« Me! | Main | so farewell then... »
February 06, 2010
Sola Topee
The name comes not, as one might at first imagine, from anything to do with the sun, though it is worn in the tropics to protect the nut from said fiery orb.
The sola in question is the Aeschynomene aspera, from the family Fabaceae, of which the humble garden pea is a member. Also known as the Sola Pith Plant, it's wont to grow in the swamps of Asia and the sub-continent. It’s the spongy innards, or pith, from the stalks of this plant that provides the raw material for making such lightweight hats [or fishing floats if you’d rather].
Hence the other name for this headgear: Pith Helmet.
Oh, and topee comes from the Hindi for hat: topi.
Posted by john at February 6, 2010 04:04 PM
Comments
Blimey! I didn't know that - I'd just assumed that it was solar topee meaning SUN HAT. That chap who's wearing one looks as though he'd keep the British Empire sorted.
Posted by: Daphne at February 7, 2010 07:40 AM
Noel Coward's "Mad Dogs and Englishmen" is possibly the only song in the world which contains the phrase "Sola topee" -- - because the simple creatures hope he will impale his sola topee on a tree - - I bet you knew that.
Posted by: Daphne at February 7, 2010 08:01 AM