Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. an outstanding person or thing of its kind.

1699		N. Ward ‘A Hue and Cry after a Man-Midwife’ in Writings (1704) 138: Amongst his professions he’s fam’d as a Topper, / By some call’d a Midwife, by others a Groper.
1709		British Apollo II No. 2. 3/2: A Bowl that is full of Punch, of all these is the Topper [OED].
c.1750		‘The Irish Man’s Ramble’ in Holloway & Black (1975) I 129: I set with the Toppers and Drunk of full bumpers.
1803		R. Anderson ‘The Bleckell Murray-Neet’ Cumberland Ballads (1805) 65: The gully was sharp, the girt cheese was a topper.
1825		J.T. Brockett Gloss. N. Country Words 221: Topper, any thing superior — a clever, or extraordinary person .
1848		Bartlett Dict. Americanisms 360: topper. Anything superior; a clever or extraordinary person; but generally in an ironical sense.
1866		R. Hallam Wadsley Jack 58: ‘Well, he’s a star,’ croy’d anuther, an’ rarely they laff’d, an reckon’d I wor a topper.
1870		D. Kirwan Palace & Hovel 64: This is agin’ to be a topper of a meal tonight, and all of us will welcome you gents to our ’umble board.
1879		‘’Arry on Crutches’ in Punch 3 May 201/1: If I’ve a taste [...] ’tis for toppers in sticks.
1883		Bristol Magpie 1 Mar. 13/1: [T]he proud and happy possessor of a ‘bowler’ of the latest style, [...] in fact, a regular ‘topper,’ brim-ming over with fashion.
1889		Punch 23 Feb. n.p.: But his sable-trimmed pardner, a topper, with tootsies so tiny, dear boy, / Well I do not believe she arf minded, a spill is a thing gals enjoy.
1894		J. Astley Fifty Years (2nd edn) I 59: He is a topper [...] and so is his good wife.
1896		A. Morrison Child of the Jago (1982) 59: Josh replied, turning the watch in his hand. ‘It’s a good ’un — a topper.’.
1905		Sporting Times 25 Mar. 2/3: He is a topper; quite one of your genial sort. Go up and make his acquaintance.
1913		C. Mackenzie Sinister Street I 189: Old Caryll is the greatest topper that ever walked.
1917		‘Sapper’ No Man’s Land 140: My two best subalterns [...] Good boys – toppers both of them.
1923		Wodehouse Inimitable Jeeves 123: I think she’s a topper.
1930		E. Waugh Vile Bodies 133: I say, I’ve met an awful good chap called Miles. Regular topper.
c.1940–5		‘Myles na gCopaleen’ Best of Myles (1968) 325: The Bottle-o’-Bass was a topper. A topper.
1942		W. Winchell On Broadway 15 Mar. [synd. col.] Gloria Warren [...] is the topper in ‘Always in My Heart’.
1968		K. Brasselle Cannibals 20: Omar strove for a topper.
1979		H. Leonard A Life (1981) Act II: That’s a great girl [...] A topper.

2. in the context of smoking [the ‘top’ of a cigar, cigarette or pipe].

3. the final word in an argument.

1854		Thackeray Newcomes I 64: ‘A topper for you, Barney, my boy,’ remarks Charles Heavyside, as the indignant general walks away gobbling and red.
1860		Melbourne Punch 9 Aug. 7/1: ‘Slangiana’ [...] How I long for the breakfast spread / That puts a topper on my pride.
1896		G.M. Fenn Sappers and Miners 92: That was a topper for him, Ydoll!
1933		‘Paul Cain’ ‘One, Two, Three’ in Penzler Pulp Fiction (2006) 6: Number three was the topper. The dough was gone.
1938		H.M. Anderson Strip Tease 38: The comedian [...] has a whole series of toppers that will put the jerk back in his place.
1953		Kramer & Karr Teen-Age Gangs 147: Money John leapt to his feet, pleased with the opening for his topper.
1992		Randolph & Legman Ozark Folksongs and Folklore I 414: In a topper: The woman replies, ‘I did keep wiggling it, but he thought I was just encouraging him!’.

4. as my topper, a term of affectionate address.

1888

‘’Arry on Marriage’ in Punch 29 Sept. 156/1: Met him yesterday, Charlie. ‘Well, Bobbie, ’ow trots it, my topper?’ sez I.

5. in pl. with the, the upper classes.

1879		‘’Arry on the Road’ in Punch 9 Aug. 83/1: Sech Toppers a-tooling sech teams is a thing every Gent must enjoy.
1887		‘’Arry on Angling’ in Punch 30 July 45/1: You know since I turned Primrose Leaguer I’ve mixed with the Toppers my lad.
1892		‘’Arry in ’Arrygate’ in Punch 24 Sept. 133/1: To spread myself out with the toppers is proper, no doubt, bonny boy.

6. (US milit.) the top sergeant.

1918

D.G. Rowse Doughboy Dope 61: The fast service route to the stripes is always thought to be a congenial intimacy with the topper.

7. a supposedly (but prob. not very) funny story or joke; a punchline [it ‘tops’ or surpasses all others].

1938		W. Winchell ‘On Broadway’ 18 Mar. [synd. col.] A drunk breathlessly dashed up to Dorothy Thompson [...] and said ‘Did you shee Shnow White and the Sheven Dwarfsh?’ . . . ‘Why, er, yes!’ said Dorothy. ‘Whish way did they go?’ was the topper.
1942		W. Winchell 7 Jan. [synd. col.] One of the upstarts sprung a Joe Miller on him and asked for a sample ad lib topper.
1968		G. Legman Rationale of the Dirty Joke (1972) I 57: This would appear to be a ‘topper’ to the first joke given above.
1978		R. De Christoforo Grease 44: I’ve heard some lines but that’s the topper!

8. the last in a series, the ‘last straw’.

1951		Kerouac On the Road (The Orig. Scroll) (2007) 176: The final topper was the racetrack.
1957		Kerouac On The Road (1972) 71: The final topper was the racetrack.
2000		F. Kellerman Stalker (2001) 230: Cindy sighed. ‘Perfect topper to a shitty day.’.