10 Popular Expressions Originating from Alice's Adventures in Wonderland

Have you ever found yourself lost in a rabbit hole? Maybe you stumbled upon this post while diving deep into an online rabbit hole? Lewis Carroll’s timeless story, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, provides the perfect phrase to describe your internet explorations.

Interestingly, this beloved tale is the origin of numerous everyday expressions. So widespread are these phrases that even if you’ve never read Alice, you’ve likely used them often. (Think of how often you quote Zoolander, but with more precision.) Join us on a fascinating linguistic adventure that circles back to Wonderland.

1. DOWN THE RABBIT HOLE

Only a Tweedledee would argue that this stands as Carroll’s most significant gift to the English language—even if its meaning has evolved over time. This phrase, along with others, “began to surface almost immediately after the book’s initial publication” in 1865, notes Carolyn Vega, curator of the Morgan Library’s exhibition "Alice: 150 Years of Wonderland," which runs until October 12. “It creates a self-reinforcing cycle. As these expressions enter the world, people become familiar with the story without reading it, and the phrases spread even further.”

2. MAD AS A HATTER

In other words, completely insane—like, truly, utterly insane. While the phrase had been used since 1835 to describe a peculiar medical condition affecting hat makers (seriously!

), it remains widely known because Carroll was a marketing mastermind. “He pioneered licensing his characters for use on various products, giving them lives beyond the book,” Vega explains. This phenomenon, akin to what childless aunts or uncles might call the Frozen effect, means “the characters become recognizable to a broader audience than just the book’s readers,” Vega adds. She also suggests that the story’s popularity stems from the fact that “it doesn’t conclude with a moral or lesson, unlike all children’s literature before it.”

3. CHESHIRE CAT GRIN

Similar to our friend the Mad Hatter, the Cheshire Cat has become deeply embedded in our cultural consciousness. The descriptive phrase is tied to this particular character, so when someone is said to be grinning like a Cheshire cat, we immediately envision that broad, mischievous—and slightly eerie—smile.

4. OFF WITH THEIR HEADS!

While Shakespeare wrote it first, Carroll’s Queen of Hearts undoubtedly made the phrase iconic.

5. I'M LATE, I'M LATE, FOR A VERY IMPORTANT DATE

We totally relate, White Rabbit. Your fear of missing out is something we all share.

6. WHAT A STRANGE WORLD WE LIVE IN

Alice spoke these words to the Queen of Hearts. Today, we repeat them to one another … especially during a Bravo TV marathon.

7. CURIOUSER AND CURIOUSER

English composition students, celebrate! You can use this phrase in an essay—or when you suddenly and mysteriously grow much taller.

8. WONDERLAND

The term existed before Carroll. However, as Vega explains, “Now it carries a very distinct meaning. It’s Alice’s wonderland—that’s what comes to mind when we consider the origin of the word.” Apologies, Taylor Swift.

9. TWEEDLEDEE AND TWEEDLEDUM

Originating from the 1871 sequel, Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There, this phrase is especially handy for playground disputes, presidential campaigns, and Halloween festivities.

10. JABBERWOCKY

Before its 1871 publication, jabberwocky was a nonsensical term used as the title of a nonsensical poem in Through the Looking-Glass. Today, it’s an actual dictionary entry that genuinely means “meaningless speech.” Truly, what a peculiar world we inhabit.

All images courtesy of The Morgan Library & Museum