"grin like a Cheshire cat" meaning in English

See grin like a Cheshire cat in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Verb

Audio: en-au-grin like a Cheshire cat.ogg Forms: grins like a Cheshire cat [present, singular, third-person], grinning like a Cheshire cat [participle, present], grinned like a Cheshire cat [participle, past], grinned like a Cheshire cat [past]
Etymology: Attested since at least the 1780s. The reason why Cheshire was combined with cat is disputed: see here for more information. Head templates: {{en-verb|*|head=grin like a Cheshire cat}} grin like a Cheshire cat (third-person singular simple present grins like a Cheshire cat, present participle grinning like a Cheshire cat, simple past and past participle grinned like a Cheshire cat)
  1. (simile) To smile broadly, especially in a self-satisfied way. Wikipedia link: Cheshire Cat#Origins Synonyms: smile from ear to ear Translations (to smile broadly): kõrvuni naeratama (Estonian), hymyillä kuin Hangon keksi (Finnish), hymyillä korvasta korvaan (Finnish), sourire jusqu’aux oreilles (French), grinsen wie ein Honigkuchenpferd (German), grinsen von Ohr zu Ohr (German), fülig ér a szája (Hungarian), vigyorog, mint a fakutya/vadkörte/tejbetök (Hungarian), mostrare un sorriso a trentadue denti (Italian), sfoggiare un sorriso a trentadue denti (Italian), sonreír de oreja a oreja (Spanish), grina som en solvarg (Swedish)
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          "ref": "1788, Francis Grose, A classical dictionary of the vulgar tongue, 2nd corrected and enlarged edition, London:",
          "text": "CHESHIRE CAT. He grins like a Cheshire cat; said of any one who shows his teeth and gums in laughing.",
          "type": "quote"
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          "ref": "1792, John Wolcot (under the pseudonym Peter Pindar), Pair of Lyric Epistles:",
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          "ref": "1967, Barbara Sleigh, Jessamy, Sevenoaks, Kent: Bloomsbury, published 1993, →ISBN, page 127:",
          "text": "‘It’s almost as if we’ve gone silly with happiness,’ said Marcus two days later. ‘Everyone in the house going round grinning like a lot of Cheshire Cats! The family I mean.’ ‘And Jess,’ said Kitto quickly. ‘Oh well, Jess is as good as family,’ said Fanny comfortably. Jessamy said nothing, but she looked up quickly and her smile would have rivalled any Cheshire Cat.",
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        "To smile broadly, especially in a self-satisfied way."
      ],
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          "smile",
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          "broadly",
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        "(simile) To smile broadly, especially in a self-satisfied way."
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "smile from ear to ear"
        }
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        {
          "code": "et",
          "lang": "Estonian",
          "sense": "to smile broadly",
          "word": "kõrvuni naeratama"
        },
        {
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "to smile broadly",
          "word": "hymyillä kuin Hangon keksi"
        },
        {
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "to smile broadly",
          "word": "hymyillä korvasta korvaan"
        },
        {
          "code": "fr",
          "lang": "French",
          "sense": "to smile broadly",
          "word": "sourire jusqu’aux oreilles"
        },
        {
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "to smile broadly",
          "word": "grinsen wie ein Honigkuchenpferd"
        },
        {
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "to smile broadly",
          "word": "grinsen von Ohr zu Ohr"
        },
        {
          "code": "hu",
          "lang": "Hungarian",
          "sense": "to smile broadly",
          "word": "fülig ér a szája"
        },
        {
          "code": "hu",
          "lang": "Hungarian",
          "sense": "to smile broadly",
          "word": "vigyorog, mint a fakutya/vadkörte/tejbetök"
        },
        {
          "code": "it",
          "lang": "Italian",
          "sense": "to smile broadly",
          "word": "mostrare un sorriso a trentadue denti"
        },
        {
          "code": "it",
          "lang": "Italian",
          "sense": "to smile broadly",
          "word": "sfoggiare un sorriso a trentadue denti"
        },
        {
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "note": "улыба́ться до уше́й (ulybátʹsja do ušéj, literally “smile up to one's ears”)",
          "sense": "to smile broadly"
        },
        {
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "sense": "to smile broadly",
          "word": "sonreír de oreja a oreja"
        },
        {
          "code": "sv",
          "lang": "Swedish",
          "sense": "to smile broadly",
          "word": "grina som en solvarg"
        }
      ],
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        "Cheshire Cat#Origins"
      ]
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        "To smile broadly, especially in a self-satisfied way."
      ],
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          "smile",
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      "raw_glosses": [
        "(simile) To smile broadly, especially in a self-satisfied way."
      ],
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        {
          "word": "smile from ear to ear"
        }
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    {
      "code": "et",
      "lang": "Estonian",
      "sense": "to smile broadly",
      "word": "kõrvuni naeratama"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "to smile broadly",
      "word": "hymyillä kuin Hangon keksi"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "to smile broadly",
      "word": "hymyillä korvasta korvaan"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "to smile broadly",
      "word": "sourire jusqu’aux oreilles"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "to smile broadly",
      "word": "grinsen wie ein Honigkuchenpferd"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "to smile broadly",
      "word": "grinsen von Ohr zu Ohr"
    },
    {
      "code": "hu",
      "lang": "Hungarian",
      "sense": "to smile broadly",
      "word": "fülig ér a szája"
    },
    {
      "code": "hu",
      "lang": "Hungarian",
      "sense": "to smile broadly",
      "word": "vigyorog, mint a fakutya/vadkörte/tejbetök"
    },
    {
      "code": "it",
      "lang": "Italian",
      "sense": "to smile broadly",
      "word": "mostrare un sorriso a trentadue denti"
    },
    {
      "code": "it",
      "lang": "Italian",
      "sense": "to smile broadly",
      "word": "sfoggiare un sorriso a trentadue denti"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "note": "улыба́ться до уше́й (ulybátʹsja do ušéj, literally “smile up to one's ears”)",
      "sense": "to smile broadly"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "to smile broadly",
      "word": "sonreír de oreja a oreja"
    },
    {
      "code": "sv",
      "lang": "Swedish",
      "sense": "to smile broadly",
      "word": "grina som en solvarg"
    }
  ],
  "word": "grin like a Cheshire cat"
}

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This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2024-09-22 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2024-09-20 using wiktextract (af5c55c and 66545a6). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

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