The Cheshire Cat was the winner of our popularity poll! And it's no surprise with that "grin from to ear to ear" and those "very long claws and a great many teeth" that even Alice felt that it ought to be treated with respect.
Have you ever heard the saying that someone grinned like a Cheshire cat? It was a saying as early as 1808, and it meant to smile with your teeth and gums showing. There are several possible origins for the saying itself, but the two leading theories are:
There were signboards of grinning lions on many inns in the county of Cheshire, which is also the county that Lewis Carroll was born in.
Cheshire cheeses were at one time molded in the shape of a grinning cat, which Lewis Carroll would most likely have been familiar with.
So not only do these point to the origin of the saying, but they also point to why Lewis Carroll included the Cheshire Cat as a character in the story. I personally like the theory about the Cheshire cheese that was molded into a grinning cat. The fact that a mouse would want to eat the cheese cat turns the traditional narrative upside down (where the cat would be the predator), and I think it feels in line with the madness of Wonderland that Lewis Carroll could perhaps have appreciated. I also wonder if he didn't buy a Cheshire cheese cat and eat the smiling grin last, much like how the Cheshire Cat's grin lingers last before the cat disappears completely.
Notice the Cheshire cheese #15
Speaking of Cheshire cheese, have you ever had any? I have not! It's one of England's oldest recorded cheeses though, and it's described as having a crumbly and slightly moist texture. I've read that it can taste fresh and a little tangy. If you've ever tried Cheshire cheese, let us know how it tasted! I'm definitely going to get some and pair it with the Mad Hatter loose leaf tea while playing Where am I? Alice in a Mad Tea Party. What a tea party it shall be!
