Creature said to grin long before it appeared in fiction (8,3)

I believe the answer is:

cheshire cat

(Other definitions for cheshire cat that I've seen before include "Grinning feline" , "Pussy with a big smile" , "I smile when all else is gone" , "Vanishing cream lover" , "Its grin disappeared last" .)

I've seen this clue in The Times and The Sunday Times.

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