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Show "Cheshire Cai" Grin Variously Explained The expression, "to grin like a Cheshire Ches-hire oat." has never been satisfactorily accounted for. It was popularized by Lewis Carroll in his "Adventures of Alice in Wonderland." In this pretty story the Cheshire cat is a grinning cat which makes its appearance to give Alice advice. The first time the cat suddenly disappears. But after considerable persuasion by Alice the cat returns and then disappears gradually grad-ually and almost imperceptibly. The last thing to vanish was the grin, says the Detroit News. It is said that cheese originally made in Cheshire, England, was molded into forms like a grinning cat. the word "Cheshire," is pronounced "Chcsh-ir," with the accent on the first syllable and the "1" short as in "irritate." "irri-tate." There is also a humorous explanation ex-planation of this phrase. Cheshire is one of those counties In England known as counties palatine that is, the count or earl has certain royal privileges. This Idea, it Is said, is so funny to the cats in that region that they are perpetually amused at It. A person who shows his teeth when he laughs Is said "to grin like a Cheshire cat." The expression Is especially applied ap-plied to a forced or sneering smile. |