polka dot
noun phrase

- one of a large number of small round spots that are printed in a regular pattern on cloth

(Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary)

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WORD ORIGIN

Polka dot textiles were common in the mid to late 19th century. This fashion style disappeared for some time and then enjoyed popularity again in the 50s and 60s, becoming somewhat of a pop culture icon. Since that time, polka dot fashion has enjoyed the occasional renaissance.

How polka dot acquired its name is somewhat of a mystery. A popular theory is that it has something to do with polka, a style of music and dance that originated in Eastern Europe around the time that polka dot textiles started to appear in Britain in the late 19th century. This is merely speculation however.

The word Polka stems from the Czech polka, the dance, literally meaning "Polish woman." Or it may also be an alteration of the Czech pulka "half," for the half-steps of Bohemian peasant dances. This music and dance form was in vogue first in Prague around 1835 and then reached London by the spring of 1842. Eastern European immigrants brought the polka tradition with them to the United States. Although its popularity peaked in the 1950s, the tradition still lives on in small clubs across the country.

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PRACTICE OWAD TODAY
Say something like:

"How about a POLKA DOT background to give a 1950s feel to the design?"