- Primary Meaning: To continue doing what you were doing; to proceed with an activity or task, often after an interruption.
- Secondary Meaning (Chiefly UK/Commonwealth): To behave in an excited, agitated, foolish, or overly emotional way; to make a fuss.
Explanation
Origin
- Continue sense: Derived from the basic meaning of 'carry' (move, transport) combined with 'on' (forward, onward), indicating continued progress or action. Popularized globally by the British WWII slogan Keep Calm and Carry On.
- Fuss/Agitated Behaviour sense (UK): Possibly relates to 'carrying' oneself forward ('on') in a noticeable, uncontrolled, or disruptive manner. Making a 'carry-on' means creating a fuss or disturbance.
Synonyms & Related Expressions
Alternatives
(Continue):
- Slang/Informal: Keep on keepin' on (Persevere; folksy/dated), Keep trucking (Keep going; dated slang)
- Milder/Formal: Proceed, Resume your activity
(Fuss UK):
- Slang/Informal: Act up, Make a scene, Kick off (UK slang: start trouble/make a fuss), Go off on one (UK slang: rant angrily), Freak out (US term for similar agitated state), Lose it (Lose emotional control)
- Vulgar/Emphatic: Lose one's shit (Vulgar: Lose emotional control completely)
- Milder: Make a commotion, Get upset, Be disruptive
Situational Appropriateness
- (Continue): Formal to informal. A standard and polite way to indicate someone should proceed.
- (Fuss UK): Informal. Used to describe or reprimand disruptive, overly emotional, or silly behaviour.
Misunderstanding Warnings
- Crucial for learners to know the regional difference. North American speakers might only know the 'continue' meaning and be confused by the UK 'fuss' meaning. Context (and speaker's origin) is key.
Examples
- (Continue): Sorry for interrupting. Please carry on with your presentation.
- (Continue): Despite the rain, the festival carried on.
- (Fuss UK): The kids were carrying on all afternoon, making a racket.
- (Fuss UK): There's no need to carry on like that just because you lost the game.
Dialogue
Manager: ...so, the next step is to analyze the feedback. Any questions so far? (Answers phone briefly). My apologies. Please, carry on, Sarah, you were about to ask something?
Sarah: Yes, I was wondering about the timeline...
Parent A: What on earth is all that shouting?
Parent B: It's just the twins carrying on about whose turn it is on the tablet. I'll go sort them out. (Goes to children) Right, you two, stop carrying on this instant!
Social Media Examples
- (Continue): Tweet: Power outage in my area, but thankfully the laptop battery is full. Will carry on working! #remotework #carryon
- (Fuss UK): Facebook Post: My toddler carried on for 20 minutes in the supermarket because I wouldn't buy him sweets. Send wine. 😩 #parenting #terribletwos
Response Patterns
- (Continue): Acknowledgement (Okay, thanks.), resuming the activity.
- (Fuss UK): Stopping the behaviour, becoming defensive (I wasn't carrying on!), ignoring the command, arguing back.
Common Follow-up Questions/Actions
- (Continue): The interrupted person resumes their activity or speech.
- (Fuss UK): The person being told to stop might calm down, argue, or face consequences. The speaker might explain why the behaviour is unacceptable.
Conversation Starter
- No.
- Either an instruction/permission to continue or a description/command regarding behaviour.
Intonation
- (Continue): Usually neutral, encouraging, or permissive. Stress on CARRY ON. Please, CARRY ON.
- (Fuss UK): Often exasperated, annoyed, or commanding. Stress on CARRYING ON. Stop CARRYING ON!
Generation Differences
- (Continue): Universal, reinforced by the Keep Calm and Carry On meme.
- (Fuss UK): Well-understood in the UK/Commonwealth across generations, perhaps used more frequently by older generations, but still common.
Regional Variations
- Continue sense: Universal.
- Fuss sense: Primarily British English, also used in Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, and other Commonwealth nations. Less common and potentially confusing in North America, where making a scene, acting up, freaking out, or making a fuss would be used instead.