top-shelfern.
/ˌtɒpˈʃɛlfə/, U.S. /ˌtɑpˈʃɛlfər/ colloquial. Now chiefly North American.
1. A person who or thing which ranks in the highest category or bracket. Cf. top-shelf adj. 2a, topnotcher n. 1.
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society > society and the community > social class > nobility > aristocracy or upper class > [noun] > member of
optimate1574
gentle blood1575
patrician1631
grandlinga1637
(man, woman) of fashion1702
Brahmani1704
ruffled shirt1754
aristocrat1789
thoroughbred1817
Brahmin1823
big bug1826
ruffle shirt1830
ruffle-shirter1842
blue blood1850
aristo1864
upper1955
1880 Notes & Queries 17 Apr. 316/1 Tom Brown, the topmost of topshelfers, the wittiest of witsnappers, the most humoursome of humourists!
1899 Morning Post 28 Dec. 2/3 You ain't quite the top-shelfer you think you is.
1994 Advertiser (Adelaide) (Nexis) 9 Feb. It's not over-oaked, yet it's very much a modern Aussie top-shelfer.
2005 JazzTimes Apr. 90/2 Rob Levit spent time in New York playing with top-shelfers like Chris Cheek and Stephan Crump.
2. Ice Hockey. A shot struck into the highest part of the net just below the crossbar.
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1990 Telegraph (Nashua, New Hampshire) 14 Feb. 15/4 It became 5-2 as Mike Schnyer ripped a top-shelfer past Russell from the slot.
2018 @The_Show_Hockey 27 June in twitter.com (accessed 31 Jan. 2022) Team Minny goes up 3-0 over Team USA on a Jack Stanius top-shelfer.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, September 2022).
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n.1880