1855. Marryat, Mountains and Mole Hills, p. 236. The Americans call the Mexicans greasers, which is scarcely a complimentary soubriquet; although the term greaser camp as applied to a Mexican encampment is truthfully suggestive of filth and squalor.
1876. Besant and Rice, Golden Butterfly, Prologue i. Behind the leaders followed a little troop of three, consisting of one English servant and two greasers.
1883. Bret Harte, In the Carquinez Woods, footnote to ch. vii. Greasers, Californian slang for a mixed race of Mexicans and Indians.
1888. Century Mag., October. To avenge the murder of one of their number the cowboys gathered from the country round about, and fairly stormed the greaser—that is, Mexican—village where the murder had been committed, killing four of the inhabitants.
1891. Gunter, Miss Nobody, ch. 2. Don’t let the greaser git his fingers in your ha’r.
2. in. pl. (Royal Military Academy).—Fried potatoes, as distinguished from boilers = boiled potatoes.
To give one greaser, verb. phr. (Winchester College).—To rub the back of the hand hard with the knuckles.
Grease-spot, subs. (common).—The imaginary result of a passage at arms, physical or intellectual.
1844. Haliburton, The Attaché, ch. xvi. If he hadn’t a had the clear grit in him, and showed his teeth and claws, they’d a nullified him so you wouldn’t see a grease-spot of him no more.
Greasy-chin, subs. (old).—A dinner.