rigmarole
UK[ˈrɪɡmərəʊl]US[ˈrɪɡməroʊl]
n
A long, complicated, and annoying process or description.
n
A long, rambling, and pointless story or statement.
Etymology
The word "rigmarole" has a fascinating journey from a specific historical object to a general term for tedious complexity. It derives from "ragman roll," a medieval term for a formal document with a long list of names, such as a papal bull with numerous seals or a roll used in a game of chance. Over time, "ragman roll" was corrupted in everyday speech to "rigmarole," shifting its reference from the physical document to the characteristic of being a lengthy, convoluted list. This semantic evolution completed the transition, with the modern abstract meaning focusing entirely on the quality of tedious, complicated, and often nonsensical procedure or talk, shedding the original concrete reference.
Analysis
This word is a simplex form. It originated as an alteration of the term "ragman roll," a historical document with a long list or catalog.
Examples
I had to go through the whole rigmarole of filling out forms in triplicate just to get a library card.
He launched into a long rigmarole about why he was late, but none of it made much sense.
Let's skip the usual rigmarole and get straight to the point of the meeting.