Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. a dandy, an aristocrat or one who tries to pose as such; thus heavy swelldom, the world of such individuals; also attrib.

1819		Belles-lettres Repository (NY) 15 May 98/2: The third was one than whom no heavier swell / Thy groaning pavement, Street of Princes, vext .
1830		Egan Finish to the Adventures of Tom and Jerry (1889) 280: Our friend [...] was only the splinter of a heavy swell.
1837		‘The Wide Awake Club’ in Bentley’s Misc. Feb. 209: He set out in life as heavy a swell as ever flowed up in the regions of the West End – carried on the game for about a dozen years in bang-up style.
1841		‘Bon Gaultier’ ‘My Mother’ in Farmer Musa Pedestris (1896) 130: Who, when she met a heavy swell, / Would ease him of his wipe so well.
1843		Satirist & Sporting Chron. (Sydney) 18 Feb. 1/1: The Heir of the Dam is a ‘very heavy swell’ in his way.
1855		Thackeray Newcomes II 51: He’s such a heavy swell.
1859		G.A. Sala Gaslight and Daylight 100: The heavy swells of the peerage, those of the blue blood and the strawberry leaves, and who came over with the Conqueror.
1863		T. Taylor Ticket-Of-Leave Man Act I: Heavy swells on the lark, white ties and pink bonnets!
1867		H.L. Williams Ticket-of-Leave Man 14: There were at this gathering, swells of the ‘howling’ category, in the correctness of evening dress.
1870		Cythera’s Hymnal 65: While doing the heavy swelling [etc].
1873		M.E. Braddon Strangers and Pilgrims II 143: There was no rush of those lofty personages whom Mrs. Cinqmars had spoken of as ‘heavy swells’.
1874		J. Greenwood Wilds of London (1881) 121: Young bucks of dustmen, apeing heavy swelldom in their bulky flannel jackets, and their brilliant and bunchy ‘kingsman’ (silk neckerchief) encircling their throats and fastened in a holiday bow.
1879		London Life 14 June 7/2: Who can that heavy swell lady be across the park there [...] driving a spanking pair of ‘tits’.
1880		Bulletin (Sydney) 19 Sept. 3/3: Arthur Garner plays the part [...] and as a ‘heavy swell’ seems to have found a congenial part.
1881		Dundee Courier (Scot.) 12 Apr. 7/4: You’ll go in for a heavy swell now, Jerry, I suppose.
1884		Ally Sloper’s Half Holiday 3 May 3/1: Heavy Swell, much annoyed, to Party in Checks.
1886		Nat. Police Gaz. (NY) 30 Oct. 2/2: Mi. Lelford Arthur [...] is said by credulous New York correspondents to be a heavy swell [...] whereas, in lact. Mr. Lelford Arthur is a London cockney of exceedingly ungracious aspect, who [...] owes most of his fame to the fact that he eloped with Mrs. Eric Bayley.in whose father's shop [...] he had once upon a time more than a passing counection with tapes and calicoes.
1888		A. Levy Reuben Sachs (2001) 13: A howling swell [...] with a double-barrelled name.
1892		‘In the Guards!’ in ‘F. Anstey’ Mr Punch’s Model Music Hall 74: We look such heavy swells, you see, we’re all aristo-crats.
1893		(?) H. Lawson ‘Chicken Pies’ in Roderick (1972) 114: The heavy swell with the moustache was — well, wild was his name for it.
1900		R.H. Savage Brought to Bay 114: I suppose this heavy swell will make the running here.
1902		Harrington & LeBrunn [perf. Marie Lloyd] It didn’t come off after all 🎵 And a regular howling ‘swellah’ little love-vows used to tell her.
1905		Sun. Times (Perth) 6 Aug. 4/8: he was a Western heavy swell; / He drank champagne at every meal.
1911		Truth (Sydney) 22 Jan. 11/7: For the bloke, as she do work for, / He are just a heavy swell.
1925		(con. WWI) Fraser & Gibbons Soldier and Sailor Words 211: Nut: The latter-day descendant of the ‘Fop’, through the ‘Dandy,’ the ‘Heavy Swell,’ the ‘Masher,’ the ‘Chappy’ and the ‘Johnny’ [...] sometimes written and pronounced ‘K’nut’ to form a species of superlative.

2. attrib. use of sense 1.

1838		Dickens Oliver Twist (1966) 163: Look at his togs! Superfine cloth, and the heavy swell cut!
1917		J.F. Daly Life A. Daly 355: Lewis [...] was afraid of his part, which he thought was to be played in the ‘heavy swell’ manner [DA].