U.S. vulgar. Hysteria, hysterical excitement; pl. hysterics.
1833. [S. Smith], Life & Writ. Major Jack Downing, 209. Ant Keziah fell down in a conniption fit; and it was an hour before we could bring her tu and get her into the house.
1850. Bartlett, Dict. Amer., s.v., ‘George, if you keep coming home so late to dinner, I shall have a conniption.’
1888. Daily Times (Troy, N. Y.), 25 Aug. Here the bard is supposed to have gone into ‘conniptions’ and collapsed.
1859. New York Tribune, 31 March, 19/6. The first [ovation] was the silly conniption over Alvary.
