Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. (UK Und.) a hat (but not a ‘top hat’).

1821		Egan Life in London (1869) 221: She is blowing up the nasty fellow for his imperance; and says she will smash his topper, if he attempts to take any more liberties with her person.
1823		‘Jon Bee’ Dict. of the Turf, the Ring, the Chase, etc. 177: Topping the upper covering; and a topper is a hat, the head sometimes, and the roof of a house always.
1835		G. Kent Modern Flash Dict.
1848		Flash Dict. in Sinks of London Laid Open.
2018		(con. 1963) L. Berney November Road 122: And, for the topper, a gray wool fedora with a clashing houndstooth pattern.

2. a top hat.

1829		‘Pickpocket’s Chaunt’ (trans. of ‘En roulant de vergne en vergne’ in Vidocq 1829) IV 261: Next slipt off his bottom clo’ing, [...] And his gingerbread topper gay.
1875		in H.A. Roche Trek in the Transvaal (1878) 139: An unmitigated ‘topper,’ stove-pipe, [...] crowns him.
1889		‘’Arry in Parry’ in Marks ’Arry Ballads (2006) 93: It’s a bloominger sky-scraping Topper.
1899		Yorks Gaz. 9 Sept. 11/5: The High topper [...] The tall hat which rises o’er / The silly head of a man.
1905		Marvel III:60 31: ‘And here’s a nice tall-hat!’ said Marah, pulling Mr. Watkins’s topper off.
1910		Magnet 27 Aug. 17: D’Arcy’s handsome silk topper was on the ground.
1922		Joyce Ulysses 117: I could have said when he clapped on his topper.
1927		Derby Dly Teleg. 13 Apr. 5/5: The popularity of motoring has done much to make the ‘topper’ unpopular. People like soft felts and caps.
1933		C. Himes ‘A Modern Marriage’ Coll. Stories (1990) 119: He bowed with his silk topper to his heart.
1934		Wodehouse Right Ho, Jeeves 33: I ask him to put on lavender gloves and a topper and distribute the prizes.
1941		V. Davis Phenomena in Crime 219: Sometimes the ‘boys’ have to put on their toppers for Ascot.
1944		‘Jiver’s Bible’ in D. Burley Orig. Hbk of Harlem Jive.
1958		Willans & Searle Complete Molesworth (1985) 145: Imagine me in a topper eh gosh.
1969		R. Rendell Best Man To Die (1981) 115: Pertwee’s wedding, and Hatton all got up in a topper.
1979		F. Norman Too Many Crooks Spoil the Caper 204: A mountainous doorman, [...] immaculately got up in brocaided livery, black topper and white gloves.
1989		M. Amis London Fields 425: Big Chick patrolled his coin-op store, appeared at the races in morning-suit and topper.
1991		D. Jarman letter 12 June Smiling in Slow Motion (2000) 18: Two men in toppers brought their dogs as bridesmaids.
2000		Indep. on Sun. 23 Jan. 10: There are toppers but they’re hired.

3. a cigar or cigarette end.

1889		Bowyer & Baker [perf. Jennie Hill] Thereby Hangs a Tale 🎵 Who is this comes bounding three stairs at a time / ’Tis a London Arab born and bred in crime / Picking up the ‘toppers’ and ends of cigarettes.
c.1900		F. Leo [perf. Wilkie Bard] ‘All Becos ’e’s Minding a ’ouse’ 🎵 There ’e stands outside the front street door / Smoking a topper what ’e’s found.

4. a tall, thin person.

1890–1904

Farmer & Henley Sl. and Its Analogues.

5. (usu. US) a loosely cut jacket or coat, generally worn by women and children.

1887		Daily Trib. (Bismarck, ND) 23 Oct. 4/1: A coat is a ‘topper;’ an overcoat is a ‘ben.’.
1942		‘Marienne’ ‘Solid Meddlin’’ in People’s Voice (NY) 4 Apr. 30/1: Diamond’s new persian lamb topper is the most stylish one yet.
1955		E. Hunter Blackboard Jungle 113: He went to his closet at the back of the room, [...] and took out his topper.
1996		(con. 1946) G. Pelecanos Big Blowdown (1999) 73: Lois wore a muskrat topper.