When you grew up in or round Seattle, the time period “tolo dance” might evoke reminiscences of corsages and sweaty palms, or maybe a primary formal robe or tux. When you’re from one other a part of the nation, nonetheless, the time period most likely prompts solely confusion, presumably with YOLO (You Solely Dwell As soon as).
However “tolo” is not any acronym. And the phrase has a extra attention-grabbing, and historic, backstory than most web slang—as does the dance itself.
First, the dance: It’s nothing so uncommon, besides the ladies do the inviting. The remainder of the nation is aware of it as a Sadie Hawkins. Nowadays, tolo dances are often held in excessive colleges. However they first popped up on the College of Washington firstly of the 20th century. The entire gender-reversal factor wasn’t only a cute quirk, but in addition one related to a noble trigger.
In December 1909, 9 ladies met on the College of Washington to type a feminine honor society. On the time, there have been two UW honor societies for males, however none for girls. The purpose, in accordance with one chapter historical past, was to provide these college students a “larger voice in campus affairs and extra recognition for work properly finished.”
One of many honor society’s earliest endeavors was to create a mortgage fund for feminine college students in want of assist with school bills. To boost cash, the society held a dance. With some cheek (for the day), they determined that the gals ought to invite the blokes this time. The title of the dance got here from the title of the society: the Tolo Membership.
Beloved UW historical past professor Edmond Meany had urged the title for the membership. Tolo can imply “to win,” “to earn,” “to succeed,” or comparable within the Chinook jargon commerce language, a pidgin that mixed the tongues of assorted Northwest Native American nations with bits of English and French. Based on George Coombs Shaw in his 1909 The Chinook Jargon and Methods to Use It, the phrase initially got here from the Kalapuya folks of Oregon’s Willamette Valley.
So there you could have it: from a Native language in what’s now Oregon to a regional commerce language; from a college honor society to a Washington college dance custom.
