grin like a Cheshire cat
To smile smugly or mischievously. The term was popularized by the character in Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. I knew he had a prank planned for April Fools' Day when he arrived at work grinning like a Cheshire cat. Our dad's really handy, so he grins like a Cheshire cat whenever one of us says we're going to fix something. Justin grinned like a Cheshire cat when he came out of the boss's office, so I bet you he got the promotion.
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.
grin like a Cheshire cat
Smile broadly, especially in a self-satisfied way. For example, John ended the set with a beautiful serve, an ace, and couldn't help grinning like a Cheshire cat . The ultimate origin of this expression, appearing in print since the late 1700s, is disputed, but its most famous exponent was Lewis Carroll, in whose Alice's Adventures in Wonderland the grinning cat gradually vanished from view, with its grin the last part to vanish.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
grin like a Cheshire cat
have a broad fixed smile on your face. The Cheshire cat with its broad grin is best known for its appearance (and disappearance) in Lewis Carroll 's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland ( 1865 ), but the expression, which is of uncertain origin, is recorded from the first half of the 19th century.
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary © Farlex 2017
grin like a Cheshire ˈcat
smile widely in a foolish way or as if you are very pleased with yourself: She sat there grinning like a Cheshire cat while we tried to put the tent up.The Cheshire Cat is a character in Lewis Carroll’s story, Alice in Wonderland.Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary © Farlex 2017
grin like a Cheshire cat
To smile broadly. The origin of this expression, which was well known in the eighteenth century, has been lost. Most explanations involve the traditional Cheshire County cheese, sold in the shape of a wheel and, perhaps, once so molded that it resembled a cat’s grinning face. Another theory holds that it refers to a Cheshire forest ranger named Caterling who frightened off poachers with his fierce grin. At any rate, the term has been appearing in print since the late 1700s in the works of such writers as William Thackeray and Charles Lamb, as well as in the work of its most famous exponent, Lewis Carroll.
The Dictionary of Clichés by Christine Ammer Copyright © 2013 by Christine Ammer