The cast's minor characters are identified in the credits with names like Frightful Folk Duo, John With the Unfaithful Wife and Tea-Tasting Alistair, which should provide some idea of the merry tone.

In a merry tone, Marika said, "If you really want to be inspected, I can come back later.

"Right joyfully, milady - tomorrow," Frix responded with a return of something of her merry tones.

"Listen to the piggy squeal," Rhett chanted in the merry tones of the brain-dead.

A tape of klezmer music set the merry tone as dancers in Michael Krass's fanciful costumes (polka-dot shorts, plastic sunglasses on the forehead) pranced out in jazzy distillations of Jewish wedding dances or Hasidic dances.

"Then," said Michel, in a merry tone, "why are there eclipses, when there ought not to be any?"

The day brightened up a bit and took on more of a merry tone with all of them sipping the strong coffee and toasting the slices of bread from Ackroyd's bakery.

Should Michael Bloomberg run, he would instantly bring a merry tone to the so-far somnolent mayor's race.

About these, fashionable folk arrayed themselves and conversed in merry tones.

The merry tone of her voice was subtly teasing, challenging him.