Mystery Mix 2023 Solution
Mystery Mix #4 is now in the book. As such, I can now reveal the solution and announce the winner. But before I do, I have to report that I’m a little disappointed that I only received a handful of submissions and only one correct response this year. While several people told me they liked the playlist and were thinking about the possible commonalities, most of those comments where from readers who chose not to submit a guess. Oh, well, c'est la vie. But regardless, I thank all of you who looked at it. Now for the solution.
With apologies to NPR, I’ve called this year’s mystery mix “Small Things Considered,” as the playlist is comprised of songs whose titles and artists’ names contain a synonym for the word “small.” For example, there’s petty, junior, toys, and little ('“Little” Stevie Wonder") among the collected artists. And there’s slight, thin, minor, and petite, and a few less obvious others in the song titles.
As I was putting this puzzle together, I consulted Roget’s dinosaur and came to bijou. I confess that my only meaningful reference to this word was from the old ’60s “Petticoat Junction” TV show. Some of you will remember that the Bijou was the only movie theater in Hooterville, where Kate played the organ. I didn’t know that the basic meaning of the word is that of something small, dainty and elegant, such as a piece of jewelry. Maybe my inclusion of the Queen song with this title was the most obscure clue I used in this playlist. I purposely included it last, thinking that someone was likely to look up the word, see it’s meaning and put the whole theme together. Oh well, that didn’t happen.
Here’s another confession. It was getting close to Christmas, and over a week since I’d posted the mix, and I had not yet received any activity on the contest. I had a small panic and texted a few of my friends who I was sure had seen the puzzle and had given it some thought. They indicated that they had, but other things had caused them to put it aside. At my urging, they each came through with submissions.
I offer thanks to each of you who participated, whether you sent in a guess or not, and kudos to my good friend Dan Browning, who lives here in Hattiesburg, for his “minimalist appeal” answer. That’s close enough to earn you this year’s commemorative My Back Pages Mystery Mix winner’s mug.
Daniel C. Browning, Jr.
Dan tells me that this bodacious mug has already served its “functional and braggadocious purpose” at his workplace. He also mentioned that he did indeed quickly look up “bijou” and inferred a meaning of “small” from “dainty,” and while it wasn’t for the him the immediate key that I’d envisioned, it did help him solve the puzzle.
A TERM TO PONDER
bijou (noun): a small dainty usually ornamental piece of delicate workmanship, a jewel; something delicate, elegant, or highly prized; from French.
“Bijou” (which can be pluralized as either bijoux or bijous) has adorned English since the late 17th century. We borrowed it from French, but the word ultimately traces to Breton, a Celtic language closely related to Cornish and Welsh and spoken by inhabitants of the Brittany region of northwest France. Our modern English word derives from Breton bizou, which means "finger ring." That history makes bijou a rare gem in English because, although the Breton people occupied part of England for many years before they were pushed into France by the Anglo-Saxons in the 5th and 6th centuries, very few Breton-derived words remain in our language.
merriam-webster.com
SONGS OF THE DAY
“Short People” by Randy Newman (Little Criminals, 1977)
Bonus Track
“Tiny Dancer” by Elton John (Madman Across the Water, 1971)
These are two songs that didn’t make the mystery playlist, as I was afraid they’d give it away. But, had I included one or both, maybe some more of you would have been inclined to participate. Hmm? I’ll file that away for future reference.