greaser

[Benjamin Zimmer]

On Wed, 27 Jul 2005 16:29:36 -0500, Mullins, Bill
<Bill.Mullins at US.ARMY.MIL> wrote:

>OED has 1849
>
>STILL MORE ABOUT THE MEXICAN WAR.
>Advocate of Peace (1847-1906); Mar/Apr 1848; 7, 15; APS Online
>pg. 187
>
>"A few evenings ago, as two of the Mississippians wer going up to camp,
>they were attacked by a small party of "greasers"."

Slightly earlier...

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The Living Age, Volume 14, Issue 176, Sep. 25, 1847
"The Battle of Monterey", p. 619/2

Perhaps I did feel a little weak in the jints when I seed the officers
unbuttonin their shirt collars, and the men throwin away their canteens
and
haversacks, as they was marchin rite strait up to them ar works, whar the
greasers was waitin for us, every devil with his gun pinted and his finger
on the trigger; I know'd they was gwine to let us have it, and I felt
monstrous uneasy till it cum.

http://cdl.library.cornell.edu/cgi-bin/moa/pageviewer?frames=1&coll=moa&view=50&root=%2Fmoa%2Flivn%2Flivn0014%2F&tif=00625.TIF
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--Ben Zimmer