subs. (colloquial).—A tedious story; twaddle; a rambling statement: also RAGMAN ROLL, RIG-MY-ROLL, and RIG-MAROLE. As adj. = roundabout, nonsensical (GROSE). [A corruption of RAGMAN ROLL—i.e., the Devil’s Roll: cf. RAGEMAN—applied apparently to any document containing many details; also to an old game in which a parchment roll played a part.]

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  d. 1529.  SKELTON, Garlande of Laurell [DYCE, i. 420], 1490.

        I did what I cowde to scrape out the scrollis,
Apollo to rase out of her RAGMAN ROLLIS.

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  1533.  HEYWOOD, The Pardoner and the Frere.

          Friar.  Master Parson, I marvel ye will give licence
To this false knave in this audience,
To publish his RAGMAN-ROLLS with lies.

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  d. 1556.  UDALL [SMYTH PALMER]. A RAGMAN’S REWE.… We call a long geste that railleth on any person by name or toucheth a bodyes honesty somewhat near.

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  1753.  RICHARDSON, The History of Sir Charles Grandison, IV. iv. You must all of you go in one RIG-MY-ROLL way, in one beaten track.

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  1757.  FOOTE, The Author, ii. You are always running on with your RIGGMONROWLES, and won’t stay to hear a body’s story out.

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  1874.  E. WOOD, Johnny Ludlow, 1st S., No. xii., 203. Mrs. Blair has been writing us a strange RIGMAROLE, which nobody can make head or tail of.

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