Green’s Dictionary of Slang

twig n.1

[ety. unknown, ? twig v.2 ]

1. style, fashion; usu. as in twig, smartly or fashionably dressed.

[UK]Sporting Mag. May IV 122/1: A merry grig – thus fix my twig – / And roguish cock my hat.
[UK]Lex. Balatronicum n.p.: The cove is togged in twig; the fellow is dressed in the fashion.
[UK]‘An Amateur’ Real Life in London I 341: The pride of becoming an accomplished whip — to know how to turn a corner in style — tickle Snarler in the ear — cut up the yelper — take out a fly’s eye in bang-up twig.
[UK]Reading Mercury 28 Dec. 3/5: Will it find me in ‘prime twig’ or in tatters?
[UK]Bell’s Life in London 17 Oct. 3/1: Harry Jones has been waiting on Adrian, who is represented as being in ‘prime twig’.
[UK](con. 1737–9) W.H. Ainsworth Rookwood (1857) 178: Ne’er was there seen such a dashing prig, / With my strummel faked in the newest twig.
[UK]Flash Dict. in Sinks of London Laid Open 109: Grand twig, in prime style.
[UK]Hotten Dict. of Modern Sl. etc.
[UK]Hotten Sl. Dict. 263: TWIG, style, à la mode; ‘get your strummel faked in twig,’ i.e., have your hair dressed in style; prime twig, in good order and high spirits.
[UK]Newcastle Courant 2 Sept. 6/5: Fond of dressy display, he usually showed himself [...] in the ‘newest twig,’ and with several ‘fawnies’ on his fingers.
[Aus]Crowe Aus. Sl. Dict. 90: Twig, [...] style or condition,‘as in prime twig;’ grand condition, etc.

2. (orig. boxing) condition, fettle, spirits; often as in fine twig

[UK]‘One of the Fancy’ Tom Crib’s Memorial to Congress 8: Never since the renown’d days of BROUGHTON and FIGG / Was the Fanciful World in such very prime twig.
[UK]Jack Randall’s Diary 62: In search of lark, or some delicious gig The mind delights in, when ’tis in prime twig Some precious piece of laughter-loving fun.
[UK]Era (London) 28 Mar. 10/3: Newmarket [...] Snow drop (in good style) [...] Joachim (in prime twig).
[US]N.Y. Clipper 10 Sept. 1/4: The Black [...] rallied in prime twig.
[UK]Hotten Sl. Dict. 263: TWIG, style, à la mode; ‘get your strummel faked in twig,’ i.e., have your hair dressed in style; prime twig, in good order and high spirits.
[Aus]Crowe Aus. Sl. Dict. see sense 1.

3. (also tuig) a stylish (young) man.

[UK] ‘The Wig Gallery’ in Jovial Songster 30: Be of the ton a natty sprig, / The thing, the tippy, and the twig.
[Scot]D. Haggart Autobiog. 15: I was rumbling the cloys of the tuigs.
[US]Ely’s Hawk and Buzzard (N.Y.) 21 June 1/1: There were many more conspicuous twigs there. [Ibid.] 3/4: The decent part of the congregation [...] feel themselves much annoyed by these hopeful twigs.

In phrases

in fine twig (adv.) (also in good twig, in prime twig) [SE fine/good/prime adj.]

splendidly, admirably, stylishly; in high spirits or good order.

[UK]Vaux Vocab. of the Flash Lang. in McLachlan (1964) 236: A person who contrives by nob-work, or ingenuity, to live an easy life, and appears to improve daily in circumstances, is said to do it up in good twig. [Ibid.] 243: A man who has been tried by a criminal court, and by a plausible defence, has induced the jury to acquit him, or to banish the capital part of the charge, and so save his life, is said, by his associates to have gammoned the twelve in prime twig.
[UK]‘An Amateur’ Real Life in London I 141: Prime twig — Any thing accomplished in good order, or with dexterity.
[UK]‘Nocturnal Sports’ in Universal Songster II 180/1: Ripe for a grand go [...] prime twig for an ’igh lark.
[UK]H. Smith Gale Middleton 1 148: Why Jem, you buffer [...] you floored him in prime twig, and have faked him out with a single flip of your fib.
[US]Ely’s Hawk & Buzzard (NY) Mar. 22 3/1: See the young blades, the prime twigs.
[UK]Flash Dict. in Sinks of London Laid Open [as cit. 1835].
[UK]Hotten Dict. of Modern Sl. etc.
[Aus]‘Price Warung’ Tales of the Early Days 274: [note] ‘Crack a whid in prime twig’ — Making a speech in a stylish or masterly manner.
prime twig (adj.)

admirable, stylish.

[US]Commercial Advertiser (N.Y.) 1 Feb. 2/3: On Saturday night five Corinthians sallied from the Lafayette Theatre, determined in true ‘Tom and Jerry’ style, to have a ‘swell.’ [...] Two of the party were Hick Sams; two prime twig kiddies, . . . and one an honorable broker.