E. Cobham Brewer 1810–1897. Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 1898.
Grecian Stairs.
A corruption of greesing stairs. Greesings (steps) still survives in the architectural word grees, and in the compound word de-grees. There is still on the hill at Lincoln a flight of stone steps called “Grecian stairs.”
1
“Paul stood on the greezen [i.e. stairs].”—Wicliffe: Acts xxi. 40.
