Vocally combine talking and crooning - NYT Crossword Clue

Introduction

Today's clue, "Vocally combine talking and crooning," is a fantastic example of a descriptive clue that essentially provides a recipe for its own answer. It points to a specific, hybrid vocal technique, and the answer is a portmanteau that perfectly captures this blend.

Clue Analysis

Let's break down the components of this clue:

• "Vocally combine": This is our action phrase. It tells us we're looking for a term that describes a vocal performance and involves merging two things.
• "talking and crooning": These are the two elements to be combined. "Crooning" is a smooth, sentimental style of singing. So, the core concept is a mix of speaking and singing.

The clue is a literal instruction. The solver's job is to find the word that represents this combination. The most direct way to combine "speak" and "sing" is to create a compound word or portmanteau from them.

Thinking Approaches

A solver might approach this clue in a few ways:

1. The Portmanteau Path: The phrase "combine X and Y" is a strong signal for a portmanteau. You'd take the core ideas, "speak" and "sing," and try to blend them. "Talksing" is a possibility, but "SPEAKSING" is a more common construction in this context.
2. The Concept First Path: You might first think about the concept itself. What is that style of vocal delivery that's halfway between speech and song? You might think of terms like recitative in opera or the style used by actors like Rex Harrison in My Fair Lady. This line of thinking leads you to the idea of "speak-singing," which is exactly what the answer is.
3. Crossings and Confirmation: If you're unsure, getting a few crossing letters would be a huge help. If you had S_E_K_I_G, the answer would likely jump out at you, confirming the "speak" and "sing" components.

The German term for this technique is Sprechgesang, which literally translates to "speak-singing." This linguistic parallel reinforces the logic behind the answer.

Background Context

The technique of speak-singing has a rich history. In classical music, it was famously developed by composer Arnold Schoenberg in the early 20th century, who called it Sprechstimme ("speaking voice"). His work Pierrot Lunaire is a landmark piece utilizing this style, where the vocalist follows a notated rhythm and pitch contour but delivers the line in a speech-like manner.

In popular culture and musical theater, it's often associated with performers who may not be traditional singers but are excellent actors. Rex Harrison's performance as Henry Higgins in My Fair Lady is a classic example. He delivers most of his songs in a rhythmic, pitched-speech style that perfectly suits his character.

Conclusion

This clue is a clever and fair construction that rewards solvers who can recognize its descriptive, almost formulaic nature. By asking you to "combine talking and crooning," it points directly to the portmanteau answer, a term that accurately describes a well-known, if not commonly named, vocal technique.

Hints

1. Hint 1: Think of a vocal style that isn't quite singing and isn't quite talking.
2. Hint 2: This technique is often associated with musical theater or specific genres like German Sprechgesang.
3. Hint 3: The clue itself is a portmanteau of the two actions described.
4. Hint 4: It's a compound word formed from the two main verbs in the clue.

The answer is SPEAKSING.