Vote for the best verboticism.
DEFINITION: v. To exercise power through the strategic use of personal insults, while pretending to offer encouragement. n. A leader who motivates people by insulting them.
Verboticisms
Click on each verboticism to read the sentences created by the Verbotomy writers, and to see your voting options...
You have two votes. Click on the words to read the details, then vote your favorite.
Hellnotivate
Created by: Katisms1
Pronunciation: hell-NO!-tive-ate
Sentence: Maintaining his hard-won reputation as a total S.O.B., the department manager would sneeringly "hellnotivate" his sales team into action with an endless stream of backhanded compliments.
Etymology: "(Oh) hell, no!" [Indignant reaction to the realization that the compliment one thought one just received was actually an insult.] + motivate
Winsult
Created by: Nosila
Pronunciation: win sult
Sentence: When Alxis wanted to motivate her top sales people, she used reverse psychology on them. She'd treat them so badly and abased them, that they would prove her wrong by outdoing themselves. Their success was their best revenge on her. Her winsult approach opened up a whole new career for her on the self-help book and lecture circuit.
Etymology: Win (be successful, attain a goal) & Insult (treat, mention, or speak to rudely)
Philantriolic
Created by: OZZIEBOB
Pronunciation: f'-lan-TREE-uhl-ik
Sentence: Although seemed always seeming warm and friendly, it was not her mellow mien, but her canditoxic philantriolic tongue that told the true tale of her feelings.
Etymology: Blend of PHILANTHROPY: Love of humankind in general. Something, such as an activity, intended to promote human welfare; thoughtfulness; benvolent. & VITRIOLIC: Biting, bitter or caustic; having or expressing strong and unpleasantly negative feelings; -- of speech or feelings.
----------------------------
COMMENTS:
Yikes! Bad Candy kills. - metrohumanx, 2008-08-05: 07:14:00
----------------------------
Mastard
Created by: Clayton
Pronunciation: MAS-terd
Sentence: H. Clancy Pettigrew was a mastard of insultimate penuriousadism. His misanthrapaciousness was rivaled only by his truculentertaining friendishness.
Etymology: master + bastard
----------------------------
COMMENTS:
Interestingly, there is a rhetorical term for the art of insulting people without them knowing it: Charientism. Traditionally it means "the act of stating something objectionable in an agreeable manner." - Clayton, 2007-06-12: 08:25:00
I love this sentence. It's a cornucopious assemblerection of tonguetwisting verbsmithery. - petaj, 2007-06-12: 08:41:00
I get it from years of reading Sir Thomas Urquhart of Cromarty. Please don't tell anyone! - Clayton, 2007-06-12: 08:48:00
you're secret's safe with me. - jadenguy, 2007-06-12: 10:01:00
Nooooo! The only way three people can keep a secret is if two of me are already dead! Now I'll have to start reading other lunatics with undying affinities for pointless displays of frantic hippopotomonstrosesquipedalianism. - Clayton, 2007-06-12: 10:11:00
Wow! love the sentence - Jabberwocky, 2007-06-12: 15:00:00
----------------------------
Meanager
Created by: pungineer
Pronunciation: Meanie + ger
Sentence: Tarquin pondered whilst refrying the fries, he was on a fascinating 'Work your way round the Deep South' US gap year, the Himalayas had been fully booked, unfortunately... yes absolutely he though to himself, yes the OED have really missed a trick there, because, right, Bubba, is quite mean, I mean you could call him a meanie even, and he's my manager, well it says so on his badge so, right, well, actually he should be called a Meanager, because that's absolutely so what he is! Maybe i will study classics at Oxford next year, I've certainly got the language skills he ruminated further as he scrapped the grits off the gumbo....
Etymology: Just like Tarquin said in the story Mean or Meanie + Manager = Meanager
----------------------------
COMMENTS:
When there was no crawdads, we ate dirt. - metrohumanx, 2008-08-06: 16:33:00
----------------------------
Notivational
Created by: lumina
Pronunciation: no/ti/vay/shun/al
Sentence: June was so insecure in her position as team leader, that each year when it was her turn to "pump up" her team at the company's annual banquet, she would make sure to have the best notivational speech prepared. Armed with about 15 minutes of subliminal messages, she would also politely reject any ideas and suggestions with a smile, followed by a rolling of the eyes as she pointed to the next raised hand.
Etymology: Motivation: Stimulation of a salesperson's, dealer's, or employee's innate desires and personal objectives by a program of recognition. Notivational: The "antithesis" of the above. :)
----------------------------
COMMENTS:
subtle yet sweet....powerpoint to the people! - metrohumanx, 2008-08-05: 07:12:00
Good word. - OZZIEBOB, 2008-08-06: 04:56:00
----------------------------
Dozenator
Created by: readerwriter
Pronunciation: duz-en-ate; duz-en-a-tor
Sentence: She came on like she was from the hood, street-smart, street-wise, getting it on, taking us down with her tongue. Man, she thought she was original Dozenator, the Queen of Put Downs. But, it was all a show. "Heh, heh...Just jivin' ya," she always said in quick retreat.
Etymology: From the slang, "dozens," meaning to put others down + ate/ ator, giving action and/or title
Pepsquawk
Created by: artr
Pronunciation: pepskwôk
Sentence: Week after week the manager would deliver a pepsqualk to her staff. Her crew’s response has been to adopt a hedgehog as a mascot. They told her that a hedgehog is an industrious critter that will ”dig in” and defend its home. The fact is that the picture they posted for motivation is actually a shrew.
Etymology: pep talk (a talk intended to make someone feel more courageous or enthusiastic) + squawk (make a loud, harsh noise)
Demeanie
Created by: mweinmann
Pronunciation: dee - meen - ee
Sentence: Amy was known as a demeanie around the office because she seemed to always find a way to make those around her feel bad about themselves. Her insults were always couched inside of a bit of sweet talk so she got away with it quite a bit.....
Etymology: demean (degrade or make one aware of their shortcomings), meanie (a person of mean disposition)
----------------------------
COMMENTS:
fun word - I'll have to share it with the kids - mrskellyscl, 2010-01-06: 14:17:00
----------------------------
Comments:
The second step in Timothy Johnson's GUST process is Understanding. And apparently, based on the number of definitions we received on this topic, everybody understands what it is like to have a bad boss. Today's definition was suggested by ohwtepph , suzanne, and remistram. Thank you ohwtepph, suzanne, remistram, and Timothy! ~ James
lumina - 2008-08-07: 13:49:00
Wow! So fun and an honor to have come up with the "winning" word. "I'd like to thank the Academy, my parents and of course Jesus." ha Thanks to the voters! (she says as the music starts playing and the tap dancing man with the hook from the gong show comes into view...)
Today's definition was suggested by ohwtepph. Thank you ohwtepph. ~ James