full cry

full cry

Meaning

• to talk about a subject in an eager tone
• to speak about something continuously, to other people's annoyance
• this phrase points to the negative behaviour of being noisy
• in a positive sense the phrase refers to completion of a task or which points to being in full swing

Example Sentences

1. The opposition party was in full cry in the parliament yesterday to ensure that the changes proposed by the government are not passed as legislation.
2. I heard her full cry and ignored it, as usual.
3. The factory work will begin full cry in the month of March, not before that.
4. After the strike it would be some time before production gets into full cry.
5. My friend is working in full cry, he want to finish it as soon as possible

Origin

The origin of this phrase comes from British English referring to the crying of dogs and wolves. This phenomena is especially at a high during night time and is often clubbed with panting with the tongue out. All unruly for human behaviour. But on the other hand, the full cry could also be referring to the dogs crying during full moon, which reflects that a month (task) is over. This is where the positive meaning of the phrase comes from, that is to complete something. The intensity of the “cry” points to another meaning which is to be in full action.