conniption \kuh-NIP-shuhn, noun:
A fit of hysterical excitement or anger
"Wah!" says Stella-Rondo. I knew she'd cry. She had a conniption fit right there in the kitchen.
-- Eudora Welty, "Why I Live at the P.O." The Collected Stories of Eudora Welty
When they came home, everybody was having a conniption about a big giant fight in the village over who got whose share of their horrid meat.
-- Barbara Kingsolver, The Poisonwood Bible
A day or two later I was going about my business when a voice from above bellowed, ALL HAPPY FAMILIES RESEMBLE ONE ANOTHER, nearly giving me aconniption.
-- Nicole Krauss, The History of Love: A Novel
Did you know? Conniption is an invented word! It first appeared in 1833 in the good old U.S. of A., and is thought to be related to the word corruption, which was used in the sense of "anger" in the early 1800s. Neat, eh?
Also, for your enjoyment, watch these videos. Next time you think you're somethin' else, think of these two geniuses (geniusi?) and know you're not.
