It's all workin' out.

Isn't this an interesting image? It's from the National Archives of Canada, and it's "Mrs. Ritchie, who here portrays Chess in a black costume with red and white checkered inserts, and a necklace and coronet made of chess pieces."

This dress comes to you because I was driving home from the airport late last night, and the iPod served up Travis Morrison's "Checkers and Chess", which has the lyrics:

Checkers and chess
I like your dress
Your dress likes me
It's all workin' out

At least, that's what *I* think the lyrics are. I could be mondegreening.

I think a Black Queen Chess Dress costume would be great for Halloween. Long black dress, pointy hat, forbidding expression, rapid yet stealthy movement at all times -- you're done! And you can be warm, instead of freezing to death in something like this:




I mean, sure, if you want to be the queen of the jungle, hey, knock yourself out -- just carry a sweater or something, okay? Do you have money for a cab? You know I worry about you.

Comments

[oracle]

Love that chess dress!The Mondegreen page is delicious.

[Gidget Bananas]

Oh, how do I love Halloween? :-))

[Anonymous]

How about dressing AS a mondegreen for Halloween? There are books for inspiration:http://www.rulefortytwo.com/books.htm

[Anonymous]

The second one reminds me of Raquel Welch in that movie about prehistoric times. What was the name? Something like "One Million Years, B.C"

[Anonymous]

OK, it's a dress, but Erin, are you having an off day?

[Erin]

Yes, thank you so much for noticing. :-)

[vespabelle]

Erin, the New York Times has published two articles/opinion pieces on the skimpy-ness of women's commercial halloween costumes. (I'm going to be the old skool Miller Beer girl in the moon: she wears warm tights and a jacket!)

[Ang]

I pledge a lesion (to the flag)......mmmmmm, lesions. I pledge an oozing headwound too. Ang

[Anonymous]

I wondered what Pebbles Flintstone had been up to. Evidently she's a clothing(?) designer.

[Robinson]

The education on "mondegreen" is my favorite. I wonder if one could make a dress as an ode to the mondegreen? I'd also rather dress as a warm, well covered queen than a hooker... er, queen of the jungle anyday.And, I like burpin' in a glass.

[silverlight]

Nice dress.

[nora]

I don't know how you would dress as mondegreen, but I have a friend who went to a party and saw a bunch of girls drinking 40s and dressed as cholos - baggy khakis, flannel shirts buttoned at the top, that sort of thing - except in all green. What were they supposed to be? "Gangrene," of course.I'm so glad to have the term mondegreen now; it will surely vie with "earworm" for usefulness.

[Carol]

That doesn't look like "Mrs. Ritchie". That looks like MR. Ritchie.

[JuliaR]

I have heard of mis-heard lyrics but I was unaware they had a moniker of their own. I learn something new every day! But I'm surprised the Wikipedia article didn't mention Manfred Mann's Blinded by the Light, odd lyrics that no one seems to know.

[Robinson]

Julia! I forgot about that one. You made me laugh... that song always made me a little uncomfortable as a child.

[Mandy]

Good heavens, what a stunner. (...the black dress, that is, not the cavewoman.)

[Mary Martha]

I will admit that my halloween costume this year is partially inspired by this blog. I have decided to dress 50s style. Primarily because in sewing a circle skirt and crinoline I am trying to remember how to sew so I can make a dress (or two). Maybe next year I will be able to make a checkerboard dress!

[ambika]

I *hate* how women's costumes just seem to a be a 'sexy' variation on some theme: maid, pirate, whatever. I'm going as Red Riding Hood (making my own cape, but not the dress, alas) and my knees and tas will not be showing.