song and dance

noun

Updated on: 15 Apr 2018

Definition of song and dance

1 : a theatrical performance (such as a vaudeville performance) combining singing and dancing

2 : a long and often familiar statement or explanation that is usually not true or pertinent

See song and dance defined for English-language learners

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 of song and dance from the Web

Poured over all of this is an endless river of movie magic, including lavish crowd scenes that almost burst into song and dance, and vast sets that re-create old New York institutions with heartbreaking detail, from B. Altman’s to the Gaslight.

— caitlin flanagan, The Atlantic, "The Impossible Duality of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel," 9 Apr. 2018
No, the trouble lies in the less assured translation of Ms. Fey’s sly take on adolescent social angst into crowd-pleasing song and dance.

— ben brantley, New York Times, "Review: ‘Mean Girls’ Sets the Perils of Being Popular to Song," 8 Apr. 2018
It was marked last month by the sound of tende, the Tuareg style of music and drumming, as the women and men, on foot and on their camels, participated in song and dance competitions.

— Washington Post, "Tuaregs celebrate culture in Niger Sahara festival," 14 Mar. 2018
Another Bachelor on another night will again do the same song and dance of loving two women and committing to only one of them.

— kelsey mckinney, The Cut, "I Think About This a Lot: The Pool Scene in The Bachelor Season 13 Finale," 5 Mar. 2018
The Ron Esposito Quintet: Sight and Sound reflects multicultural influences on jazz with song and dance.

— luann gibbs, Cincinnati.com, "ArtsWave sampler program expands to 3 months," 30 Jan. 2018
There’s also a little song and dance, as fantasy-like musical sequences are interspersed throughout the film, allowing us a glimpse inside the mind and heart of the quiet, withdrawn protagonist.

— corey seymour, Vogue, "In Saturday Church, a Coming-of-Age Odyssey in Downtown New York," 12 Jan. 2018
Seventy-five members of the school's choir broke into song and dance on an Emirates flight, according to Travel and Leisure.

— carly breit, Country Living, "This Men's Choir from Waco Broke Into Full Song and Dance on an Airplane and It Was Hilarious," 25 July 2017
So this was more than the usual Bollywood song and dance.

— sandip roy, San Francisco Chronicle, "Both raves and rage over new Bollywood film that offends Rajputs," 5 Feb. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'song and dance.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of song and dance

1613

song and dance Synonyms

Synonyms

double-talk, gibberish, gobbledygook (also gobbledegook), rigmarole (also rigamarole);

bombast, gas, grandiloquence, hot air, hype, oratory, rhetoric, wind;

SONG AND DANCE Defined for English Language Learners

song and dance

noun

Definition of song and dance for English Language Learners

: a performance that combines singing and dancing
: a long story, explanation, or excuse that may not be true or directly related to what is being discussed