Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. mixed race.

1916		Daily Star (Lincoln, NB) 22 June 3/3: They present the typical minstrel nigger and high yaller octoroon.
1924		O.O. McIntyre New York Day by Day 28 Dec. [synd. col.] Of the flood of high yaller shows on the Rialto a year ago only a few remain.
1939		C. Himes ‘Headwaiter’ in Opportunity Mar. 78/2: George had a high-yellow woman who took most of his money.
1944		G. Fowler Good Night, Sweet Prince 405: I had a yen for a high yaller girl I’d seen on that floor.
1949		N. Algren Man with the Golden Arm 302: The high yellow M.C. [...] was doing his first stint of the night.
1957		H. Simmons Corner Boy 74: Calm down, you high yellow bitch.
1966		T. Keyes All Night Stand 187: He’s just jealous that we are rich high-yaller chicks.
1969		‘Iceberg Slim’ Pimp 17: He couldn’t stay away from the high-yellow whores.
1982		S. King Different Seasons (1995) 198: That horrible Ernie Jacobs is going to make me a full partner by 1977, if he doesn’t screw himself to death with that high yellow secretary of his before then.
1985		O. Hawkins Chili 69: Stylish high yaller woman, so they used to call ’em.
1990		S. Morgan Homeboy 118: A highyaller jazz musician named Horatio who blacksocked parttime for Climax productions.
1997		L. Pettiway Workin’ It 147: He’s not high yellow, but he’s light brown skin.
2001		N. Tosches Where Dead Voices Gather (ms.) 309: The Savannah featured a high-yellow chorus line of ‘14 Beautiful Savannah Peaches’.
2007		N. McCall Them (2008) 60: A high-yellow, cheeky girl named Rachel Worthman.
2017		S.M. Jones August Snow [ebook] I know where yo high-yellow ass come from.

2. arrogant, superior [ext. of sense 1, i.e. considered better than black].

1976		R. Price Blood Brothers 115: They [i.e. West Indians] hate niggers, New York niggers, street people. They’re into this whole high yellow attitude, you know?
1980		E. Folb Runnin’ Down Some Lines 32: When I heard a male say ‘high yellow’ to describe another male, it usually functioned as a pejorative either it was connected with feelings that the yellow dude thought he was too good for the brothers on the streets, or it implied that he was ‘funny,’ a homosexual.
1991		Cooper & Wright New Jack City [film script] I’m going to wax your high-yellow, narrow-ass butt!

3. in colour, light brown.

2002

‘Touré’ Portable Promised Land (ms.) 39: By the time that night had turned high yaller they had the biggest catfight you could imagine.