Top Idioms

Several words have become part of the language in being used in phrases. Last time we looked at ‘bottom’ and now, of course, look at ‘top’.

From the top, as in from the beginning, is seen as early as the late 14th century. Whilst it may be seen as an Americanism, it can’t be because the earliest forms are before they used English and before the Europeans really knew it existed.

Top of the morning, as a greeting, is first recorded in 1843.

Top of the world has been seen since the 1670s.

Top of the line has only been used since 1950.

Off the top of one’s head is first recorded in 1939.

Top off, as in to finish, is used first in 1836; while the sense of ‘to fill up’ dates from 1917.

Nobody paid top dollar until 1942.

Top drawer, in the sense of ‘the best’, is not used before 1920.

No recording made the top ten until 1942.

Top notch has been seen since 1841, and was once used for a part in umbrella manufacture.

Nothing was top heavy before 1530; although the same phrase was used to mean ‘drunk’ around 1680.

Box tops has been used since 1937 – if you’re too young to remember, people once collected box tops (as proof of purchase) and sent them off to claim a free gift or coupon.

Nobody was described as top dog before 1868.

Top coat was the outer garment from 1804, but not used in decorating until 1959.

Top sail, a nautical term, has been known since 1400.

Roll top, a type of lid used on desks, has been seen since 1884.

Table top has only been seen since 1914.

Over the top is a World War One reference to the onset of an attack.

Treetops are unknown before the late 15th century – of course trees had them, they just weren’t described as such.

Nobody wore a top hat until 1875.

Tip top, as in excellent, is first seen in 1702.

Tank tops were not worn until 1968, but did exist earlier when they comprised the upper part of a swimsuit.

Rooftops first appeared in 1610.

Topsoil suddenly appeared in 1789.

Topknots have been described as such since 1680.

Countertops have been used since 1878.

Synonym Etymologies T

Continuing the look at synonyms through the eyes of the etymologist, this time it is the letter T and top. Top was the Old English version almost 1,500 years ago, and few words are as generic as this word from the Germanic family which it always has the same meaning, albeit with slightly different usages. The Proto-Germanic root of toppa has also given us Old Norse toppr 'tuft of hair', Old Frisian top 'tuft', and Old Dutch topp Dutch top, and Old High German zopf all meaning 'end, tuft of hair'. Hence the use is for the upper part or surface and has been since well before recorded history some four thousand or more years ago.

Summit came to English from Old French somete, itself related to Latin summum and that connected to Latin super meaning 'over'.

Peak is a variation on 'pike', itself meaning ;sharp point' and traceable back to Vulgar Latin piccare 'to pick, pierce'.

Pinnacle also came from Old French and Latin, with pinacle and pinnaculum respectively. This is derived from the same root as 'pin', the Germanic family root being penn 'jutting point or peak'.

Crest came to English, where it was first used to refer to the highest part of the helmet, from Old French creste 'the tuft-like plume'. It can be traed back to Proto-Indo-European sker 'to bend'.

Crown another with an Old French corone and Latin corona history, where the original use of the Latin was to mean 'wreath, garland'. All are related to the Greek korone 'kind of crown', and traceable to Proto-Indo-European sker 'to bend'.

Brow had always been the eyebrow, with the occasional use of 'forehead' from 1400, since the Proto-Indo-European bhru.

Head is another ancient word, with similar forms in all Germanic languages, and all traceable to Proto-Indo-European kaput 'head'.

Brink is most often used to mean 'edge' and that was the meaning of the Proto-Indo-European root bhreng.

Apex is a Latin word and comes from another Latin word apere 'to fasten, fix' and coming from Proto-Indo-European ap 'to take, reach'.

Acme is a Greek word derived from the Proto-Indo-European ak 'be sharp, to rise to a point'.

Highest is from 'high' and, along with almost all similar Germanic words, comes from Proto-Indo-European kouko 'hill'.

Lid is another sense, and seen in many Germanic tongues with the same meaning, all coming from Proto-Indo-European klito 'to lean'.

Top is also used to mean other things: the best part is unknown before 1660; the highest place first seen in 1620; the phrase 'over the top' is used in World War I to refer to an attack, and the same phrase seen in the sense of 'beyond reasonable limits' from as recently as 1968. The name of the toy has a very different etymology, and comes from the Old French topet and is derived from a type of seashell. The spinning top as a toy is first seen in 1680s.