Goings-on are the things that are happening — but not ordinary things. The word points to events that feel strange, interesting, a bit secret, or not quite honest, and sometimes against the law. It is a casual, slightly nosy word, the kind a neighbour or a newspaper uses when there is a scandal to talk about. You cannot count one going-on; it stays plural. Though actually, it is not always a crime. A loud party next door can be the goings-on at number 12, with a raised eyebrow, not a police report. It always carries a little side-look: something is up.