Cheshire

1086年， Cestre Scire，源自 Chester 和 scir “地区”（见 shire）。Cheshire cat 及其谚语般的微笑可追溯至1770年，但其意义不明确。

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]

我前几天说了一个双关语，然后把它归咎于霍尔克罗夫特，他像切斯特猫一样咧嘴笑了。（为什么猫在切斯特咧嘴笑？因为它曾经是一个县侯领地，每当它们想起这一点时，猫们都忍不住笑，尽管我看不出有什么大笑话。）我说霍尔克罗夫特被问到当今最好的戏剧作家是谁时，回答说：“HOOK AND I。”胡克先生是几部作品的作者， Tekeli 等。你知道什么是 hooks and eyes 吗？那是小男孩用来系裤子的东西。[查尔斯·兰姆，致托马斯·曼宁的信，1808年2月26日]