Meaning & use
top of the morning
Last updated
Meaning
phrasefixed phrase
A cheerful old-fashioned greeting wishing someone a good start to the day, traditionally linked to Irish speech.
Grammar: Used alone as a greeting, usually shortened from top of the morning to you.
Patterns
- top of the morning to you
"Top of the morning to you," he said with a grin as he opened the shop.
My grandfather would greet us with a hearty top of the morning when we arrived.
She joked, "Top of the morning!" and handed me a cup of tea.
Common combinations
- top of the morning to you
- Top of the morning to you, and welcome to the show.
- say top of the morning
- He likes to say top of the morning to everyone at the office.
- cheerful greeting
- Her cheerful greeting was a bright top of the morning.
Synonyms and how they differ
- good morning
- Good morning is the standard greeting used in any setting, while top of the morning sounds playful and old-fashioned.
- morning
- Morning is a short, casual hello, while top of the morning is longer and warmer, and more of a joke today.
- hello
- Hello can be used at any time of day, but top of the morning only works before noon.
Word family
Commonly confused: top of the morning or good morning?
top of the morning vs good morning
Good morning is a neutral greeting, while top of the morning is an old-fashioned phrase often used jokingly or to imitate Irish speech.
Practice
When is it most natural to say "top of the morning to you"?
Choose one answer.
It is a cheerful, old-fashioned morning greeting, usually humorous today. Using it as a farewell or at midnight would not fit the phrase.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “top of the morning”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.