conniption

WOTD - 21 January 2009    

English

Etymology

Since 1833, from American English, of uncertain 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. 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)