now-famous

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The now-famous Cheshire cat made his debut in Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland in 1865. Throughout the story, the cat pops up to carry on silly conversations with Alice, and then he slowly disappears, leaving behind only his mischievous grin!

What is the meaning of 'now-famous'?

Many thanks.

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Before the writing of Alice in Wonderland, there was no concept of the "cheshire cat". It was through the writing of the book that the term became a part of the English language.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cheshire_Cat

The term, "now-famous" would indicate something that was not generally known, but now is because of something; a book, a news report, a movie, etc.

I know that is not a great answer, but it is the best way that I can explain it.

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Hi Phoenix

I believe your answer is correct. The Cheshire Cat was not known, but has become famous because of 'Alice in Wonderland'.

Many thanks also for the link.

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In fact, there is a saying, "smiling like a cheshire cat".

http://www.bartleby.com/59/6/cheshirecat.html

The reference is to the cat in Alice in Wonderland. Most native English speaking people know the meaning of that phrase, even if they had never read the book.

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Many thanks, Phoenix.

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