rigmarole
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What is the definition and pronunciation of “rigmarole”?
It's Merriam Webster's word of the day for August twenty first. Today's word is Rigmarole, spelled R-I-G M A R O L E. Rigmarole is a noun. It refers to a long, complicated, and annoying process or description.
How does the word “rigmarole” illustrate the challenges of a running routine?
Here's the word used in a sentence from the San Diego Union Tribune. Over the last ten years or so, I've had an on again, off again relationship with running. On the one hand, I love it for the mental benefits. My mind always feels clearer after a run, and it can be an escape from the rigmarole of life. But on the other hand, it seems that every few years some mild injury befalls me that slows my momentum, or I move to a new city and lose the routine of running at a time and place.
What is the historical evolution of “rigmarole” from the Middle Ages to the 19th century?
In the Middle Ages, the term ragaman or
ragman referred to a game in which a player randomly selected a string attached to a roll of verses and read the selected verse. The
role was called a ragman role after a fictional king purported to be the author of the verses. By the sixteenth century, Ragman and Ragman Roll were being used figuratively to mean a list or catalog. Both terms fell out of written use, but Ragman Roll persisted in speech, and in the eighteenth century it resurfaced in writing as Rigmarole. with the meaning a succession of confused, meaningless, or foolish statements.
Where can listeners find more definitions and word‑related content?
In the mid nineteenth century, Rigmarole, also spelled Rigamarole, reflecting its common pronunciation, acquired the sense referring to a complex and tedious procedure. With your word of the day, I'm Peter Sokolowski.
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Chapters
4 chapters
1
What is the definition and pronunciation of “rigmarole”?
0:06–0:24
2
How does the word “rigmarole” illustrate the challenges of a running routine?
0:24–0:56
3
What is the historical evolution of “rigmarole” from the Middle Ages to the 19th century?
0:56–1:39
4
Where can listeners find more definitions and word‑related content?
1:39–2:02