Wednesday, January 6, 2010

Theme Thursday: Polka Dots

When all else fails, turn to trivia!
(and yes, I know I'm a day early but I need to get ready for a weekend in Chicago with Brian and sans les enfants!)
Positively Poignant Points about Polka Dots

Polka Dots on clothing first became popular in England in the mid 19th Century

The Polka Dance because popular in the US after it's introduction in 1835. At the height of the Polka craze (1840 to 1890), manufacturers named a wide range of products after the dance -- hats, gauze, ties, and fabrics. Only the polka dot pattern has endured.



Blues guitarist, Buddy Guy plays a Fender Stratocaster that is black with white polka dots. I'll be going to Buddy Guy's bar in Chicago on Sunday night, by the way.







In the Tour de France, the leader in the mountain competition wears not the maillot jaune (or yellow jersey) but a maillot a pois rouge or polka dot jersey.




Frank Sinatra sang of Polka Dots before the Yellow Bikini hit the airways. The song Polka Dots and Moonbeams was written in 1940, and was Mr. Sinatra's first hit with the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra.

The term "Polka Dot" was first used in the New York Times on 21 September 1866.



The Hypoestes, also known as the Polka Dot plant is a popular outdoor annual.






Polka Dot Door was a long running children's television show (1971 to 1993) produced by TVOntario.

And now, to leave you with a song. Oh no, don't worry, it's not that one. Here's John Denver:



20 comments:

  1. do you recall a comic book character named Lil' Dot?
    She was in the same series as Richie Rich.

    Everything she had was polkadotted.

    Have a great time in Chicago!

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  2. when all else fails, john denver as well. i had a friend that liked polka...interesting. polka dotted guitar...pretty cool. i just thought...dalmations are polka dotted too...wish i would have thought of that a bit earlier. lol. happy tt kate!

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  3. Oh good take on a very difficult theme this week. I love the Tour du France but had no idea about the polka dot jersey. Learn something every day. Have fun in Chigago .. don't freeze your toushie off!

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  4. John Denver and polka dots...that's a weird connection!

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  5. I hate polka dot clothing! I have non real reason, I just do!

    I love john Denver, though!

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  6. I forgot all about the Polka Dot plant. I used to have them around all the time. They are easy to grow. Have a great mini-vac!

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  7. alan with news from nowhere did this same song too but from the first version of it. how interesting the history here. Love that BW guitar, I must say.

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  8. We always called those polka dot plants "freckle face ferns".

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  9. Super. I saw the guitar on someone else's site. So it's Buddy Guy's, is it. I remember seeing him in a polka dot shirt come to think of it. You're going to his bar? What's it all about?

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  10. Buddy Wins Today's Spot Prize !

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  11. Ah we share the same interpretation. And you found a video of your chosen singer, It's a great song isn't it.

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  12. I do think this was a hard theme even though, unlike Otin, I like Polka Dot clothing. As for Buddy Guy, we're off to Chicago this weekend to celebrate Brian's (my husband) 40th birthday and on Sunday night we're going to see Buddy Guy play at his bar in Chicago. I do so hope he brings the polka dot guitar!

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  13. You know, when I read the subject matter for TT I could not think of a thing. I am amazed at the imaginative takes I've read today. Yours is one of them.

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  14. Glad you found that song by John Denver. Alan B mentioned it on his TT post and I hadn't heard it before. Thanks.

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  15. You've just implanted a John Denver earworm!

    ~Angela

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  16. I'm green with envy that you will be seeing buddy guy this weekend...you'll have to try and get backstage to tell him how the blogosphere was buzzing this week with respect to his polka dot guitar.... think roy commented on the mouse that he has several polka dot guitars, so inevitably he'll have one along! like most guitarists he'll probably have a slew of guitars at the ready.

    have fun!!

    I've had quite a few polka dot plants in the past, and they are such sweet plants, unfortunately one of my cats in the current batch of cats is particularly fond of eating polka dot plants and shamrocks, which mean there are none of those plants currently in the house!

    hope you have smooth travels to chi-town.... cleveland is getting socked with snow right now and will be carrying on like this through friday... but no worries when you are there chicago like cleveland knows what to do with snow!

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  17. And Weird Al!

    We're all forgetting about Weird Al!

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  18. Thank you for all the information, and I am thinking the Polka Dance is not the same as the Polka Dot Dance, hehe. The Polka Dot Dance was invented in the 1970's.

    I actually am surprised that I enjoyed the song. Thank you so much for sharing it. I am amazed that you found it. I cannot remember ever hearing him sing it.

    Happy TT and Happy New Year.

    God bless.

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  19. Some great bits of trivia there! And nothing appeals to me more.

    Well, almost nothing...

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