music

Traditional music of a particular ethnic group or community. I love all types of music, especially the ethnic music you hear in the big city.

To be exciting or pleasant to hear. School being closed for a snow day was music to my kids' ears. After such a stressful day at work, news that my friends had to cancel our dinner was music to my ears.

to prepare or adapt music for particular instruments or for a particular musical key. Paul arranged the piece for piano. This piece was arranged for the guitar by Frank's brother.

Fig. Inf. talk; conversation. Whenever those two get together, you can be sure there'll be plenty of chin music. Bill just loves to hear himself talk. He'll make chin music for hours at a time.

Fig. to receive punishment; to accept the unpleasant results of one's actions. Mary broke a dining-room window and had to face the music when her father got home. After failing a math test, Tom had to go home and face the music.

Fig. to talk or chatter. We sat around all evening making chin music. You were making chin music when you should have been listening.

Fig. a welcome sound to someone; news that someone is pleased to hear. A: Here's your paycheck for this month. B: Ah, that's music to my ears!

to write a piece of music to accompany a set of words. The musician set my lyrics to music. The rock band set the poem to music.

Inf. Stop everything!; Hold it! (Presses refers to the printing presses used to print newspapers. This means that there is recent news of such magnitude that the presses must be stopped so a new edition can be printed immediately.) John (entering the room): Stop the music! There's a fire in the kitchen! Mary: Good grief! Let's get out of here! "Stop the presses!" shouted Jane. "I have an announcement."

to accept responsibility for something you have done Knight was returned to the US from Spain to face the music for his part in a robbery more than 20 years ago.

something pleasing to hear about The decision to restore the old building is music to my ears.

pleasant but boring recorded music that is played in public places You can't get away from elevator music in some shopping malls.

to accept criticism or punishment for something that you have done When the missing money was noticed, he chose to disappear rather than face the music.

if something you hear is music to your ears, it makes you very happy The news of his resignation was music to my ears.

Also, canned music. Prerecorded sound effects that can be played repeatedly, as in That canned laughter doesn't make his jokes any funnier, or Canned music is greatly reducing the number of musical jobs available. O. Henry had the term in his story, Cabbages and Kings (1903): "We'll export canned music to the Latins." Canned laughter today is often used in broadcasting to simulate the reaction of a nonexistent live audience. [c. 1900]

Confront unpleasantness, especially the consequences of one's errors. For example, When the check bounced, he had to face the music. The precise allusion in this expression has been lost. Most authorities believe it refers to a theater's pit orchestra, which an actor must face when he faces what can be a hostile audience, but some hold it comes from the military, where a formal dismissal in disgrace would be accompanied by band music. [Second half of 1800s] Also see face up to.

Very pleasing information, excellent news, as in So they're getting married? That's music to my ears.

To accept the unpleasant consequences, especially of one's own actions.

Stop The Music was a popular radio quiz show that began in 1947 and moved to television a year later. Studio contestants and home listeners or viewers (by telephone) heard a song played, then try to be the first one to guess its title. As soon as contestants indicated that they knew the answer, emcee Burt Parks shouted the show's title. Thanks to the program, anyone who wanted to break into a conversation to make a point or to get someone's attention yelled “stop the music!”