have a conniption fit

have a conniption fit

To become very or unreasonably angry or upset; to have an outburst of rage, frustration, or ill temper. My mom's going to have a conniption fit when she sees what happened to the car! I was so embarrassed when Danny started having a conniption fit in the grocery store. There's no need to have a conniption fit about this, Eleanor—we'll figure something out.

See also: conniption, fit, have

Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.

have a conniption fit, to

Display hysteria; an extreme emotional upset. This term dates from the early 1800s. Seba Smith had it in Major T. Downing (1860), “And Keziah fell down in a conniption fit.” The phrase has a rustic sound and is heard less often today.

See also: conniption, have, to

The Dictionary of Clichés by Christine Ammer Copyright © 2013 by Christine Ammer