Where does “grease-monkey” come from?

grease-monkey (English) comes from English grease, from Middle English Grece, from Anglo-Norman craisse.

grease-monkey (English): An automobile mechanic

Definitions

  1. An automobile mechanic

Ancestry of “grease-monkey”, step by step

grease-monkey traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English grease

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishgreaseAnimal fat in a melted or soft state; Any oily or...
2Middle EnglishGreceA step; a part of a staircase or set of stairs
3Anglo-Normancraisse—

via English monkey

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishmonkeyAny member of the clade Simiiformes not also of...
2GermanMoneke—
Every word from Anglo-Norman craisse →
grease-monkey — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer