A Mexican.
1849. The Mexicans are called “Spaniards” or “Greasers” (from their greasy appearance) by the Western people.—G. F. Ruxton, ‘Life in the Far West,’ p. 4, note. (N.E.D.)
1849. Tell the old coon to quit that, and make them darned greasers clear out of the lodge.—Id., p. 176 (Bartlett).
1853. You don’t mean to say that you think it’s any harm to cheat the greasers.—Durivage, ‘Life Scenes,’ p. 341.
1854. See Appendix VIII.
1861. Lastly comes a ‘greaser’ or New-Mexican native, clad in the sombrero and serape of his region, with a pair of enormous spurs attached to his heels and jingling at every step. He would not be seriously injured if held under a pump for the space of half-an-hour.—Knick. Mag., lviii. 125 (Aug.).
1863. A Mexican (vulgarly called Greaser) was now hauled over the coals.—Rocky Mountain News, Denver, Jan. 29.
1869. He now amused himself by jumping into his buggy, and starting off with his double-barrelled shot-gun after Greasers, murderers, and the like, of whom he generally bagged, or otherwise disposed of, two or three every week.—J. Ross Browne, ‘Adventures in the Apache Country,’ p. 37 (N.Y.).
1888. I have reason to believe it was a serious disappointment to the whole confederation of jokers, to have me actually see a Mexican driver (a greaser) crack his whip over the heads of his oxen, as they crawled along in front of us one day when we were riding. There is no sound like the snap of the lash of a “bull-whacker,” as they are called, and perhaps brighter women than I am might have thought it a pistol-shot. This ended my taking it as the signal of death.—Mrs. Custer, ‘Tenting on the Plains,’ pp. 228–9.
1890. His short, stocky figure, swarthy skin, and coarse features made him a typical “Greaser,” and quite the replica of many we had seen in Texas.—Mrs. Custer, ‘Following the Guidon,’ p. 25 (N.Y.).
