subs. (old).—1.  Anything or anybody out of the common, in opinion, pretension, attire, and so forth: as a prostitute (high-priced and well-dressed); an adventurer (superb in impudence and luck). 2. A dandy, male or female, of the first water. 3. A fast coach.

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  1690.  DRYDEN, Prologue to Mistakes, in Wks., p. 473 (Globe).

        He’s no HIGH-FLYER—he makes no sky-rockets,
His squibs are only levelled at your pockets.

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  c. 1696.  B. E., A New Dictionary of the Canting Crew, s.v. HIGH-FLYERS, Impudent, Forward, Loose, Light Women. Also, bold adventurers.

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  1693.  CONGREVE, The Old Bachelor, i., 1. Well, as HIGH a FLYER as you are, I have a lure may make you stoop.

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  1706.  R. ESTCOURT, The Fair Example, Act i., p. 10. You may keep company with the HIGHEST FLYER of ’em all.

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  1725.  A New Canting Dictionary, s.v.

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  1818.  SCOTT, The Heart of Mid-lothian, i. Mail-coach races against mail-coach, and HIGH-FLYER against HIGH-FLYER, through the most remote districts of Britain.

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  1821.  P. EGAN, Tom and Jerry, v. As you have your ‘HIGHFLYERS’ at Almack’s, at the West End, we have also some ‘choice creatures’ at our All Max in the East.

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  1823.  BADCOCK (‘Jon Bee’), Dictionary of the Turf, etc., s.v. HIGH-FLYERS—women of the town, in keeping, who job a coach, or keep a couple of saddle-horses at least.

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  1830.  BULWER-LYTTON, Paul Clifford (Ed. 1854), p. 75. Howsomever, the HIGH-FLYERS doesn’t like him; and when he takes people’s money, he need not be quite so cross about it!

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  1860.  DICKENS, The Uncommercial Traveller, xxii. The old room on the ground floor where the passengers of the HIGHFLYER used to dine.

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  1864.  DICKENS, Our Mutual Friend, i., 5. Mrs. Boffin, Wegg … is a ’IGHFLYER at fashion.

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  1892.  MILLIKEN, ’Arry Ballads, p. 40. Foller yer leader all who can carry sufficient skyscrapers to keep in the ’unt, with that ’IGHFLYER ’Arry.

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  4.  (thieves’).—A beggar with a certain style; a begging-letter writer; a broken swell.

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  1851–61.  H. MAYHEW, London Labour and the London Poor, vol. I., p. 268. While pursuing the course of a HIGH-FLYER (genteel beggar).

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  1858.  A. MAYHEW, Paved with Gold, bk. III., ch. iii., p. 268. He was a HIGH-FLIER, a genteel beggar.

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  1887.  Standard, 20 June, p. 5, c. 2. The pretended noblemen and knights who ‘say they have suffered by war, fire, or captivity, or have been driven away, and lost all they had,’ are still represented by the HIGH-FLYERS or broken-down gentlemen.

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  5.  (circus).—A swing fixed in rows in a frame much in vogue at fairs.

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