Idiom
top drawer
Meanings
Of the highest quality; excellent; first-rate.
Belonging to the highest social class; upper-class.
Definition
“Top drawer” means of the highest quality or the best kind.
“Top drawer” describes something or someone that is excellent and among the best available. It is often used in sports, work, or product reviews to praise outstanding performance, skill, or quality. It sounds slightly formal or old-fashioned, but it is still common in modern English.
Examples
- Her presentation was top drawer from start to finish.
- That goalkeeper is top drawer and saves everything.
- We stayed at a top drawer hotel near the river.
- The restaurant’s service is top drawer, even on busy nights.
More at B2 level
- Bob's your uncle Used to say that something will be easy or will happen exactly as expected after a simple step.
- touch base To touch base means to briefly contact someone to share a quick update or confirm plans.
- ballpark figure A ballpark figure is an approximate number or estimate, not an exact one.
- take the mickey To take the mickey means to tease someone or make fun of them in a not-too-serious way.
- cheap as chips Very cheap; costing very little money.
More adjectives
- gobsmacked Completely shocked or amazed, often so much that you cannot speak.
- gutted If you are gutted, you feel extremely upset and disappointed, often because something went wrong.
- skint If someone is skint, they have no money or almost no money.
- tickety-boo If something is tickety-boo, it is going well and everything is in good order.
- pear-shaped If something goes pear-shaped, it goes wrong or fails unexpectedly.