Adjective

(er)

(UK) Wealthy or of high social position; of or pertaining to a nob (person of great wealth or social standing).

* , 1876, Levi C. Goodale, Charlie Lulledge (editors), Works of Charles Dickens: Bleak House , page 106,

I'll come back in the course of the evening, if agreeable to you, and endeavor to meet your wishes respecting this unfortunate family matter, and the nobbiest way of keeping it quiet.

* 1873 , , page 291,

"What makes it worse,” she continued, in the extremity of confidence, “I heard those two cricketing men say just now, 'She's the nobbiest girl on the boat.' But I don't mind it, you know, Harry."

(US) Fashionable or chic.

* 1883 , , 2007, page 152,

Undertaking?—why it's the dead-surest business in Christendom, and the nobbiest .

* 1925 April 11, Busybody, "Jottings About Town", in , page 25,

Quite nobby are the suitings appearing on some of our better Fifth Avenue young men.

* 1933 , , page 37,

Alcibiades, was the nobbiest boy in Greece.

Adjective

(en adjective)

Very sad; inclined to sob

*{{quote-book, year=1903, author=George Horace Lorimer, title=Old Gorgon Graham, chapter=, edition= citation

, passage=It began, 'Where is my wandering boy to-night?' and by the time she was through I was feeling so mushy and sobby that I put a five instead of a one into the plate by mistake. }}

*{{quote-book, year=1917, author=Sewell Ford, title=Wilt Thou Torchy, chapter=, edition= citation

, passage=Every piece of furniture, from the threadbare sofa to the rickety center table, seems kind of sad and sobby . }}

(by extension) Dripping wet

*{{quote-book, year=1882, author=Carlton McCarthy, title=Detailed Minutiae of Soldier life in the Army of Northern Virginia, 1861-1865, chapter=, edition= citation

, passage=Nobody knows who he was; but no matter how wet the leaves, how sobby the twigs, no matter if there was no fire in a mile of the camp, that fellow could start one. }}

*{{quote-book, year=1902, author=Ellen Glasgow, title=The Battle Ground, chapter=, edition= citation

, passage=The woman served him sullenly, placing some sobby biscuits and a piece of cold bacon on his plate, and pouring out a glass of buttermilk with a vicious thrust of the pitcher. }}