Quiz Guy John Chaneski’s musical puzzle is based on the solfège system of the syllables do, re, mi, fa, so, la, ti. Each answer is composed of combinations or repetitions of those notes. For example, if the musical question is about a bird that’s now extinct, what’s the musical answer? This is part of a complete episode.
Transcript of “Solfège Word Quiz”
You’re listening to A Way with Words, the show about language and how we use it.
I’m Martha Barnette.
And I’m Grant Barrett, and we’re joined on the line by John Chaneski, our quiz guy in New York.
Hi, John.
Hi, Grant. Hi, Martha.
Hi.
You know, I sometimes like to bring a little music into our quizzes.
Oh, boy.
Do, re, mi, fa, so, let’s try this quiz, where every answer is a word.
Every answer is a word composed of the syllables of the solfege system, like in the Sound of Music song, Do, re, mi.
Okay?
Solfege.
That’s what it’s called?
Yeah.
Solfege or solfegeo.
Yes.
How do you spell it?
I’m probably not saying it all that correctly.
S-O-L-F-E with an accent.
I believe it’s an accent grave.
G-E.
Solfege.
Solfege.
Yes.
Yes.
Cool.
Now, we will only use do, re, mi, fa, sol, la, ti, and maybe a do again.
Just as in the song, R-E is re.
Re is R-E.
Mi is M-I.
And T is T-I.
Okay.
I’ll sort of sing you a clue to a word composed of only those syllables.
For instance, if I said, I must be a silly bird to come up with a silly quiz, a quiz like this.
Soon I’ll be extinct.
Dodo.
I had the answer.
Dodo.
Dodo is right.
Yes, do and do.
I was like, pterodactyl doesn’t work.
So write down those syllables.
It’ll help you figure out these words.
Now, there are a limited number of these words in English, so I think this will be a singular quiz.
We’re probably not likely to do it again.
Here we go.
Okay.
Here is a little more trivia.
Do you remember a little doggie, a Scottish terrier who lived in the White House with FDR?
Fala.
Fala.
Yes.
Very good.
All right.
This quiz is mediocre.
It’s not very good.
No, it’s not very bad.
It’s in the middle.
It’s so-so.
It’s so-so.
Oh, gosh.
These quizzes take a lot out of me.
I begin to flag.
I become weary like a part of a car.
Exhausted.
No, look at those syllables now.
You should have them written down in front of you.
Yeah, we both do.
Like part of a car?
Yeah.
You become tired?
Oh, tired.
Tired.
Tired.
Tired.
Tired, yes.
Tired-o.
Tired-o.
Very tired.
These quizzes tire me so much.
Here we go.
Speaking of which, I need a rest to take a load off.
I’ll find a comfy seat and a upholstered bench.
A sofa.
A sofa where you’ll go do-do, which is the French slang for sleeping.
Good.
That was good.
And while I’m resting, I’ll have some soup, a tasty soup of fermented soybean paste from Japan.
Miso.
Me so.
It seems this quiz has put me in a quandary, a state of distress.
It’s rather like a stretch of swampy ground.
It’s a mire.
It’s a mire.
I really should have actually composed music to go with this.
Oh, no, I like the musical improv.
Oh, thank you so much.
I’d better beat a hasty retreat.
Get on the subway.
But I’m going to need 275 to get on the subway.
With the fare.
That’s my fare.
New York City fare is 275.
Finally, the goda.
By the way, this one is three syllables.
Whoa.
Three syllables?
Perhaps the New York subway won’t get me far enough away.
I’ll go to South Texas to the Rio Grande where I’ll make my escape.
Go to Laredo!
Oh, my Lord.
Good one.
Dude, that was a lot of work.
You earned your pay this time.
We’ll send the $2 check right away.
I can’t wait.
Thanks, John.
With that, I can’t even get in the subway.
We’ll bump it up a little bit.
$2.50 or whatever it is.
$2.75 it is.
$2.75.
All right.
You can just dump the turnstile.
Oh, my goodness gracious.
Well, we talk about lots of other things on the show, like word origins and grammar and slang and family sayings in regional dialects, so call us about that. The number is 877-929-9673, or send your questions and email to words@waywordradio.org.
