top shelf

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See also: top-shelf

English

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Alternative forms

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Etymology

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  • (US: best, or high quality): Possibly from the higher quality, thus more expensive, thus less often used liquors being stored on the less accessible top shelf behind a wet bar.
  • (British: material with adult content): Such material is often stored on the top shelf in a newsagent's shop, where it is both less visible and harder to reach without being seen.

Pronunciation

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Adjective

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top shelf (not comparable)

  1. (US, idiomatic) Best, or high quality. [from late 19th c.]
    Synonyms: top notch; see also Thesaurus:excellent
    I bought a bottle of top shelf whiskey.
  2. (British, idiomatic) Describing books, magazines, or movies that have adult content or softcore pornography.
    • 2008, Rick Wakeman, Martin Roach, Grumpy Old Rock Star, →ISBN, page 83:
      Most of the band used to buy Autotrader to read on the various bus and plane journeys, but Barry would always turn up with a copy of Underwear Unlimited or some other seedy little top-shelf mag.

Noun

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top shelf

  1. (Canada, ice hockey) The upper part of the goal.

References

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Anagrams

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