A1
Of the very highest caliber, standard, or quality. That was a positively A1 performance last night. I really think you'll like that movie—we thought it was A1. This sure is an A1 cake, Beth. I'll have to get the recipe from you.
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.
A-one
Also, A-1; A-number-one. First-class, of the best quality, as in This is an A-one steak. The term comes from Lloyd's, the British insurance company, which in its 1775 shipping register designated the condition of a ship's hull by a letter grade (A, B, etc.) and of its cables, anchor, and other equipment by a number grade (1, 2, etc.). By the early 1800s A-1, the best possible grade, was being transferred to anything of superior quality.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.