05.23.10 — Yodel-Ay-Ee-Oooo! — the Acrostic

Sunday, May 23, 2010

ACROSTIC, Puzzle by Emily Cox and Henry Rathvon, edited by Will Shortz

The hills are alive with the ululations of centuries of yodelers, whose echoes persist undyingly. Bart Plantenga shows how yodeling, which may be encoded in our DNA, is humanity's most open secret, linking Swabian and Farsi, mountain and atoll, cowboy and jazzbo. Like an errant carnival ride, his book is fun, head-spinning, and ontologically profound. — Luc Sante

Yodel-Ay-Ee-Oooo: The Secret History of Yodeling Around the World by Bart Plantenga provides this Sunday acrostic’s quotation.  Wordplay, The New York Times crossword blog written by Patrick Merrell, features an informative article about the constructiion of an acrostic puzzle and the excellence and expertise of the team of Cox & Rathvon — HERE.

The quotation: OTHER VOCALS MAY TINKER WITH FALSETTO, TRILL, AND VIBRATO, BUT IT’S THAT ABRUPT, ALMOST RUDE, LEAP ACROSS THE CAVERN OF PITCH THAT MAKES THE YODEL YODEL SIMPLY PUT: NO GLOTTAL JOLT, NO YODEL. EVERYTHING ELSE IS SECONDARY.

The author’s name and the title of the work: BART PLANTENGA YODEL-AY-EE-OOOO

The defined words:

A. Sprout forth; mushroom, BURGEON

B. Like Clark Kent and Little Orphan Annie, ADOPTED

C. Rise up in a dramatic way, REVOLT

D. Blobs examined by E.N.T.’s, TONSILS

E. Relating to speech sounds, PHONIC

F. Over the top in generosity, LAVISH

G. Motion studied in a wind tunnel, AIRFLOW

H. Gibble-gabble, yak, jaw, NATTER

I. Place where you might find a frog, THROAT

J. Mountain nymph who pined for Narcissus, ECHO

K. Rubber chicken or nose flute, e.g., NOVELTY

L. 1982 biopic that won eight Oscars, GANDHI

M. Area of expertise for Dumbledore of Hogwarts, ALCHEMY

N. Foes of the Bosox, jerks, YANKS

O. Frontier settlement, OUTPOST

P. A bit too well ventilated, DRAFTY

Q. Another name for an abalone (2 wds.), EAR SHELL

R. Some 600 works by Schubert, LIEDER

S. Condition whose name is Greek for a panting”, ASTHMA

T. Actress Mimieux who played Weena in “The Time Machine”, YVETTE

U. Mere words, flummery and blatherskite (2 wds.), EMPTY TALK

V. Supercilious, high-and-mighty, ELITIST

W. Move in the manner of a pendulum, OSCILLATE

X. Item on a mantel or étagère, maybe (2 wds.), OBJET D’ART

Y. Martian peak almost three times as tall as Everest, OLYMPUS

Z. Block from view, choke or clog, OBSTRUCT

The full paragraph of the quotation: The yodel, simply put, is most distinguishable from other types of vocalizations by its characteristic emphasis on the noise, that jolt of air, that occurs as the voice passes from bass or low chest voice to high head voice or falsetto -- and vice versa. Yodeling is the decorative wordless passage that is forced across that chasm of spasming muscle and carilage. The fact that the epiglottal stop (speed bump?) is emphasized gives it its distinct voice-print. Look at an oscilloscopic representation of a yodeler yodeling and an opera singer singing and you’ll notice the difference. Other vocals may tinker with falsetto, trill, and vibrato, but it’s that abrupt, almost rude, leap across the cavern of pitch that makes the yodel yodel. Simply put: no glottal jolt, no yodel. Everything else is secondary.

Click on image to enlarge.

Puzzle available on the internet at

THE NEW YORK TIMES — Crossword Puzzles and Games.

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