song and dance
a story or statement, especially an untrue or misleading one designed to evade the matter at hand: Every time he's late, he gives me a song and dance about oversleeping.
Origin of song and dance
1Words Nearby song and dance
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use song and dance in a sentence
The purpose of the evening is clear enough in its format: The majority of the show is about song-and-dance numbers from musicals.
Hugh Jackman's Tony Jumping Fail, Plus the Winners and Standout Moments of Broadway's Biggest Night | Tim Teeman | June 9, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTI wanted to discuss the last scene, and the decision to send off Bert Cooper (Robert Morse) with a song-and-dance.
John Slattery on the ‘Mad Men’ Midseason Finale, Roger Sterling’s Power Move, and ‘God’s Pocket’ | Marlow Stern | May 26, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTThe Oscar host's song-and-dance about actresses' breasts was a big fail, says the famed attorney.
Ridiculous baby plot lines have swirled around song-and-dance soap Glee since day one.
TV’s Funniest Pregnancies: ‘Modern Family,’ ‘I Love Lucy’ & More (VIDEO) | Kevin Fallon | October 17, 2012 | THE DAILY BEASTShe was also the unquestionable star of the two song-and-dance sequences in this Indo-American mega production.
She does the song-and-dance business with comedy variations.
The Adventures of a Widow | Edgar FawcettThe cooks in my company, Company L, were song-and-dance artists and contributed most of our entertainment.
The Road | Jack LondonShe can't cook, but she can do a song-and-dance that's worth its weight in gold when you're down in the mouth.
The Whole Family | William Dean Howells, Mary E. Wilkins Freeman, Mary HeatonThen a little individual song-and-dance specialty was introduced.
What's-His-Name | George Barr McCutcheonAnd rather than hear that song-and-dance again, I gave myself thirty seconds to think.
Nor Iron Bars a Cage.... | Gordon Randall Garrett
British Dictionary definitions for song and dance
British a fuss, esp one that is unnecessary
US and Canadian a long or elaborate story or explanation, esp one that is evasive
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Other Idioms and Phrases with song and dance
An elaborate story or effort to explain and justify something, or to deceive and mislead someone. For example, Do you really believe his song and dance about the alarm not going off, being stopped for speeding, and then the car breaking down? or At every annual meeting the chairman goes through the same song and dance about the company's great future plans. This term originally referred to a vaudeville act featuring song and dance. [Late 1800s]
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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