# grease monkey

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/grease-monkey
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

A mechanic, often with the specific connotation of an automobile mechanic.

## Examples

- My brother is a grease monkey who fixes cars all day.
- The grease monkey changes the oil in my truck every few months.
- When the engine started making a strange noise, I took it to the local grease monkey for a quick inspection.
- You should ask that grease monkey in the garage if he can repair your broken motorcycle before the weekend trip.
- After working as a grease monkey for ten years, she decided to open her own shop to fix heavy machinery.
- The seasoned grease monkey wiped his oil-stained hands on a rag, confident that he could restore the vintage engine to its former glory.

## Origin

First 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. (disputed)

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