Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. a selection of positive qualities: courage, distinction, intelligence, quality, orig. used of athletes.

1873		Sl. Dict. 119: Class, the highest quality or combination of highest qualities among athletes. ‘He’s not class enough’, i.e., not good enough. ‘There’s a deal of class about him’, i.e., a deal of quality.
1884		Referee 23 Mar. 1/3: The elasticity necessary for anything like class at sprinting departs comparatively early [F&H].
1895		‘’Arry on Harry’ in Punch 24 Aug. 90/2: It [i.e. RP speech] won’t give you ‘clarse’ arf as much as cool cheek and the cut o’ your coat.
1908		N.Y. Globe 26 Mar. in Fleming Unforgettable Season (1981) 33: It is seldom that a minor league recruit in his first year [...] shows enough class to win a regular position.
1909		Truth (Brisbane) 12 Sept. 4/7: Lionel is no class at all, and he can’t spar for ‘shucks’.
1914		E. O’Neill The Movie Man in Ten ‘Lost’ Plays (1995) 190: There’s some class to some of the dames down here.
1922		S. Lewis Babbitt (1974) 9: No class to that tin shack. Have to build me a frame garage.
1935		(con. 1920s) J.T. Farrell Judgement Day in Studs Lonigan (1936) 486: She just lacked the kind of class that such girls had.
1947		B. Schulberg Harder They Fall (1971) 26: He wins, but he’s got no class.
1953		‘William Lee’ Junkie (1966) 43: He’ll go on the nod in front of your family. He’s got no class to him.
1963		A. Baron Lowlife (2001) 60: I’ve read all Mickey Spillane, but he lacks class.
1972		D. Jenkins Semi-Tough 280: I hoped I could have that much class when I lost a big one.
1984		C. White Life and Times of Little Richard 133: He was cheerful and he had class. He was with it.
1993		I. Welsh Trainspotting 77: This is a useless bastard but he’s goat style. A man ay wit. A man ay class.
1999		D. Looser ‘Boob Jargon’ in NZEJ 13 28: class n.Cleverness, comrnendabilitv, bravery.
2000		Guardian Rev. 18 Feb. 10: Katherine Hepburn or Audrey Hepburn. They had class.
2001		D. Looser Boobslang [U. Canterbury D.Phil. thesis] 42/2: class adj. cleverness, commendability, personality, bravery, heart.
2005		P. Temple Broken Shore (2007) [ebook] Now that [i.e. a girl] is class. And you’re a lucky boy.

2. an upper-class or aristocratic person.

1910		‘Doss Chiderdoss’ ‘With Music’ Sporting Times 8 Jan. 1/3: All the ‘class’ of the Buildings assembled in force, / For we all reckoned Bosky a rippin’ good ’orse.
1914		Joyce ‘Two Gallants’ Dubliners (1956) 49: She thinks I’m a bit of class, you know.
1948		D. Dodge Bullets For The Bridegroom (1953) 24: The girl is a brunette, pretty, looks like money and class.
1959		F. Norman Fings I i: There used to be class / Doin’ the town.