laundry list

English

Pronunciation

• Audio (AU):

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Noun

laundry list (plural laundry lists)

1. (archaic) Originally, a list of articles of clothing that had been sent to be laundered.
   • 1920, Scouting for Girls: Official Handbook of the Girl Scouts, First Edition, The Girl Scouts, Inc., page 126:

     Learn how to make out a laundry list and to check it when the laundry comes home.

2. (idiomatic, by extension) A long and often tedious list of items.
   • 2007, Ceri Au, "Fighting for the Right to Flush," Time, 31 July:

     Among the laundry list of inconveniences most of us can't abide: cold coffee, airport delays, the high price of gasoline.

3. (colloquial) An unrealistic list of skills, qualifications and experiences, as demanded by employers when hiring staff. Similarly, an equally unrealistic skill set claimed by a candidate on a résumé.

See also

• laundry mark
• checklist