as in rigamarole
language marked by abstractions, jargon, euphemisms, and circumlocutions
instead of simply denying our request, the mayor's representative gave us a song and dance about legal issues and municipal liability
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Recent Examples of song and dance
Though the story takes place in the fantastical world of Oz, Scott says the most successful musicals always have their moments of song and dance grounded in a sense of reality.
—
Ryan Fleming, Deadline, 18 Dec. 2024
Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye star as Bob Wallace and Phil Davis, a famous song and dance team who rally their fellow Army veterans to put on a Christmastime show to help save a struggling resort owned by their former boss, Gen. Thomas F. Waverly (Dean Jagger).
—Tim Lammers, Forbes, 16 Dec. 2024
Lee’s followers deemed her the female Jesus Christ, and her worshippers prayed through song and dance, hence the fitting musical genre.
—Samantha Bergeson, IndieWire, 12 Dec. 2024
Lee–one of the rare female religious heads at the time– and her followers worshipped through exuberant song and dance.
—Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 12 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for song and dance 
Ryan Fleming, Deadline, 18 Dec. 2024
Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye star as Bob Wallace and Phil Davis, a famous song and dance team who rally their fellow Army veterans to put on a Christmastime show to help save a struggling resort owned by their former boss, Gen. Thomas F. Waverly (Dean Jagger).
—Tim Lammers, Forbes, 16 Dec. 2024
Lee’s followers deemed her the female Jesus Christ, and her worshippers prayed through song and dance, hence the fitting musical genre.
—Samantha Bergeson, IndieWire, 12 Dec. 2024
Lee–one of the rare female religious heads at the time– and her followers worshipped through exuberant song and dance.
—Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 12 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for song and dance
Recent Examples of Synonyms for song and dance
Noun
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Because of the rhetoric out there, this is an opportunity for boards to reengage in a discussion on what is our DEI agenda and commitment at a board level, and truly reengage all directors in that conversation.—
Megan Poinski,
Forbes,
3 Feb. 2025
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However, the hostile environment created by anti-Asian rhetoric and violence has stifled their ability to contribute fully.—
John Wang,
New York Daily News,
2 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Is there a company that prides itself on an absence of rigmarole?—
Jay Nordlinger,
National Review,
22 July 2024
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Last season’s nail-biting seven-game battle was famously known as the I-80 series because both teams opted for the approximately 90-minute (depending on traffic) bus ride rather than the rigmarole of a short flight.—
Joe Rubin,
Sacramento Bee,
16 Apr. 2024
Noun
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Apologies to the Lois Lane stans out there, but Adams is mostly on hand in these movies to deliver stern gobbledygook (something about isotopes?) and stare at Henry Cavill’s cheekbones.—
Matthew Jacobs,
Vulture,
6 Dec. 2024
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So, of course, their stony-eyed dedication to taking this inspirational gobbledygook seriously has gone viral.—
Jason P. Frank,
Vulture,
22 Nov. 2024
Noun
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This is compounded by the fact that at the center of the black hole lies a singularity, at which point all our laws of physics break down, making gibberish of even our most nuanced and profound achievements in physics.—
Robert Lea,
Space.com,
30 Dec. 2024
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The pressure of the moment led Ferrell to spurt out total gibberish in his telling — and his flub was so bad that SNL boss Lorne Michaels paid him a visit backstage.—
Wesley Stenzel,
EW.com,
12 Jan. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Song and dance.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/song%20and%20dance. Accessed 10 Feb. 2025.
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