To grease a fat sow in the arse, verb. phr. (old).—To bribe a rich man.—Grose.
To grease one’s gills, verb. phr. (common).—To make a good or luxurious meal.
Greased Lightning, subs. phr. (American).—An express train.
1871. De Vere, Americanisms, p. 359. The usual Express Train is not half fast enough for the impatient traveller; he must have his Lightning Express Train, and in the Far West improves still farther by calling it greased lightning, after a favourite Yankee term.
Like Greased Lightning, adv. phr. (American).—Very quick. See Bed-post.
1848. Durivage, Stray Subjects, p. 72. Quicker than greased lightnin’, My covies, I was dead.
1890. Globe, 27 Aug., p. 2, c. 5. He is drawn along at a rapid rate, or, as the correspondent puts it, he is whisked all over town like greased lightning.
1891. J. Newman, Scamping Tricks, p. 98. He measured again, and then off went his coat like greased lightning, and we all followed suit.
Greaser, subs. (American).—1. A Mexican in general; also a Spanish American: see quots. 1848 and 1888. The term originated during the Mexican war.
1848. Ruxton, Life in the Far West, p. 3. Note. The Mexicans are called Spaniards or greasers (from their greasy appearance) by the Western people.