"out of the top drawer"

The 'drawer' in question here is the highest drawer of a bedroom chest of drawers. This was where Victorian gentry kept their most valuable items - jewelry, best clothes etc. The phrase 'top-drawer' was initially used to denote a person's level of social standing, based on their family background. Families were either 'top-drawer' or they weren't.

Posted By: phrankin, Dec 11, 09:50:09