second to none

Adjective

second to none (not comparable)

1. As good as the best, as in quality or reputation; inferior to no one else or to nothing else of the same kind.
   • 1594, William Shakespeare, Comedy of Errors, act 5, sc. 1:

     Second Merchant: How is the man esteemed here in the city?

     Angelo: Of very reverend reputation, sir,

     Of credit infinite, highly beloved,

     Second to none that lives here in the city.

   • 1877, Anthony Trollope, The Life of Cicero, ch. 11:

     “[I]f I, in the performance of my work, have been second to none, do you see that you in yours may be equally efficient?”

   • 1903, Joseph Conrad, Typhoon, ch. 1:

     The NanShan, he affirmed, was second to none as a sea-boat.

   • 2001 Oct. 1, Yuri Zarakhovich and Alexander Lyakhovski, "A Tough Fight," Time:

     The Afghans have been second to none at small-war tactics ever since they fought the British in the 19th century.

Noun

second to none

1. (slang, sometimes capitalized) Heroin.^[1]
   • 1992 July 30, "Powerful Heroin Kills 20," New York Times (retrieved 24 June 2011):

     The heroin, which police officials said had been measured at purity levels as high as 80 percent, is being sold under brand names like Unforgettable, Second to None, Black Beauty and Al Capone.

References