song and dance n.1
1. (also song, dance) an elaborate excuse or account of a situation aimed at persuading or manipulating the listener.
![[US]](/static/img/flags/us.png "United States") | ‘O’Reilly’ [US army poem] They’ll try him by court-martial, he’ll never stand a chance, / To tell them how his Mither died, or some such song and dance. | |
| Checkers 46: I’d put up a song to my Uncle Giles, and try to make a little ‘touch.’. | |
| Tramping with Tramps 345: An’ – an’ – that song ’n’ dance. | |
![[UK]](/static/img/flags/uk.png "United Kingdom") | Marvel 24 Nov. 494: They’ve led us a fine dance this evening. | |
| ‘Excess Baggage’ in Score by Innings (2004) 397: Then along came George Steck, with the same song and dance. | |
| Capt. Billy’s Whiz Bang Aug. 24: And of course Harriet sprung the old song and dance about it being ‘so sudden’ . | |
| Milk and Honey Route 214: Song and dance – To give the madam at the backdoor an interesting and entertaining argument. | |
| ‘Snowbound’ in Gangster Stories Oct. n.p.: ‘Okay [...] go on with your song and dance’. | |
| World to Win 333: Nawthin’ but promises, promises, promises, when times pick up. That’s the song and dance they allers hand me. | |
| (con. 1944) Gallery (1948) 60: The old song and dance, Hal thought. | |
| Tough Guy [ebook] [T]here was no song and dance as sweet as the one with a mother in it. | |
| ‘The Whole Truth’ in New Stories from the Twilight Zone 11: A real nutsy! Comes in here with this song and dance about a haunted car—. | |
| Farm (1968) 139: All that’s a nicesoundin songndance. | |
| Thief 64: Well, shee-yit! A song and dance like that sure wasn’t what I drove all the way from Santa Monica to hear! | |
![[Ire]](/static/img/flags/ire.png "Ireland") | A Life (1981) Act II: You were wrong, then. And your song and dance about it has Dolly upset. | |
| Christine 73: I went through the same song and dance. | |
| Shoedog 8: ‘[N]ow we gotta do this dance, even after I told you over the radio box here that Grimes ain’t in’. |
2. attrib. use of sense 1.
| ‘The White Moll’ in Prison Stories May–June 🌐 What’s she feeding you, Chief? [...] The same song and dance act she tried on me? |
3. a fuss.
 | implied in make a song and dance (about) | |
| Keepers of the Desert 209: [Y]ou know what a song and a dance there would be if the beans were spilt too soon. | |
| Cogan’s Trade (1975) 45: So she says: ‘You turd [...]’ And there’s this big song and dance. | |
| Stand (1990) 674: Mostly Harold just had to have his little song and dance ... he has to register his presence. |
4. anything (over-)elaborate.
| World to Win 261: And whin that’s eat, divilish soon, it seems, it’s the same song and dance agin. | |
| San Diego Sailor 31: He didn’t seem to expect me to go into a song and dance about it, so I let it die. | |
| Nam (1982) 6: I was late coming in anyways, and they were putting me through a long song and dance. | |
| Unfaithful Music 294: When it came to the big song and dance that people now make about their ‘influences,’ I was good at covering my tracks and would deny everything. |
5. attrib. use of sense 4.
| Miseducation of Ross O’Carroll-Kelly (2004) 122: Up on stage, roysh, it’s all lah-de-dah, the whole song-and-dance routine. |
In phrases
(orig. US) to tell elaborate and fanciful tales, usu. for the purpose of confusing or tricking the listener.
| Chimmie Fadden Explains 37: Miss Fannie sent for me and I gives her a great song and dance bout how de gents was only wantin t’ do de slums, and never meant to see no scrappin. | |
| ‘The Voice of the City’ in Voice of the City (1915) 6: Billy, you’ve lived in New York a long time – what kind of a song-and-dance does this old town give you? | |
| Treat ’Em Rough 19: A lot of the boys give this officer a song and dance about how good they can drive a car and etc. | |
| White Moll 183: If the door’s locked, knock – an’ give ’em any old kind of a song an’ dance till you gets ’em off their guard. | |
| Babbitt (1974) 294: What’s this I hear about some song and dance you gave Colonel Snow about not wanting to join the G.C.L.? | |
| Adventures of a Scholar Tramp 103: I met an old lady and, feeling tired, gave her a song and dance about losing my car-fare. She gave me a nickel. | |
| On Broadway 23 Nov. [synd. col.] An old pal gave him a sad song-and-dance about bum luck. He tapped Kane for five slugs. | |
| Cry Tough! 185: Mitch was still living at home and giving them a big song and dance about his traveling job. | |
| Long Good-Bye 195: A hoodlum named Mendy Menendez [...] gave me a song and dance about how Terry had saved his life. | |
| Somebody Up There Likes Me (1956) 275: He gives me this long song and dance. | |
| Scrambled Yeggs 97: The cops gave me the same kind of song and dance about Kash. | |
| Among Thieves 46: Coffey [...] began giving Mel this big song and dance about being careful. | |
| (con. early 1950s) L.A. Confidential 324: You came along peacefully, which is to your credit. You did not give us a song and dance about your civil rights. |
to make a fuss.
| Mord Em’ly 44: But why ’arp on the question? [...] Why make a song about it? | |
| Minneapolis Jrnl (MN) 5 May 4/6: Fitzsimmons [...] made some small song about getting a local fighter to stay with him for ten rounds. | |
| Marvel 16 June 557: Oh, it ain’t nothing! Don’t make no old song about it. | |
| Arthur’s 81: All right [...] don’t make a song about it. | |
| Human Touch 19: What’s that to make a song about? | |
| (con. 1920s) Hell’s Kitchen 199: They are making a song about it! They’re full of it! | |
| Right Ho, Jeeves 103: Isn’t it bad enough to have sat watching one of Anatole’s supremest dinners flit by [...] without having you make a song about it? | |
| ‘Goldfish’ in Red Wind (1946) 175: ‘Like the idea?’ he glanced at me. ‘Yeah, but don’t make a song about it.’. | |
| Caught (2001) 159: How typical of a psychologist [...] making a song about a black tray. | |
| Hollow (1950) 44: It isn’t important. Not worth making a song and dance about. | |
| Jennings Goes To School 108: There was no point in making a song and dance about the telephone message. | |
![[Aus]](/static/img/flags/aus.png "Australia") | One Day of the Year I i: I didn’t mean to make a song and dance about it. | |
| ‘Going Down’ Hancock’s Half-Hour [TV script] There’s no need to make a song and dance about it, old man. | |
| Goodbye to The Hill (1966) 70: I felt that he’d tell me straight out, yes or no, with no excuse. Larry wasn’t the kind of fella to make a song and dance out of anything. | |
| Full Cycle 179: She put on an act about the Brasso and the lino cream that were missing [...] Ma said, ‘Don’t make a song about it.’. | |
| (con. 1940s) Singapore Grip 450: The civilians had created such a song and dance that the Governnment had insisted on abandoning the rest of the training. | |
| West in Decadence and Other Plays (1985) 130: I had a shred or two of doubt I do confess / and that is all no need to make a song and dance. | |
![[Scot]](/static/img/flags/sco.png "Scotland") | Filth 286: She’s making such a song and dance. |