Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. a cunning, sly individual, esp. a gambler or swindler, also attrib. [20C+ use is derog.].

1528		Roy & Barlow Rede me and be nott wrothe (1895) 117: In carde playinge he is a goode greke And can skyll of post and glyeke Also a payre of dyce to trolle.
1568		J. Cranstoun ‘Rhime in defence of Queen of Scots’ Satirical Poems of the Reformation I (1891) IX line 217: A cowle, cowle for such a Greek were fitter for to wear, Than this Apostle deacon shoud Such princely rule to bear!
1598		Florio Worlde of Wordes n.p.: Grecheggiare, [...] Also to play the greeke.
c.1602		Shakespeare Troilus and Cressida V vi: Come, both you cogging Greeks; have at you both!
1608		Middleton Mad World (1640) I ii: Let me not be purloind, purloind indeed; the merry Greekes conceive me.
1630		J. Taylor ‘A Cast over the Water’ in Works (1869) II 163: Because you are a merry Greeke, / I’ll send thee bread and pottage thrice a weeke.
1793		Sporting Mag. Jan. I 243/1: The high-bred French Greek, Count de T–– [...] eased a young Englishman of a cool Fifteen Hundred.
1819		‘One of the Fancy’ Tom Crib’s Memorial to Congress xxviii: Most of the cant phrases in Head’s English Rogue would be intelligible to a Greek of the present day.
1824		Pierce Egan’s Life in London 21 Nov. 343/1: The underlings employed in these regions of darkness are all expert lads at legerdemain tricks—(taught by a notorious Greek, well known [...] at the ‘lower hells' for his juggling wits at all games of chance and cards).
1827		Guards 51: [T]he common hells, the rookeries and pigeon- holes, cobweb warehouses and fly-traps, where the Greek committee sits nightly.
1838		J. Grant Sketches in London 355: There are men of very high rank [...] who are retained for such purposes by one or two of the largest gaming establishments in the metropolis. They are called Greeks.
1846		Swell’s Night Guide 121/1: Greeks, gamblers, blacklegs.
1854		Thackeray Newcomes I 361: He was an adventurer, a pauper, a blackleg, a regular Greek.
1859		G.A. Sala Twice Round the Clock 154: [They] made their miserable livings as runners and decoy-ducks, and bravos to these abominable nests [i.e. ‘gambling houses’]. They were called ‘Greeks.’.
1861		Once a Week 25 May 97: As the Greek places the packet [of cards] on the top of the other, he allows it to project the least bit in the world [F&H].
1873		Sl. Dict.
1885		A. Griffiths Fast and Loose (1900) II 301: ‘You cheated me on the train! You thought I was a greenhorn!’ ‘And we find you a Greek — a regular leg.’.
1882		Sydney Sl. Dict. (2 edn) 5: Greek - A wide-awake fellow, a sharper.
1894		(con. 1840s) G.A. Sala Things I Have Seen II 90: The professional frequenters of which [i.e. ‘gambling-houses’] were known, in the slang of the time, as ‘Greeks’.
1907		(ref. to 1795) Lone Hand (Sydney) Nov. 56/1: In 1795 the chief English racecourses [...] were infested with ‘Greeks’ (sharpers).
1911		J. Masefield Everlasting Mercy 22: One of those assembled Greeks / Had corked black crosses on his cheeks.
1938		H. Asbury Sucker’s Progress 16: In earlier times sharpers were also known as Greeks.
1942		N. Algren Never Come Morning (1988) 93: The ref, that dirty Greek, what did he say?
1979		Maledicta III:2 160: Greek n [...] 2: A swindler, cardsharper.

2. unintelligible language, esp. cant or sl.; esp. in phr. it’s all Greek to me, suggesting that something is incomprehensible; occas. of actions or ideas.

1599		Shakespeare Julius Caesar I ii: Those that understood him smiled at one another and shook their heads — but for my own part, it was all Greek to me.
1602		Middleton Blurt, Master Constable E3: Nay, tis Greeke to mee.
1604		Dekker Honest Whore Pt 1 I iii: 1 ser.: Ile speake Greeke, my Lord, ere I speake that deadly word. 2 ser.: And Ile speak Welch, which is harder than Greek.
1623		J. Taylor ‘World runnes on Wheeles’ in Works (1869) II 237: Then Saddlers were a good Trade, and the name of a Coach was Heathen Greek.
c.1642		T. Killigrew Parson’s Wedding (1664) III v: Your Worship is merry; but I’le fetch you that, sir, shall speak Greek, and make your Worship prophecy.
1655		‘Du Parc’ (trans.) Comical Hist. of Francion Bk iv 22: To speak in that manner to those ignorants was to speak Greek unto them.
1696		Motteux (trans.) Gargantua and Pantagruel (1927) II Bk V 611: For my part, it was all Hebrew-Greek to me, the devil a word I could pick out of it.
1707		N. Ward Wooden World 48: His Language is all Heathen Greek to a Cobler.
1717		J.D. Breval Art of Dress in Atkins Sex in Lit. (1982) 155: Beauties that shifted hardly once a Week, / For Cleanliness, alas; to them was Greek!
1748		Smollett Roderick Random (1979) 175: He repeated some gibberish, which by the sound seemed to be Irish, and made it pass for Greek with the captain.
1766		P. de Marivaux Agreeable Surprise (translation) I i: Ay, all my Latin’s Greek to these people.
1818		‘Thomas Brown’ Fudge Family in Paris Letter X 121: Both his French and his English are Greek, Doll, to me.
1823		‘Jon Bee’ Dict. of the Turf, the Ring, the Chase, etc. 91: ‘It’s all greek to me,’ says one who cannot comprehend what is said.
1834		N. Ames ‘Old Cuff’ An Old Sailor’s Yarns 66: ‘You have lost one of your number already by your sleeping.’ All this was ‘Hebrew Greek’ to us.
1840		R. Barham ‘The Merchant of Venice’ Ingoldsby Legends (1842) 60: Pitch Greek to Old Harry, and stick to Conundrums!
1850		Manchester Spy (NH) 12 Oct. n.p.: They [i.e. ‘several communications’] are all Greek to ever one connected with our office [...] apparrently written in Choctaw, or some other uncivilized gibberish [sic].
1858		A. Mayhew Paved with Gold 50: Terms that would have been as Greek to more favoured children were naturally comprehensible to them.
1867		R. Whiteing Mr Sprouts, His Opinions 29: Every blessed word o’ this was Greek to me.
1873		J. O’Connor Wanderings of a Vagabond 40: I don’t understand what you mean, Jack; it’s all Greek to me.
1885		Bulletin (Sydney) 14 Mar. 10/1: Now on the uncombed ’tis no good / To waste each classic gem; / For French, or Russ., or Latin would / Be always Greek to them.
1886		Nat. Police Gaz. (NY) 20 Feb. 7/1: All this [i.e. drug jargon] was so much Greek to Georgie.
1896		A. Morrison Child of the Jago (1982) 72: But clicks and sneaks — them’s Greek to me, an’ I don’t want to learn ’em.
1899		H.E. Hamblen Yarns of Bucko Mate 33: I raced about the decks, pulling and hauling, roaring out, ‘Ay, ay, sir,’ every time I heard an order given, though it was pure Greek to me.
1904		Lustful Memoirs of a Young and Passionated Girl 10: I wondered what it could be that was in nicely and what it was in. But it was all greek to me then.
1916		‘Anzac’ On the Anzac Trail 5: [A] bovine-looking breed, whose mouths seemed intended for beer-drinking but not talking [...] when they did make a remark it was all Greek to us.
1924		‘Digit’ Confessions of a Twentieth Century Hobo 18: ‘Fire three and rake one’ was all Greek to me, but I did the same as the man on the next two fires.
1926		‘Sapper’ Final Count 769: At the time, of course, it was Greek to me.
1935		(con. 1920s) J.T. Farrell Judgement Day in Studs Lonigan (1936) 572: The whole business is all Greek to me.
1953		W.P. McGivern Big Heat 179: This will be Greek to you, but one of our city’s finest left a note and then blew a hole through his head.
1966		(con. 1958) R. Farina Been Down So Long (1972) 179: Fitzgore shook his head: ‘It’s all Greek to me.’.
1975		L. Rosten Dear ‘Herm’ 94: Just act like Slats, Toots or Chico are Greek to you.
1989		H. Rawson Dict. of Invective (1991) 180: Greek. (1) Incomprehensible talk, gibberish.
1990		(con. early 1950s) J. Ellroy L.A. Confidential 137: The names and faces were Greek to her and her whores.
2000		Indep. Rev. 15 Feb. 11: It’s all Greek to me, m’lud.
2001		C. Stella Eddie’s World 175: What am I speaking fuckin’ Greek?

3. a genteel beggar.

a.1661		‘A Satyre’ Rump Poems and Songs (1662) I 171: But as some London Beggers use to stand / In Grecian Coats with Papers in their hand, / Who are (as them indifferent Parts we meet) / English at Home, but solemn Greeks ith’ street.
1798		Sporting Mag. Jan. XI 217/1: It is the policy of the ‘Greeks,’ and particularly of the Irish ones to saddle themselves upon some Man of Family and Fortune.

4. a derog. term for an Irish immigrant to the US or UK; cite 1880 is not derog.

1823		‘Jon Bee’ Dict. of the Turf, the Ring, the Chase, etc. 91: Greek — Irishmen call themselves Greeks.
1824		History of Gaming Houses & Gamesters 18: The Irish themselves do denominate their countrymen ‘Grecians’ and ‘Greeks’.
1831		Quizzical Gaz. 24 Sept. 1/2: I’ll bury you dacent, and will have a big wake, / And invite lots of Greeks to be there.
1848		Boston Blade 10 June n.p.: Squads of raw Greeks, just over, with their broods of potato-eaters.
1856		Life in Boston & N.Y. (Boston, MA) 23 Aug. n.p.: Among those who disgraced the occasion by their presence, were [...] Misther T—ney, the red-headed Greek.
1859		Hotten Dict. of Modern Sl. etc. 47: GREEKS, the low Irish.
1862		Compiler (Gettysburg, PA) 31 Mar. 1/2: While ‘loafing’ in a recruiting-office the other evening a ‘Greek’ entered and asked if he could ‘lisht.’.
1872		Standard 3 Sept. n.p.: Greek, as some of your readers are aware, is colonial slang for ‘Irish’ [F&H].
1880		Bulletin (Sydney) 24 Apr. 4/4: O for O’Connor, that good-natured Greek.
1889		Dead Bird (Sydney) 16 Nov. 6/4: In one of the furniture vans [...] sat the big Greek, who we’ll call Patsy O’Hooligan.
1890–1904		Farmer & Henley Sl. and Its Analogues.
1979		Maledicta III:2 160: Greek n [...] 3: [DAS ca 1850] Irishman; underworld use.
1985		J. Sullivan ‘Watching the Girls go by’ Only Fools and Horses [TV script] I bought it off Paddy the Greek!

5. a newcomer.

1858

A. Mayhew Paved with Gold 90: Here’s a fresh ’un! here’s a Greek!

6. (US campus, also Greek freak) a member of a college fraternity or sorority; thus as adj. [the use of Greek letters as the names of such societies].

1934		Weseen Dict. Amer. Sl. 184: [College] Greek – A member of a fraternity.
1949		Time 21 Mar. 47/2: Non-fraternity men, who outnumber the Greeks two to one, held a mass meeting [DA].
1957		(con. WWII) ‘Weldon Hill’ Onionhead (1958) 26: She always seemed to be kissing Greeks.
1967–8		Baker et al. CUSS 129: Greek A socially adept person.
1970		Current Sl. IV:2 6: Greek freaks, n. Fraternities and fraternity members.
1982		Eble Campus Sl. Spring 4: greek – fraternity or sorority member.
1989		P. Munro Sl. U.
2005		E. White My Lives 266: Kids who were neither Beat [...] nor Greek (frat boys or sorority girls).

7. a person who engages in anal intercourse, not necessarily but usu. a homosexual [the stereotyped identification of Greeks with homosexuality].

c.1930		‘Adventures of a Fuller Brush Man: “The Amorous Mrs. Twirp”’ [comic strip] in B. Adelman Tijuana Bibles (1997) 47: ‘Up the Dirt Route’ Very popular with wolves, Greeks and other perverts.
1941		G. Legman ‘Lang. of Homosexuality’ Appendix VII in Henry Sex Variants.
1951		D.W. Cory Homosexual in America 105: A homosexual is sometimes called a Greek, or more often a Greek lover.
1965		Guild Dict. Homosexual Terms 19: greek (n.): A pedicator; taken from the ancient label on the Greek male.
1972		B. Rodgers Queens’ Vernacular 18: the man who fucks in anal intercourse, as opposed to the one who is fucked [...] Greek.

8. (also G) anal intercourse; often used on a prostitute’s ‘bill of sale’.

1979		Maledicta III:2 218: Others call anal intercourse Greek, though Professor Knox authoritatively informs us ancient Greeks sanctioned only intracrural activities (friction between the legs of a boy).
1987		personal ad, adult bookstore Murray & Murrell Lang. Sadomasochism (1989) 74: If you’re into alphabet soup as much as I am — F,G, R etc — we’ve got to get together.
1989		H. Rawson Dict. of Invective (1991) 180: Greek. (1) Incomprehensible talk, gibberish; (2) anal intercourse.
1991		C. Fletcher Pure Cop 90: They’ll ask you what you do. ‘Straight?’ ‘Oral?’ ‘Greek?’.
1999		J. Stahl Perv (2001) 83: Some slicked-up slacks-and-ascot type [...] Wants to feed you chocolates, teach you Greek.
2005		L. Redhead Rubdown [ebook] ‘Greek’s fifty. It’s up to you if you do Greek.’ ‘And Greek is?’ ‘Anal’.
2009		J. Stahl Pain Killers 137: But they would do[...] Greek, Russian, bareback oral or facials.
2013		A. Tucher ‘Under the Bus’ in ThugLit Feb. [ebook] [A]sking if anyone wanted a new client in the Driscoll area. Jacki didn’t want him, because he wanted Greek.