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.
