Definition

1. Noun:
   • A lively Spanish dance: A fandango is a traditional Spanish dance, typically in triple time (3/4 or 3/8), known for its spirited and often flirtatious character. It is traditionally performed by a couple, a man and a woman, who use castanets.
   • The music for this dance: The term can also refer to the musical composition or style that accompanies this dance.

Examples

• Noun:
  • The performers captivated the audience with a passionate fandango.
  • The concert featured a classical piece followed by a lively fandango.

Advanced Usage

• "to dance a fandango": To perform this specific dance.
  • At the festival, everyone was encouraged to dance a fandango.
• Used metaphorically to describe a complex, tricky, or showy situation or procedure.
  • The political negotiations turned into a real fandango of conflicting interests.

Variants and Related Words

• Fandanguillo (n): A smaller or lighter version of the fandango, often from a specific region of Spain.

Synonyms

• Dance: A general term for a series of movements set to music.
• Jota: Another type of traditional Spanish dance, from Aragon, also in triple time but distinct in style.

Related Phrases

• Lead someone a merry/pretty fandango (idiom, archaic): To cause someone a great deal of trouble or inconvenience; to lead someone on a wild goose chase.
  • The complicated instructions led us a merry fandango before we found the right office.

Noun

1. a provocative Spanish courtship dance in triple time; performed by a man and a woman playing castanets