper tog, my Benjaman, my wrapper, generally called a top coat.
1853		Bell’s Life in Sydney 4 June 3/3: Dressed in a red, white, and blue linsey-wolsey upper tog.

to be a fool (cf. garret n. (1)).

c.1786		Grose Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue ms. additions n.p.: Upper Story or Garret. Figuratively used to signify the Head. This upper Story (or Garret) is Unfurnished, or empty, i.e. he is a silly fellow.
1788		Grose Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue (2nd edn) n.p.: upper story, or garret Figuratively used to signify the head. His upper story or garrets are unfurnished; i.e. he is an empty or foolish fellow.
1864, 1867, 1870		Hotten Sl. Dict. 265: ‘His upper story is unfurnished,’ i.e., he does not know very much.
1917		‘Henry Handel Richardson’ Aus. Felix (1971) 103: What do you say to that, eh? Unfurnished in the upper storey, what? Heh, heh, heh!