grease monkey
grease monkey · grease monkeys
A mechanic, often with the specific connotation of an automobile mechanicA mechanic, often with the specific connotation of an automobile mechanic.
Meaning
1 senses(idiomatic, slang)A mechanic, often with the specific connotation of an automobile mechanic.
More definitions
- someone whose occupation is repairing and maintaining automobiles
Translations
2 languagesOrigin
First use appears c. 1910 in a translated work. See cite below. May have originated duringFirst use appears c. 1910 in a translated work. See cite below. May have originated during the Industrial Revolution in Great Britain, when children were used to grease the large rotating axles which were used to transfer power from one centralized steam engine to all of the machines on the factory floor. These children, covered in grease and crawling in the tight spaces in the ceilings, were equated with monkeys.
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Forms
plural: grease monkeys| Singular | grease monkey |
|---|---|
| Plural | grease monkeys |
regular
Synonyms
4 synonymsClose in meaning
- someone whose occupation is repairing and maintaining automobiles:automobile mechanicauto-mechaniccar-mechanicmechanic