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Rigmarole vs Nonsense - What's the difference?

rigmarole | nonsense |

As nouns the difference between rigmarole and nonsense

is that rigmarole is complex, obsolete procedures; excess steps or activity; needless motion while nonsense is letters or words, in writing or speech, that have no meaning or seem to have no meaning.

As a verb nonsense is

to make nonsense of.

As an adjective nonsense is

resulting from the substitution of a nucleotide in a sense codon, causing it to become a stop codon (not coding for an amino-acid).

rigmarole

English

Alternative forms

* rigamarole

Noun

  • Complex, obsolete procedures; excess steps or activity; needless motion.
    • Have you seen all the rigmarole you have to go through at airport security these days?
  • Nonsense; confused and incoherent talk.
    • 1895' — ''In comes Mitaiele to Lloyd, and told some '''rigmarole about Paatalise (the steward's name) wanting to go and see his family in the bush.'' — , ch XIX
  • * De Quincey
    • Often one's dear friend talks something which one scruples to call rigmarole .

    Quotations

    ;confused and incoherent talk * 1854 — (Henry David Thoreau), , ch VII *: While you are planting the seed, he cries -- "Drop it, drop it -- cover it up, cover it up -- pull it up, pull it up, pull it up." But this was not corn, and so it was safe from such enemies as he. You may wonder what his rigmarole , his amateur Paganini performances on one string or on twenty, have to do with your planting, and yet prefer it to leached ashes or plaster. * 1880 — (Rosina Bulwer Lytton), , sxn 4 *: His reply did not even allude to the subject, but was a rigmarole about the weather; as if he had been writing to an idiot, who did not require a rational answer to any question they had asked. * 1910 — , , ch XVII * 1915 — (John Buchan), , ch 1 *: He seemed to brace himself for a great effort, and then started on the queerest rigmarole .

    nonsense

    English

    Alternative forms

    * nonsence (archaic)

    Noun

    (wikipedia nonsense) (en-noun)
  • Letters or words, in writing or speech, that have no meaning or seem to have no meaning.
    • After my father had a stroke, every time he tried to talk, it sounded like nonsense .
  • An untrue statement.
    • He says that I stole his computer, but that's just nonsense .
  • Something foolish.
  • * 2008 , "Nick Leeson has some lessons for this collapse", Telegraph.co.uk, Oct 9, 2008
    • and central banks lend vast sums against marshmallow backed securities, or other nonsenses creative bankers dreamed up.
  • (literature) A type of poetry that contains strange or surreal ideas, as, for example, that written by .
  • (biology) A damaged DNA sequence whose products are not biologically active, that is, that does nothing.

    • Synonyms

    : See * (something that lacks meaning or absurd statement) ** (mostly colloquialisms or slang) balderdash, baloney, bull, bulldust, bunk, codswallop, drivel, gibberish, hogwash, hooey (US), horse hockey, malarkey, manure, poppycock, prattle, rhubarb (chiefly British), rubbish, twaddle ** (vulgar slang) bollocks (British), bullshit, crap, horseshit (US)

    Derived terms

    * nonsensical * nonsensification * nonsensify

    See also

    * (biology) missense

    Verb

    (nonsens)
  • To make nonsense of
  • * Bernard Shaw, "The Red Robe", in James Huneker ed., Dramatic Opinions and Essays by G. Bernard Shaw , volume II, page 73:
    • At the Haymarket all this is nonsensed by an endeavor to steer between Mr. Stanley Weyman's rights as author of the story and the prescriptive right of the leading actor to fight popularly and heroically against heavy odds.
  • To attempt to dismiss as nonsense.
  • * 1997 , "Rockies respond to whip", Denver Post , Jun 3, 1997:
    • "They haven't nonsensed these workouts. They've taken them and used them very well. I didn't know how they'd respond, but they've responded."
  • * 2000 , Leon Garfield, Jason Cockcroft, Jack Holborn , page 131:
    • Very commanding: very much 'end of this nonsensing' . Mister Fared spread his hands and shook his thin head imperceptibly, as if to say he understood
  • * 2006 , Sierra Leone: Petroleum Unit Calls for Auditing , AllAfrica.com, Mar 17, 2006:
    • He further nonsensed press suggestions that the Petroleum Unit was set up to assist in the administration of sporting activities.
  • To joke around, to waste time
  • * 1963 , C. F. Griffin, The Impermanence of Heroes , page 170:
    • When he meant "go and get one" he said to go and get one, with no nonsensing around about "liking" to get one.

    Synonyms

    * pooh-pooh, rubbish, whangdoodle

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • Resulting from the substitution of a nucleotide in a sense codon, causing it to become a stop codon (not coding for an amino-acid).