like greased lightning

Idioms and Phrases

Also, like a blue streak ; like the wind ; like blazes . Very fast indeed, as in He climbed that ladder like greased lightning , or She kept on talking like a blue streak , or The children ran like the wind when they heard there'd be free ice cream . The likening of speed to lightning dates from the 1500s, and grease was added in the early 1800s to further accentuate the idea of haste. The first variant, blue streak , also dates from the early 1800s and alludes to something resembling lightning. The wind in the second variant has been a metaphor for swiftness since ancient Roman times. The blazes in the last variant, first recorded in 1925, alludes to fire or lightning.

Example Sentences

Then it’s like “Greased Lightning” and “Singin’ in the Rain” put together, in a way that only Ken could have infused into his brain from our bizarre culture.

From Los Angeles Times

I went down it like greased lightning and came out at the bottom of it and once again I was on the floor.

From Literature

Another character “moves like greased lightning and is at the cafe huffing and puffing.”

From Washington Post

Some companies, like Greased Lightning in Newark, now specialize in collecting and paying for large quantities of used oil from restaurants to refine into biofuel.

From New York Times

They're fine, weatherly craft, and with the wind abeam she ought to skip over the bar like greased lightning.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• speedy