High, wide and handsome

This expression is originally American and can have a variety of meanings depending on the context. It was probably first used in America from the mid-19th century as a description for a fine-looking horse, but this was soon followed by citations where it was used to describe buildings, great baseball hits, and virtually anything of excellence. Unlike a similar expression, tall, dark and handsome, it is not generally applied to people. For example, high, wide and handsome is frequently used by golf commentators to describe an excellent drive off the tee.