Cheshire 的词源

1086年，Cestre Scire，来自Chester + scir（意为“地区”，参见shire）。Cheshire cat及其著名的微笑可以追溯到1770年，但其具体含义仍然模糊。

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]

我前几天开了个玩笑，把它塞给了霍尔克罗夫特，他笑得像只柴郡猫。（为什么柴郡的猫会笑？——因为那里曾是一个郡主辖区，每当猫们想到这一点就忍不住笑，尽管我觉得没什么好笑的。）我说霍尔克罗夫特在被问到当代最优秀的戏剧作家时回答：“HOOK AND I。”霍克先生是几部作品的作者，Tekeli等等。你知道hooks and eyes是什么吧？就是小男孩系裤子的东西。[查尔斯·兰姆，致托马斯·曼宁的信，1808年2月26日]