carrying-on

[kar-ee-ing-on, -awn]

noun

Informal.

plural

carryings-on 

1. irresponsible, irritating, self-indulgent, or overwrought behavior.

   The baby-sitter was exhausted from the child's noisy carrying-on.

2. improper or immoral behavior.

carrying-on

noun

1. unconventional or questionable behaviour

2. excited or flirtatious behaviour, esp when regarded as foolish

Word History and Origins

Origin of carrying-on¹

First recorded in 1855–60

Example Sentences

“That’s what she’s struggling with. The carrying-on part. Is she there?”

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And then more hugging and kissing went on until Big Ma said, “Let’s stop all this carrying-on, making a grand Negro spectacle for all these folks hanging out their windows.”

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‘I told you already what I’ll do if you don’t get rid of that fellow for good tonight. In the daytime he takes them naps at the back, and then at night you feed him dinners and beer. For a week now he hasn’t paid one cent. And all his wild talking and carrying-on will ruin any decent trade.’

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Sicilian cooks produced the first known proto-cookbooks with roots in a letter-writing tradition where correspondents chronicled the fare on offer and the carrying-on at great feasts for absent friends.

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Well, there couldn’t have been any carrying-on down at the store or we’d have heard about it long time ago.

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