Muzak

See also: muzak

English

WOTD – 21 March 2022

Etymology

The noun is a blend of music +‎ the letters ak from Kodak, a well-known brand in 1934 when the word was coined by the American inventor, scientist, and soldier George Owen Squier (1865–1934), who developed the original technical basis for the service.

The verb is derived from the noun.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈmjuːzæk/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈmjuzæk/
• Hyphenation: Mu‧zak

Proper noun

Muzak (uncountable)

1. (music, trademark) Recorded background music characterized by soft, soothing instrumental sounds which is transmitted by wire, radio, or recorded media (originally on a subscription basis) to doctors' offices, shops, and other business premises. [from 1934]

   Synonyms: aural wallpaper, (US) elevator music, (Britain) lift music

   • 1966 March, Thomas Pynchon, chapter 5, in The Crying of Lot 49, New York, N.Y.: Bantam Books, published November 1976, →ISBN, page 105:

     It dawned on her that he was talking about the Muzak. It had been seeping in, in its subliminal, unidentifiable way since they'd entered the place, all strings, reeds, muted brass.

   • 1975 February 7, Michael Gross, quoting Tom Turicchi, “The Hits Just Keep on Coming”, in Robert Atwan, Barry Orton, William Vesterman, American Mass Media: Industries and Issues, New York, N.Y.: Random House, published 1978, →ISBN, part 3 (The Sound Media), page 320, column 2:

     There's no way I can change internal body functions. Only yogis can do that. Muzak, for example, can't change you. Aaron Copeland [i.e., Aaron Copland] calls Muzak 'the obsequious.' We're super-saturated with shitty music. [Originally published in New Times.]

   • 1983 November, Bill Hunter, “It’s Muzak through Your Ears”, in Robert Atwan, Barry Orton, William Vesterman, American Mass Media: Industries and Issues, 3rd edition, New York, N.Y.: Random House, published 1986, →ISBN, part 3 (The Sound Media), page 289, column 1:

     Some people, of course, have no trouble making that decision: they know they don't like Muzak. Critics charge that Muzak invades what could be pleasurable silence, disrupts conversation, or smacks of George Orwell's 1984. [Originally published in American Way.]

Derived terms

• muzakal
• Muzak man
• muzaky
• Newzak

Translations

type of background music

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 罐頭音樂 / 罐头音乐 (guàntóuyīnyuè)

• Finnish: hissimusiikki, muzak (fi)
• French: muzak (fr) f
• Spanish: muzak m

Noun

Muzak (uncountable) (often derogatory)

1. (music) Easy listening music, whether played live or recorded, especially if regarded as uninteresting.

   Synonyms: aural wallpaper, ear candy

   • 1971 September 9, John Lennon (lyrics and music), “How Do You Sleep?”, in Imagine:

     The sound you make is muzak to my ears / You must have learned something in all those years

   • 2005 May 21, David Foster Wallace, This is Water: Some Thoughts, Delivered on a Significant Occasion, about Living a Compassionate Life‎^[1], New York, N.Y.: Little, Brown and Company, published April 2009, →ISBN:

     [T]he supermarket is very crowded, because of course it's the time of day when all other people with jobs also try to squeeze in some grocery shopping, and the store is hideously, fluorescently lit, and infused with soul-killing Muzak or corporate pop, and it's pretty much the last place you want to be, but you can't just get in and quickly out.

2. (figuratively) Something (such as speech) regarded as droning on and often boring, or soothing but undemanding.

Alternative forms

• musac
• muzak

Translations

easy listening music, especially if regarded as uninteresting

• Finnish: hissimusiikki

something regarded as droning on and often boring, or soothing but undemanding

See also

• fast food music

Verb

Muzak (third-person singular simple present Muzaks, present participle Muzaking, simple past and past participle Muzaked) (transitive)

1. To provide (premises, etc.) with Muzak.
2. To adapt or reduce (a piece of music, etc.) to the status of Muzak.
   • 1984, Peter LaSalle, chapter 13, in Strange Sunlight: […], Austin, Tex.: Texas Monthly Press, →ISBN, page 115:

     Willington had seen disco for what it was – the great Muzaking of rock and roll via a chintzy chorus, chintzy rotating mirror balls, and chintzy Arthur Murray twirling.

Derived terms

• Muzaked (adjective)

Translations

to provide (premises, etc.) with Muzak

to adapt or reduce (a piece of music, etc.) to the status of Muzak

Further reading

• Muzak on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

Anagrams

• Kuzma