rigmarole

views updated Jun 08 2018

rig·ma·role / ˈrig(ə)məˌrōl/ • n. [usu. in sing.] a lengthy and complicated procedure: he went through the rigmarole of securing the front door. ∎  a long, rambling story or statement.

rigmarole

views updated May 18 2018

rigmarole rambling or meaningless talk. XVIII. alt. of †ragman roll list, catalogue (XVI), earlier †roll of ragman. Ragman('s) roll was used in most of the senses of rag man, which was applied orig. (XIII) to (i) a statute of Edward I and articles of inquisition made under this statute, (ii) a game of chance played with a written roll having strings attached to the items of it, which the players drew.

Rigmarole

views updated May 18 2018

Rigmarole

a succession of incoherent statements.

Examples : rigmarole of grannies; of nonsense.

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