Cheshire 的詞源

1086年， Cestre Scire，源自 Chester 和 scir “地區”（見 shire）。Cheshire cat 及其諺語般的微笑可追溯至1770年，但其意義不明確。

I made a pun the other day, and palmed it upon Holcroft, who grinned like a Cheshire cat. (Why do cats grin in Cheshire?—Because it was once a county palatine, and the cats cannot help laughing whenever they think of it, though I see no great joke in it.) I said that Holcroft, on being asked who were the best dramatic writers of the day, replied, "HOOK AND I." Mr Hook is author of several pieces, Tekeli, &c. You know what hooks and eyes are, don't you? They are what little boys do up their breeches with. [Charles Lamb, letter to Thomas Manning, Feb. 26, 1808]

我前幾天說了一個雙關語，然後把它歸咎於霍爾克羅夫特，他像切斯特貓一樣咧嘴笑了。（爲什麼貓在切斯特咧嘴笑？因爲它曾經是一個縣侯領地，每當它們想起這一點時，貓們都忍不住笑，儘管我看不出有什麼大笑話。）我說霍爾克羅夫特被問到當今最好的戲劇作家是誰時，回答說：“HOOK AND I。”胡克先生是幾部作品的作者， Tekeli 等。你知道什麼是 hooks and eyes 嗎？那是小男孩用來繫褲子的東西。[查爾斯·蘭姆，致托馬斯·曼寧的信，1808年2月26日]