conniption

WOTD – 21 January 2009    

English

Etymology

Since 1833, from American English. Unknown origin, perhaps related to corruption or captious.

Pronunciation

• (US) IPA: /kəˈnɪp.ʃən/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

Noun

conniption (plural conniptions)

1. (informal) A fit of anger or panic; conniption fit.

   When she came downstairs and saw what her children were eating, she had a conniption.

   ...threatened by the conniptions gripping Wall Street (Businessweek Oct.20, 2008)

2. A fit of laughing; convulsion.

   The joke was not that funny, but he went into conniptions laughing.

Translations

fit of anger or panic

• Bulgarian: истерия (bg) f (isterija)
• Czech: záchvat (cs) m
• Finnish: kohtaus (fi)
• French: crise de colère f – crise de panique f

• German: Anfall m, hysterischer Anfall m, Wutanfall m
• Norwegian: fnatt (no) n, raserianfall (no) n
• Russian: припадок истерии m, истерика f, приступ гнева m

fit of laughing

• Czech: záchvat (cs) m
• Finnish: kohtaus (fi)
• French: crise (f.) de fou-rire (m.)

• German: Lachanfall (de) m
• Norwegian: latterkrampe (no) f, lattis (no)/lættis (no) m (slang)