An old and colorful slang phrase meaning to eat a hearty, satisfying meal.
An old and colorful slang phrase meaning to eat a hearty, satisfying meal. The imagery evokes getting grease around the mouth and throat — the gills — from chowing down seriously. It's the kind of expression you'd find in 19th-century sailor slang or rural vernacular, though today it's mostly used for comic or nostalgic effect rather than in everyday speech.
Add your own interpretation of "grease one's gills".
Regional slang from around the English-speaking world — British, Australian, Irish, Caribbean, Nigerian, Filipino, AAVE, and the hyphenated-English dialects that make the internet sound local.
See all Regional & Other slang on Slangora.
Browse all slang words starting with G.
(slang, often followed by to) To flatter (someone) excessively; to suck up.
Golden grease is a colourful slang phrase for a bribe — money or gifts handed over to smooth a deal, dodge a regulation, or win someone's favour through corrupt means. The imagery is vivid: just as grease makes mechanical parts slide smoothly, golden grease makes bureaucratic or legal obstacles conveniently disappear. Used with a knowing wink in conversation, it implies a transaction everyone understands but nobody will openly admit to.
(intransitive, aviation, slang) To perform a very soft landing.
(slang) A bribe.
(slang) To eat a hearty meal.