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Dictionars o the Scots Leid

Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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About this entry:
First published 1941 (SND Vol. II). Includes material from the 2005 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

CAIRRY-ON, CARRY-ON, cairry oan n. comb., v. [kerɪ̢-, kɛrɪ̢-]

I. n. Unseemly behaviour; fuss, to-do. Cf. colloq. Eng. carryings-on. Mearns 1934 “L. G. Gibbon” Grey Granite I. 35:
You'd stopped from that daft carry-on at once . . . weeping like a fool over something as common as kale.Fif.¹⁰ 1938:
Sic a cairry-on! An' a' aboot naethin'.m.Sc. 1994 Martin Bowman and Bill Findlay Forever Yours, Marie-Lou 28:
We're too auld tae start this cairry-oan again...

II. v. Sc. form of Eng. carry on, To continue; to behave in a foolish or excited way.wm.Sc. 1985 Liz Lochhead Tartuffe 3:
Ah've to let this rammy a' go by me and no worry?
The wey you clan cairry oan is far from wyce.
There's nae respect.wm.Sc. 1991 James Russell Grant in Tom Hubbard The New Makars 54:
Cairry oan yir study o' prospectuses an catalogues whit-sic
are mair furrit tae yir attention