Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. first-rate, excellent; also as an excl. of approval.

1822		Tom and Jerry; A Musical Extravaganza I iv: This journey has put you all to rights.
1859, 1860		Hotten Dict. of Modern Sl. etc.
1868		H.L. Williams Steel Safe 17: I’ve got her to rights just where I want her!
1873		Sl. Dict. 269: ‘to rights’ is also an ejaculation signifying satisfaction of the highest order.
1895		Crowe Aus. Sl. Dict. 87: To-rights, All right, excellent, very good.
1909		J. Ware Passing Eng. of the Victorian Era 209/2: Rights (Thieves’, 1860). Perfection.

2. as required/desired.

1854		G.J. Whyte-Melville General Bounce (1891) 19: She is putting Blanche’s things ‘to rights.’.
1865		Leaves from Diary of Celebrated Burglar 80/1: In two days time we succeeded in ‘spotting a drum to rights,’ and it was determined between us that it should be ‘done.’.
1866		Wild Boys of London I 7/1: He ain’t much in a slog but he can put the hug on to rights.
1878		‘’Arry on Politics’ in Punch 11 May 205/1: For I tell yer they’re [i.e. newspapers] pilled up that spicy, they touch up a fellow to rights.
1898		Kipling ‘Stalky’ in Complete Stalky & Co. (1987) 21: They’m all safe an’ to rights,’ said the officious Abraham, producing the key.
1900		‘Doss Chiderdoss’ ‘Follow My Leader’ Sporting Times 27 Oct. 1/4: The Britons who seafaring go / Can at spinning a yarn take the palm; / And the skipper can tell ’em to rights, as you know, / So I follow the captain, marm!
1929		K.S. Prichard Coonardoo 144: She set to work to put her kitchen ‘to rights.’.

3. completely.

1856		Proc. Old Bailey 24 Nov. 102: ALEXANDER DEARING (policeman, M 38). As I was passing his cell door, he said to me, ‘Jack, you done it b— well to rights for me last night’—I said, ‘Oh, did I’—he said, ‘Yes’—I said, ‘You are to rights this time Tommy’—he said, "Yes, I know I am, I am to rights this time [...] COURT. Q. What is the meaning of to rights? A. I suppose he meant that he was got to rights for the case that I took him for—it is a slang term—it does not mean to write with a pen and ink—it is a cant phrase—I have heard it many times—it means, ‘You are in the right this time’.
1861		(con. 1840s–50s) H. Mayhew London Labour and London Poor I 424/1: That’s the time you get them to rights, when they’re old and ugly, just by sweetening them.
1867		Nat. Police Gaz. (NY) 14 Sept. n.p.: One or two of a ‘mob’ ‘working’ New York and Philadelphia have just been ‘copped to rights’.
1877		Five Years’ Penal Servitude n.p.: An officer, not acting ‘square’ with a prisoner, got ‘planted’ and ‘sucked in’ ‘to rights.’.
1883		J. Greenwood Tag, Rag & Co. 37: All right, Twitch, you’ve got me to-rights this time, and I’ll go quiet.
1894		J. Astley Fifty Years (2nd edn) I 147: Well! guv’nor, you’ve done us to rights.
1895		Crowe Aus. Sl. Dict. 19: Copped to Rights, arrested on sure evidence.
1899		R. Whiteing No. 5 John Street 91: If you want to get it to rights, you must do like them – roost in the open air.
1909		W. Irwin Confessions of a Con Man 15: As far as his complaint goes, you’ve got me to rights.
1926		D. Hammett ‘Assistant Murderer’ in Nightmare Town (2001) 161: I’m caught to rights and another rap won’t hurt.
1936		D. Stivens Tramp and Other Stories 155: Didn’t I say there were some things about this I didn’t understand to rights?
1942		R.L. Bellem ‘Color of Murder’ Dan Turner – Hollywood Detective Dec. 🌐 I’ve got you dead to rights. You killed Terry and Diane.
1956		‘Charles Raven’ Und. Nights 89: ‘I’ll shop the bastard,’ he yelled. ‘I’ll shop him to rights.’.
1996		(con. 1949) G. Pelecanos Big Blowdown (1999) 158: They caught her with that opium in her room. Got her dead to rights!