Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. a novice, an unsophisticated person, esp. a new arrival from the country.

1832		Egan Bk of Sports 60: We turnpike folk are considered a little bit imperent on race-days by the Greenies, who don’t know vat travelling is.
1844		New Sprees of London 35: At some other opportunity we shall return to this subject, and put the greeny fly to some of the rummyest dodges practised here.
1848		‘Ned Buntline’ Mysteries and Miseries of N.Y. III 58: Any body could know that these was took by a greeny.
1854		F. St. Clair Six Days in the Metropolis 15: If greeny don’t gain some experience and I some remuneration for putting him through a course of sprouts.
1864		letter O.J. Hopkins Under The Flag (1961) 24 Nov. 217: That’s all they can think of, the ‘Greenies’: new recruits.
1874		Chicago Trib. 7 Aug. in A. Pinkerton Reminiscences (1879) 203: The ancient Farmer Man / Behind a carl* full drunk [*Carl – Countryman, greeny].
1882		Sydney Sl. Dict. (2 edn) 5: Greeny - One who is practised upon dishonestly.
1887		Lantern (New Orleans, LA) 5 Mar. 3: Rube claims to be a tout, and gets around the greenies saying he has a sinch but if he ain’t careful, he’ll bite the dust.
1892		Sun (NY) sec. B 11 Sept. 12/5: Each year old tramps bring in new recruits [...] These recruits are known as ‘greenies’.
1899		F.E. Daniel Recollections of a Rebel Surgeon 218: You are a greeny, shonuff.
1900		Ade More Fables in Sl. (1960) 97: I ain’t no Greeny.
1904		M. Kelly Little Citizens 68: He was then dragged through long halls and up the tall stairs by a large boy, who spoke to him disdainfully as ‘greenie.’.
1912		Bulletin (Sydney) 12 Dec. 33/3: What does a parcel of greenies like you know about it? Nothin’ in it! My bloomin’ oath!
1938		J. Digges Bowleg Bill in Botkin (1944) 21–8: We ain’t taking on no greenies.
1956		H. Gold Man Who Was Not With It (1965) 134: You’re just a greenie in the business. It’s a natural forty-sixty deal.
1969		‘Iceberg Slim’ Pimp 190: Greenie, the white man has been pig-greedy for Nigger broads ever since his first whiff of black pussy.
1975		J. Roe The Same Old Grind 144: ‘I don’t want anyone to think I’m a greenie [...] so I pretend to give blow jobs for money’.
1991		B. Hamper Rivethead (1992) 34: Having a greenie like myself across the line could only help during this assimilation process.
2011		F. Bill ‘Hill Clan Cross’ in Crimes in Southern Indiana [ebook] ‘You two dick stains didn’t even check to see if they’s packin’ heat [...] Fuckin’ greenies’ .

2. attrib. use of sense 1.

1891

A. Day Mysterious Beggar 272: A greeny Junior from the Princeton Theolog. He’s goin’ to jaw th’ crowd.