In their early days, Lloyd’s of London used an “A list” to classify sailing ships for insurance purposes.
Only vessels meeting strict specifications would go to the top of that list, where they were said to be in A1 condition.
When Lloyd’s began covering everything from Mary Hart’s legs to Jennifer Lopez’s derriere as a general insurer, they continued to classify anything first rate as “A1.”
Today, something in great shape is said to be in “A1 condition”.
