song and dance

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR song and dance ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

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.

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Origin of song and dance

An Americanism dating back to 1870–75

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for song and dance

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|DAILY BEAST
I 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|DAILY BEAST
The Oscar host's song-and-dance about actresses' breasts was a big fail, says the famed attorney.
Gloria Allred: Seth MacFarlane’s a Boob!|Lloyd Grove|February 25, 2013|DAILY BEAST
She was also the unquestionable star of the two song-and-dance sequences in this Indo-American mega production.
Michelle Obama Wows India|Priya Ramani|November 8, 2010|DAILY BEAST

One has certain expectations of the exemplars of American manhood, among them that they will not do song-and-dance numbers.
The Nine Worst Duets of All Time|The Daily Beast Video|March 13, 2009|DAILY BEAST
He is thus as far removed as possible from Grieg and the song-and-dance men of recent time.
Musical Criticisms|Arthur Johnstone
But this was after he had formed a partnership with James Mackin, with whom he toured the country as one of a song-and-dance team.
The Scrap Book, Volume 1, No. 3|Various
And rather than hear that song-and-dance again, I gave myself thirty seconds to think.
Nor Iron Bars a Cage....|Gordon Randall Garrett
She 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 Heaton
The cooks in my company, Company L, were song-and-dance artists and contributed most of our entertainment.
The Road|Jack London

British Dictionary definitions for song and dance

song and dance

noun informal

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

Idioms and Phrases with song and dance

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]

song and dance

noun

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Origin of song and dance

Examples from the Web for song and dance

song and dance

noun informal

song and dance