| Cheshire Cat | |
|---|---|
| Alice's Adventures in Wonderland character | |
 The Cheshire Cat as illustrator John Tenniel depicted it in the 1865 publication | |
| Created by | Lewis Carroll |
| In-universe information | |
| Species | Cat |
| Gender | Male (the Queen of Hearts cries "off with his head" when the cat upsets the king) |
| Quote | "Most everyone's mad here." "You may have noticed that I'm not all there myself." |
The Cheshire Cat (/ˈtʃɛʃər, -ɪər/ CHESH-ər, -eer)[1] is a fictional cat popularised by Lewis Carroll in Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and known for its distinctive mischievous grin. While now most often used in Alice-related contexts, the association of a "Cheshire cat" with grinning predates the 1865 book. It has transcended the context of literature and become enmeshed in popular culture, appearing in various forms of media, from political cartoons to television, as well as in cross-disciplinary studies, from business to science. Often it is shown in the context of a person or idea that is purposefully confusing or enigmatic. One distinguishing feature of the Alice-style Cheshire Cat is the periodic gradual disappearance of its body, leaving only one last visible trace: its iconic grin. He belongs to the Duchess.
- ^ "Cheshire" Archived 21 January 2018 at the Wayback Machine. Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary