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
And yet, Jay-Z stood on that stage, the same one that continues to disregard rappers and R&B artists, consistently consigning them to the genre categories instead of awarding them the overall best, most prestigious Grammys, and did the song and dance.
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Kathleen Newman-Bremang, refinery29.com, 5 Feb. 2024
Later bursts of song and dance will up the stakes much higher.
—David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 2 Sep. 2024
And while 2024 marks the first time in the history of the Emmys that two ceremonies have been held in the same calendar year, the Sept. 15 show won’t be the same old song and dance.
—Emily Longeretta, Variety, 20 July 2024
Hart’s natural humor is oddly tamped down, or maybe that’s just because his dialogue is so uninteresting, and Black’s voice work is grating and unfunny, made worse by Claptrap’s insistence on bursting into song and dance.
—David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 8 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for song and dance 
Kathleen Newman-Bremang, refinery29.com, 5 Feb. 2024
Later bursts of song and dance will up the stakes much higher.
—David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 2 Sep. 2024
And while 2024 marks the first time in the history of the Emmys that two ceremonies have been held in the same calendar year, the Sept. 15 show won’t be the same old song and dance.
—Emily Longeretta, Variety, 20 July 2024
Hart’s natural humor is oddly tamped down, or maybe that’s just because his dialogue is so uninteresting, and Black’s voice work is grating and unfunny, made worse by Claptrap’s insistence on bursting into song and dance.
—David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 8 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for song and dance
Recent Examples of Synonyms for song and dance
Noun
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However, what violent extremists perceive as a tacit nod of approval — based on Trump’s own violent rhetoric — could lead to a surge in domestic terrorism in a country that remains anxious, angry and well-armed.Colin P. Clarke, The Mercury News, 12 Nov. 2024
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Last fall, she was censured for her rhetoric on the Israel-Hamas war, which critics condemned as anti-Semitic.Clara Hendrickson, Detroit Free Press, 6 Nov. 2024
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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Roberts’s majority opinion is pure gobbledygook The Bruen decision placed an enormously high burden on any government lawyer trying to convince a court that any gun law is constitutional.Ian Millhiser, Vox, 21 June 2024
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Others claimed the leaks were just artificial intelligence gobbledygook.Joseph Wilkinson, New York Daily News, 18 Apr. 2024
Noun
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In addition to all that work, Coffin voices the demented gibberish spewed by the Minions, the bright yellow creatures who work alongside Gru. Renaud, who co-helmed the fourth installment with Patrick Delage, says that the French influence was also there from the start.Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 10 July 2024
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For example, at one point the voice suddenly sped up and spewed gibberish.Will Knight, WIRED, 11 Sep. 2024
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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 22 Nov. 2024.
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