Cheshire Cat
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
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| The first known appearance of the expression in literature is in the 18th century, in [[Francis Grose]]'s ''A Classical Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue'', Second, Corrected and Enlarged Edition (1788), which contains the following entry: {{quote|'''''Cheshire cat'''''. ''He grins like a Cheshire cat''; said of any one who shows his teeth and gums in laughing.}} | The first known appearance of the expression in literature is in the 18th century, in [[Francis Grose]]'s ''A Classical Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue'', Second, Corrected and Enlarged Edition (1788), which contains the following entry: {{quote|'''''Cheshire cat'''''. ''He grins like a Cheshire cat''; said of any one who shows his teeth and gums in laughing.}} | ||
| - | The phrase appears again in print in [[John Wolcot]]'s pseudonymous [[John Wolcot|Peter Pindar]]'s ''Pair of Lyric Epistles'' (1792):{{quote|"Lo, like a Cheshire cat our court will grin."}} | + | The phrase appears again in print in [[John Wolcot]]'s pseudonymous [[John Wolcot|Peter Pindar]]'s ''Pair of Lyric Epistles'' (1792): |
| - | The phrase also appears in print in [[William Makepeace Thackeray]]'s novel ''[[The Newcomes]]'' (1855):{{quote|"That woman grins like a Cheshire cat."}} | + | :"Lo, like a Cheshire cat our court will grin." |
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| + | The phrase also appears in print in [[William Makepeace Thackeray]]'s novel ''[[The Newcomes]]'' (1855): | ||
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| + | :"That woman grins like a Cheshire cat." | ||
| There are numerous theories about the origin of the phrase "grinning like a Cheshire Cat" in English history. A possible origin of the phrase is one favoured by the people of [[Cheshire]], a county in England which boasts numerous dairy farms; hence the cats grin because of the abundance of milk and cream. | There are numerous theories about the origin of the phrase "grinning like a Cheshire Cat" in English history. A possible origin of the phrase is one favoured by the people of [[Cheshire]], a county in England which boasts numerous dairy farms; hence the cats grin because of the abundance of milk and cream. | ||
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Revision as of 12:40, 24 April 2024
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The Cheshire Cat is a fictional cat popularised by Lewis Carroll in Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and known for its distinctive mischievous grin. While now most often used in Alice-related contexts, the association of a "Cheshire cat" with grinning predates the 1865 book. It has transcended the context of literature and become enmeshed in popular culture, appearing in various forms of media, from political cartoons to television, as well as in cross-disciplinary studies, from business to science. One distinguishing feature of the Alice-style Cheshire Cat involves a periodic gradual disappearance of its body, leaving only one last visible trace: its iconic grin.
Origins
The first known appearance of the expression in literature is in the 18th century, in Francis Grose's A Classical Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue, Second, Corrected and Enlarged Edition (1788), which contains the following entry: Template:Quote
The phrase appears again in print in John Wolcot's pseudonymous Peter Pindar's Pair of Lyric Epistles (1792):
- "Lo, like a Cheshire cat our court will grin."
The phrase also appears in print in William Makepeace Thackeray's novel The Newcomes (1855):
- "That woman grins like a Cheshire cat."
There are numerous theories about the origin of the phrase "grinning like a Cheshire Cat" in English history. A possible origin of the phrase is one favoured by the people of Cheshire, a county in England which boasts numerous dairy farms; hence the cats grin because of the abundance of milk and cream.
