Fri, 20 March 2026
Rigmarole
Meaning:
A complicated or bureaucratic procedure
Explanation:
The term rigmarole refers to a process or procedure that is unnecessarily complex or difficult to complete, often due to excessive or redundant steps. This word can be used to describe anything from government red tape to overly complicated instructions.
History:
The wordoriginated in the 18th century as a colloquialism and is possibly linked to the medieval Latin expression 'Ragman Rolls,' which described a set of complicated, ritualistic legal processes.
- "The tax return form involved so much rigmarole that she ended up hiring an accountant to help her"
- "Dealing with customer service had turned into a convoluted rigmarole with many different representatives"
protocol, red tape, bureaucracy
streamlined, simplification, efficiency