Cheshire 🌙

for the #disneycrossing challenge I decided to do Cheshire Cat from Alice in Wonderland.

while researching more about this character, I learned a few interesting things:

The iconic character we know and love today originated from the phrase,

”Grinning like a Cheshire Cat”

and it’s true origin is unknown, but there are several theories. One being that it came from the English country Cheshire, whos known for their plentiful dairy farms. The cats there were said to grin from the abundance of milk and cream.

the first written use of this phrase was in “A Classical Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue” A dictionary published in 1788. The definition read,

“Cheshire cat. He grins like a Cheshire cat; said of any one who shows his teeth and gums in laughing.”

this phrase showed up many more times in different literature from the 18th century until now where it is more popular than ever.

the character Cheshire Cat was created by author/illustrator Lewis Carroll in 1865. It was featured in the classic novel “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland” and to this day the character is widely recognized and loved !

source: Wikipedia of Cheshire Cat, Alice in Wonderland, and Lewis Carroll.