Subscribe To This Site
First Rate
First Rate
First Rate : Phrases
Meaning:
The very best.
Example:
He got his MBA at a first rate university - the University of Western Ontario.
Origin:
In the 1600s, the British rated naval ships according to their size and strength. From 6 ratings, a warship of the first rate was the largest and most heavily armed, while the sixth rate ship was considerably smaller and had far fewer guns. The general public used the phrase to indicate anything topnotch.