song and dance

noun

1

: a musical performance that combines singing and dancing

—often used before another noun

choreographed a song and dance routine

a popular song and dance number

2

a

: a long and often familiar statement, explanation, etc. that is usually not true or pertinent

They gave the teacher the usual song and dance about leaving their homework at home.

… proceeded to engage in the same old song and dance about bringing more jobs and economic development to the area …

—Julie DiCaro

b

: fuss, to-do

For some years, those who know Portuguese wines well have made quite a song and dance about the cornucopia of wonderful grape varieties that are native to Portugal …

—Jane Hall

c

: a tedious procedure or scenario : rigmarole

When you travel internationally, there's a whole song and dance of answering questions and declaring items you have to go through before re-entering the U.S.

—Patrick Allan

Synonyms

• bafflegab
• double-talk
• gibberish
• gobbledygook
• gobbledegook
• rigmarole
• rigamarole

Examples of song and dance in a Sentence

instead of simply denying our request, the mayor's representative gave us a song and dance about legal issues and municipal liability

Recent Examples on the Web

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

Employees Only With a late license and a reputation for song and dance, this is a useful name to have in the address book. —Paul Caputo, Forbes, 28 Nov. 2024

The camera is liberated (via CGI) in the song and dance numbers, but everything else is filmed in a basic, boring fashion, the background melting into a dim, unfocused blur behind the actors. —Katie Walsh, Los Angeles Times, 19 Nov. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1613, in the meaning defined at sense 1