# What does 'A1' mean?

'A1' means first-rate or the very best. Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898), human-proofread transcription on English Wikisource records: “means first-rate—the very best. In Lloyd's Register of British and Foreign Shipping, the character of the ship's hull is designated by letters , and that of the anchors, cables, and stores by figures. A1 means hull first-rate, and also anchors, cables, and stores; A2, hull first-rate, but furniture second-rate. Vessels of an inferior character are classified under the letters æ , e , and i . "She is a prime girl, she is; she is A1.— Sam Slick .”

## What it means

- Verbatim from Brewer's (1898): means first-rate—the very best. In Lloyd's Register of British and Foreign Shipping, the character of the ship's hull is designated by letters , and that of the anchors, cables, and stores by figures. A1 means hull first-rate, and also anchors, cables, and stores; A2, hull first-rate, but furniture second-rate. Vessels of an inferior character are classified under the letters æ , e , and i . "She is a prime girl, she is; she is A1.— Sam Slick .

## Action steps

1. Modern usage: 'A1' means first-rate or the very best.
2. When quoting the origin, cite Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898) — this is a 19th-century record, not a modern etymology.

## Sources

- [Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898) — Wikisource proofread text](https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Brewer%27s_Dictionary_of_Phrase_and_Fable/A1)

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