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.
1855. FRANK MARRYAT, Mountains and Molehills, p. 263. The American[s] … 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 the passing traveller will observe there.
1876. BESANT and RICE, The 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. ROOSEVELT, Frontier Types, in The Century Magazine, Oct., 836. 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.
1890. A. C. GUNTER, Miss Nobody of Nowhere, p. 26. 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.
