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I thought I’d end the week’s ON MUSIC posts by combining one last one with my usual Friday feature. For those who enjoyed the new feature, don’t worry, they’ll be making periodic appearances in the ensuing weeks. In the meantime, here are a bunch of words and phrases I like that have crossed over from the lexicon of musical terminology into everyday speak.
People are said to act harmoniously, or even in concert with one another.
Someone’s last major job or work of art before retirement or death is often referred to as a swan song.
Everyone is always looking for the next gig these days.
Certain instruments have made it into the language as verbs. Trumpet, for instance, as in “I’m home, honey!” he trumpeted from the hallway. Or how about: “Pipe down!” Or, “Go ahead and chime in.”
Flute is also a verb, as in to flute a piecrust.
One can also drum up support, and, my personal fav: fiddle around. I also like the phrase: I’m not gonna play second fiddle to her.
The slang, beat, which was coined by the Beatniks, is said to have come from jazz rhythms (though I’ve also heard it comes from the word beatitude).
People always referred to my brother as the type of guy who walks to the beat of his own drum.
Serenade is often used as a verb meaning “to woo” or “seduce” but obviously comes from the performance of music in the open air at night.
Song lyrics can be traced back to the lyre, an ancient Greek instrument similar to the harp. Lyrics were to be sung to the accompaniment of the lyre.
Hyundai Motors has a car called the Sonata (a musical form). There’s a wine out there called Etude (a musical exercise) and a brand of tea called Adagio (Italian for “slowly,” as in the musical tempo marking).
I’ll end the post by turning the floor over to you all, as always. Know any interesting words or phrases from the world of music that have crossed over?
Comments (10)
Comment
How about blowing one’s own horn, paying the piper if we call the tune, and the trumpet flourish (ta-da) or the rimshot that announces the punchline?
We also use the opus term nonmusically. It’s a great way to color the language.
posted by Tom on 2-16-2007 at 8:06 am
I’ve always said that I do not play second fiddle because I am lead guitar…
posted by Maria on 2-16-2007 at 8:36 am
I can see how there is an etude wine. From past experience of playing many etudes, the many uncertain things that come from one are similar to those with experiences of being woozy.
posted by Alyssa on 2-16-2007 at 9:56 am
“Pulling out all the stops” originally referred to the stops or ‘valves’ in an organ. Pulling out all of the stops would produce the largest sound from the organ.
posted by Paul S on 2-16-2007 at 10:57 am
I know my Grandmother in England calls my dad a Jew’s Harp which is understood to mean someone who is good for nothing.
posted by Johnathan on 2-16-2007 at 11:31 am
“Swan song” refers to the once-held belief that swans (ordinarily mute or honking, depending on species) sing once in their lives - a magnificent song as they are dying.
posted by Coeli on 2-16-2007 at 2:53 pm
Paul S: fascinating! never knew it… same with Coell’s fancy bit of info… you guys rock
posted by David on 2-16-2007 at 3:24 pm
Kia’s new car is called the Rondo, which is a musical form. “to sing someone’s praises” which derives from the psalms which were sung in praise of God. To “harp” on some subject originally comes from the phrase “to harp upon one string” (which if you think about it, would be pretty annoying: plink, plink, plink, plink)
posted by megaera on 2-18-2007 at 12:55 am
As any knowing pharmacist can tell
you, Sonata in addition to being a musical form often favored by Beethoven, is also a sleeping pill or what we in the biz call a sedative.
posted by John Ford Dph on 2-19-2007 at 2:43 am
My two favorites have to be blues and jazz-first we have to create new words for new music, then appropriate for different uses in lanuage. I like “jazz” things up, when I can.
posted by erin on 2-21-2007 at 3:14 pm