"I have quite a lot of work to do, and I'm carrying on with my work," Annan said.

"We have a major agenda next year, and the year ahead, trying to reform this organization. So we'll carry on."

Here's the first definition for the intransitive verb "carry on" in our dictionary, Miriam-Webster's Collegiate: "to behave or speak in a foolish, excited, or improper manner (shocked at how he carries on)."

Five House Republicans on Monday endorsed the call last week by Sen. Norm Coleman, R-Minn., for Annan to quit because of widespread corruption in United Nations' Oil-for-Food program. As Coleman noted, Annan has presided over "the greatest fraud and theft" in U.N. history.

The American taxpayer, of course, will get stuck with the bill for much of the U.N.-Saddam-French-Russian-German-Syrian corruption.

Yet when reporters asked Annan today if he were definitely refusing to resign, he replied, "I think you heard my answer."

Rep. Scott Garrett, R-N.J., said: "To me the question should not be whether Kofi Annan should remain in charge. To me, the larger question is whether he should be in jail."

"If this were to occur in any corporate scandal in the United States, you would be hearing cries from both sides of the aisle, at this point in time, for his immediate resignation and, also, for his arrest," the congressman observed.

More: Congressmen threaten to shove corrupt U.N. off the U.S. taxpayers' dole

Editor's note: