song and dance

American  

noun

1. 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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song and dance British  

noun

1. a fuss, esp one that is unnecessary

2. a long or elaborate story or explanation, esp one that is evasive

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song and dance Idioms  

1. 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]

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Etymology

Origin of song and dance

An Americanism dating back to 1870–75

Example Sentences

As Pope Leo arrived, rhythmic music blared from loudspeakers with inmates breaking into song and dance under the stern gaze of prison officers.

From Barron's • Apr. 23, 2026

After Hegseth gave us his version of news headlines, he performed a brief off-key song and dance before skating out of the room having accomplished little and settling nothing.

From Salon • Mar. 14, 2026

Characters tend to break into song and dance, and plots are often over the top.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 17, 2025

Lately my ritual is as soon as I get up and brush my teeth and wash my face, I will put on a song and dance to it and do some stretching.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 12, 2025

Rodney looked disapproving, and I realised Ruth and Chrissie were making a song and dance of it mainly to tease him.

From "Never Let Me Go" by Kazuo Ishiguro