Cheshire cat en · PROPN
Pronunciation
- (Southern-England) audio
- /ˌtʃɛʃə ˈkat/ (UK)
- /ˌtʃɛʃɚ ˈkæt/ (US)
Etymology
Term attested since at least the 1780s in the expression grin like a Cheshire cat. The reason why Cheshire was combined with cat is disputed: see here for more information.
Meanings
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A fictional cat with a broad fixed grin, made popular by Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (1865).
“Please would you tell me,” said Alice, a little timidly, for she was not quite sure whether it was good manners for her to speak first, “why your cat grins like that?” “It’s a Cheshire-Cat,” said the Duchess, “and that’s why.”
1865, Lewis Carroll, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland:‘It’s almost as if we’ve gone silly with happiness,’ said Marcus two days later. ‘Everyone in the house going round grinning like a lot of Cheshire Cats! The family I mean.’ ‘And Jess,’ said Kitto quickly. ‘Oh well, Jess is as good as family,’ said Fanny comfortably. Jessamy said nothing, but she looked up quickly and her smile would have rivalled any Cheshire Cat.
1967, Barbara Sleigh, Jessamy, Sevenoaks, Kent: Bloomsbury, published 1993, →ISBN, page 127:CHESHIRE CAT. He grins like a Cheshire cat; said of any one who shows his teeth and gums in laughing.
1788, Francis Grose, A classical dictionary of the vulgar tongue, 2nd corrected and enlarged edition, London:
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(attributive) A technique that involves hiding a class's data behind a pointer, so that the code remains binary-compatible even after future changes to members and functionality.
the Cheshire cat technique
the Cheshire cat idiom
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| the Cheshire cat | canonical | lexicographic | |
| Cheshire cats | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Deriveds
cheshirization · grin like a Cheshire cat
Translations (38)
cmn 柴郡貓 /柴郡猫 (fictional grinning cat) · gl Gato de Cheshire (fictional grinning cat) · pt Gato de Cheshire (fictional grinning cat) · mr चेशर मांजर (fictional grinning cat) · hu Cheshire macska (fictional grinning cat) · sk mačka Škľabka (fictional grinning cat) · ja チェシャ猫 (fictional grinning cat) · pl Kot z Cheshire (fictional grinning cat) · de Grinsekatze (fictional grinning cat) · eu Cheshire Katua (fictional grinning cat) · ca Gat de Cheshire (fictional grinning cat) · ru Чеши́рский кот (fictional grinning cat) · it Stregatto (fictional grinning cat) · ko 체셔 고양이 (fictional grinning cat) · es Gato de Cheshire (fictional grinning cat) · ro Motanul Cheshire (fictional grinning cat) · fr chat de Chester (fictional grinning cat) · cmn 笑臉貓 /笑脸猫 (fictional grinning cat) · eo Ĉeŝira kato (fictional grinning cat) · fr chat du Cheshire (fictional grinning cat) · fi Irvikissa (fictional grinning cat) · el γάτα Τσέσαϊρ (fictional grinning cat) · az Çeşir pişiyi (fictional grinning cat) · he חָתוּל צֶ׳שִׁיֶר (fictional grinning cat) · de Cheshire-Katze (fictional grinning cat) · kk Чешир мысығы (fictional grinning cat) · sv Cheshirekatten (fictional grinning cat) · hy Չեշիրյան կատու (fictional grinning cat) · es Gato Risón (fictional grinning cat) · cs kočka Šklíba (fictional grinning cat) · hu vigyorgó macska (fictional grinning cat) · pt Gato Que Ri (fictional grinning cat) · is Glottsýslukötturinn (fictional grinning cat) · it gatto del Cheshire (fictional grinning cat) · pl Kot-Dziwak z Cheshire (fictional grinning cat) · cmn 歙縣貓 /歙县猫 (fictional grinning cat) · uk Чеши́рський кіт (fictional grinning cat) · de Edamer-Katze (fictional grinning cat)