Green’s Dictionary of Slang

(Aus./N.Z.) food, esp. fish and chips or some form of take-away fast food.

1954		(con. 1940s) T.A.G. Hungerford Sowers of the Wind 18: The cooks were tipping out what was left over. [...] ‘Not bad, eh?’ ‘No, they’re good greasies.’.
1968		Patler XVIII. 2 11 Oct. 13: The only stop [for the rugby team] was at Woodville for pies and loads of ‘greasies’ [DNZE].
1979		R.J. Williams Skin Deep 131: Across the road from Joe’s [cafe]...a gang of callow youths eat their greasies and swig rudely from bottles of beer [DNZE].
1987		Dominion (Wellington) 4 Sept. 7: Kiwis go for greasies Fish and chips still rates tops as New Zealanders’ most popular takeaway meal [DNZE].
1991		S. Eldred-Grigg Shining City 161: He called the fish and chips ‘greasies.’ We sat on the floor, eating greasies from the paper, drinking beer from the bottle.
2003		McGill Reed Dict. of N.Z. Sl. 93: greasies Fish and chips usually, but any deep-fried takeaway food. ANZ.
2007		(ref. to 1950s) Ronowicz & Yallop English: One Language, Different Cultures 199: Fish and chips, also known as 'greasies' or 'shark and taties', constituted the main takeaway meal [i.e. in New Zealand] prior to the 1960s.