- Today's Word
Rigmarole
[RIG-muh-rohl]
Definition
- (noun) A lengthy, complicated, and often confusing procedure or series of steps. It can also describe a long, rambling story or explanation that is needlessly complex or tedious.
Example
Applying for a passport turned into a frustrating rigmarole of endless forms, multiple visits to government offices, and seemingly pointless bureaucratic requirements.
Fun Fact
The word “rigmarole” evolved from “ragman roll,” a reference to a medieval English legal document that had many long lists attached to it by strings. The complexity of these documents led to the term being used for any convoluted process or explanation.
(adjective) Light, delicate, and translucent; so fine in texture as to be nearly transparent
The diaphanous curtains billowed in the breeze, letting the morning light pour softly into the room.
Diaphanous comes from the Medieval Latin diaphanus, itself from the Greek diaphanes — from dia (“through”) + phainein (“to show” or “to appear”). It entered English in the early 17th century, originally used to describe fine fabrics and minerals that allowed light to pass through them visibly.