| 释义 |
▪ I. polka, n.1|ˈpəʊlkə|
[= Fr. and Ger. polka: of uncertain origin. The dance being of Bohemian origin (orig. called Nimra), it has been suggested that polka was a corruption of Czech pulka half, ‘a characteristic feature being its short half steps’. Another suggestion is that the actual form, whether or not altered from pulka, is due to the Polish Polka, fem. of Polak a Pole: cf. polonaise (also a dance), and mazurka.]
1. A lively dance of Bohemian origin, the music for which is in duple time.
Danced at Prague in 1835, at Vienna 1839, Paris 1840, London in the spring of 1842: see Memoirs of Anna M. W. Pickering (1903) xvi. polka-mazurka, a modification of the mazurka dance to the movement of a polka; polka-time.
1844Illustr. Lond. News 23 Mar. 184 The Polka is an original Bohemian Peasant Dance, and was first introduced into the fashionable saloons of Berlin and St. Petersburg, about eight years since. 1844Lady Eastlake Jrnls. & Corr. I. 153 A polka danced, only fit for children, because so evidently taught by a dancing-master. 1846Smart Suppl., Polka, an Hungarian dance lately fashionable in France and England. 1852C. M. Yonge Two Guardians xiii. (1861) 237 ‘Thank you, I don't dance the Polka’, she replied. 1881Academy 15 Oct. 293 Prof. Helmar has the credit of being the inventor of the polka. 1884St. James' Gaz. 28 Apr. 5/1 It was Taglioni who introduced into England the polka. 1898Stainer & Barrett Dict. Mus. Terms 372/1 The polka was so popular that it absorbed every other dance for a time. Articles of food, of clothing and of ornament, were named after it.
attrib.1844Illustr. Lond. News 11 May 301/1 You perform the galop waltz, substituting the Polka step just described. 1861H. Rhys Theatrical Trip for Wager! xiii. 120 They advanced in line, in polka time, then right-about-turned. 1928A. M. M. Douton Bk. with Seven Seals i. 112 The course of calisthenics..terminated with lessons in the..polka-mazurka. 1957G. B. L. Wilson Dict. Ballet 219 Polka-mazurka, dance derived from the polka, from which it differs in that it is in 3/4 time, and from the mazurka, by which it is distinguished by having an accent on the 3rd instead of the 2nd beat. 1967Chujoy & Manchester Dance Encycl. (rev. ed.) 738/2 Polka-Mazurka, a Polish variation of the polka, in 3/4 time, danced as a ballroom dance in countries of Eastern Europe.
2. A piece of music for such a dance, or in its time or rhythm.
1844Illustr. Lond. News 27 Apr. 280 The fourth polka by Jullien. Composed on National Bohemian and Hungarian Melodies. 1848Thackeray Bk. Snobs xxv, You recognise those polkas? They were played at Devonshire House..the day of the grand fête. 1867M. E. Braddon R. Godwin I. i. 16 The guard's horn playing a joyous polka made itself heard among the trees.
3. On account of the popularity of the dance, polka was prefixed as a trade name to articles of all kinds (cf. quot. 1898 in 1); e.g. the polka curtain-band (for looping up curtains), polka-gauze, polka hat; polka-dot, a pattern consisting of dots of uniform size and arrangement; also fig., attrib. or as adj., and as v. trans.; hence polka-dotted adj.
1846W. S. Cotterell (title) Polka Song Book and Old Friends Olio, containing Comic and Sentimental Songs, Duets, Glees, etc. 1851Mayhew Lond. Labour I. 367/1 We won't give a farden for the polka hats with the low crowns. 1883Century Mag. July 378/1 To the end of which [line] he looped,..what is known, technically, as the ‘polka’, with scarlet body, red hackle, brown and white tail, and wings of the spotted feathers of the guinea⁓fowl. 1884J. G. Bourke Snake Dance Moquis xi. 119 Covered with white spots which..resolved themselves into white arrow-heads and polka-dots, the latter arranged longitudinally, two and two. 1894E. Banks Camp. Curiosity 160, I bought a black and white polka-dot blouse and apron for work in the laundry. 1895Montgomery Ward Catal. Spring & Summer 9/3 Polka Dot Chambray, linen finish. 1906‘O. Henry’ Four Million 136 The next day a person with red hands and a blue polka-dot necktie..called. 1908W. G. Davenport Butte & Montana beneath X-Ray 9 Miss P― received her guests in a lovely polka dotted frock. 1924W. M. Raine Troubled Waters xxi. 224 He took off his big white hat and rubbed a polka-dot handkerchief over his bald head. 1928F. N. Hart Bellamy Trial i. 3 He wore a shabby tweed suit, a polka-dotted tie. 1956Daily Mail 19 July 6/1 Camping sites are scattered like polka dots all over the Riviera. 1957V. Nabokov Pnin vi. 138 Amber-brown Monarch butterflies flapped.., their incompletely retracted black legs hanging rather low beneath their polka-dotted bodies. 1964D. Varaday Gara-Yaka ii. 23 Polka dots were becoming clearly defined on her tawny, golden hide. 1966Mrs. L. B. Johnson White House Diary 3 Apr. (1970) 382 A young newspaper-woman in a black-and-white polka-dot bikini, with a figure to suit it. 1969Better Homes & Gardens (U.S.) Apr. 83 Tiny bright red fruits that polka-dot the long branches. 1970New Yorker 16 May 18/1 (Advt.), Men often are remembered for odd reasons. Like our 11th President. Little did he dream when he designed the polka dot that one day it would become the epitome of fashion. 1972Daily Tel. 16 Aug. 1/1 A blonde girl wearing a green polka dot bikini was found dead in the sea..yesterday. 1972Suttons Seeds 16 Polka Dot mixed. These bushy Cornflowers stand up to weather well, with a good range of colours. 1978J. Wainwright Jury People xxxvi. 111 Kids are out. Because the world ain't yet ready for polka-dot kids. Black is only beautiful in places. 1979C. Wood James Bond & Moonraker xi. 112 She had big puffed sleeves..and a petticoat effect of over-lapping polka-dotted skirts.
Hence (nonce-wds.) ˈpolka v. intr., to dance the polka; polˈkaic a., of the character of a polka; polkaˈmania, a mania for dancing the polka; ˈpolkery, an assembly for polka dancing; ˈpolkist, -iste, one who dances the polka.
1846Dickens Let. 5 July (1977) IV. 580 The common people waltzed and *polka'd without cessation, to the music of a band. 1859Sala Tw. round Clock (1861) 299 It does my heart good..to see the..children in our crowded London courts and alleys waltzing and polkaing to the Italian organ⁓grinder's music. 1873R. Broughton Nancy II. 174 We have at length..left them to polka and schottische their fill until the morning.
1884G. Moore Mummer's Wife xii, He thought Offenbach too *polkaic.
1845Punch VIII. 86 The *Polkamania is said to have originated in Bohemia. 1883W. B. Squire in Grove Dict. Mus. III. 8/1 Vienna, Paris, and London were successively attacked by this curious ‘polkamania’; clothes, hats, and streets were named after the dance.
1845M. J. Higgins Ess. (1875) 218 Morning *polkeries in Grosvenor Square.
1846G. Warburton Hochelaga I. 93 Some of them are the best waltzers and *polkistes I have ever seen. 1851(title) The Lorgnette or Studies of the Town,..contains Notices of Lodgings in Town, Fashionable Man,..the Polka and Polkists, Watering Places, [etc.].
▪ II. polka, n.2|ˈpəʊlkə|
[f. prec. n., perh. with reference to Polish Polka a Polish woman: cf. polonaise.]
A woman's tight-fitting jacket, usually knitted: more fully polka-jacket.
1844Thackeray Contrib. to Punch Wks. 1898 VI. 89 Ladies with the most flaming polkas, and flounces all the way up. 1849Mechanic's Mag. 17 Nov. 479 The Lady's Winter Polka Jacket. 1851Voy. to Mauritius vi. 224 A sort of polka-jacket of dark cloth with many buttons. 1859Sala Tw. round Clock (1861) 185 Stalls, laden with pretty gimcracks,..wax flowers and Berlin and crochet work, prints, and polkas, and women's ware of all sorts. |