grease monkey
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
De Meo, who lived in several countries growing up, is not exactly a grease monkey: He exudes understated elegance, favoring tailored Italian suits and classic watches.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 9, 2026
The film opens on Friday, with Mr. Paul starring as Tobey Marshall, a diamond-in-the-rough grease monkey who just happens to possess the driving skills of a world-class auto racer.
From New York Times ● Mar. 5, 2014
Crawford, who has a Ph.D. in political philosophy from the University of Chicago, is an Aristotelian grease monkey: he makes a living, repairing motorcycles in Richmond, Virginia, while teaching culture at the University of Virginia.
From Forbes ● Jun. 23, 2011
Iron Man and Speed Racer are tributes to practical ingenuity and manual dexterity, to real American innovators like Edison and Ford, Steve Wozniak and Dale Earnhardt--to the grease monkey as genius.
From Time Magazine Archive
“Wish I had better news, son. I’m just an old grease monkey, but I’ve been climbing around boat engines for long enough to know the score.”
From "The Young Man and the Sea" by Rodman Philbrick
