Where does “top-hat pension” come from?

top-hat pension (English) comes from English pension, from French pension, from Old French pension, from Latin pēnsiō, from Latin -tiō, from Latin dissertātiō, from Latin dissertus, from Latin disserere — small stone, pebble; gravel, rubble.

top-hat pension (English): An unfunded pension maintained by an employer primarily for the purpose of providing deferred compensation for a select group of management or highly compensated employees

Definitions

  1. An unfunded pension maintained by an employer primarily for the purpose of providing deferred compensation for a select group of management or highly compensated employees

Ancestry of “top-hat pension”, step by step

top-hat pension traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English pension

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishpensionAn annuity paid regularly as benefit due to a...
2FrenchpensionA pension, regularly received payment; A pension,...
3Old FrenchpensionAlternative form of panssion; payment, rent
4Latinpēnsiōpayment
5Latin-tiōtion, -ation, -ing
6Latindissertātiō(spoken) dissertation, discourse, disquisition
7Latindissertusarranged, disposed; explained
8Latindissereresecond-person singular future passive indicative...
9Latindis-asunder, apart, in two; reversal, removal;...
10Latincalceusshoe
11Latincalxlimestone; chalk; the finish line
12Ancient Greekχάλιξsmall stone, pebble; gravel, rubble

via English top hat

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Englishtop hatA man's formal hat, with a tall cylindrical...
Every word from Ancient Greek χάλιξ