Conniptions

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. An emotional outburst that embodies intense anger or frustration, often ignited by trivial events
2. A rapid and intense episode of extreme anger or agitation usually triggered by a minor annoyance
3. An abrupt and powerful emotional eruption marked by fury or distress caused by a small problem

Etymology: "Conniptions" is American in origin, and its exact ancestry is uncertain. The most common guess is that it is a playful distortion of "convulsions," with the sense of bodily spasm carrying over into the sense of an emotional outburst. "Contortions" has also been proposed, but neither link can be confirmed from surviving records. The plural is the usual form, and the singular "conniption" survives mainly in the phrase "conniption fit." The expression describes physical flailing as much as temper, which may explain why it caught on. It is a reminder that many colourful everyday expressions were coined by ordinary speakers and never recorded in a dictionary at the moment they first appeared.

Synonyms: fits, tantrums