top-sawyer
Preserved but no longer current.
The principal of a party, or profession. "A TOP-SAWYER signifies a man that is a master-genius in any profession. It is a piece of Norfolk slang, and took its rise from Norfolk being a great timber county, where the TOP SAWYERS get double the wages of those beneath them."—Randall’s Diary, 1820.
Era: ca. 1874 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Historical definition reproduced from Hotten’s The Slang Dictionary (1874, public domain; Project Gutenberg #42108, retrieved 2026-07-31). Reflects the attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “top-sawyer” mean?
The principal of a party, or profession. "A TOP-SAWYER signifies a man that is a master-genius in any profession. It is a piece of Norfolk slang, and took its rise from Norfolk being a great timber county, where the TOP SAWYERS get double the wages of those beneath them."—Randall’s Diary, 1820.
Is “top-sawyer” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.