A fork of Rural Dictionary
Dating back to the early 1900’s. Associated with breaker boys who were employed to break up coal into manageable pieces. The boys would get soot and debris in their finger Tips that would cause pain, swelling and a red discoloration. Hence the term “Red Tops”. At the time the best solution was to pee on your hands to flush out the coal dust. After a while the boys would develop a higher tolerance or Calluses.
Johnny just started a new job with the local company. “Hey look at the new red top” said billy an older boy.