Vote for the best verboticism.
DEFINITION: v. To be unable to remember the name of a person you are speaking to, even though you've had a long-standing, and perhaps even an intimate relationship. n. An inability to remember a person's name.
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.
Forgetphil
Created by: Nosila
Pronunciation: for get fil
Sentence: When George brought his friend, Phil, home, he was unaware that Phil already "knew" his wife Julia in the Biblical way. But Phil had had so many previous girlfriends that he could not recall Julia. He was forgetphil, like someone who drank too much Milk of Amnesia...
Etymology: Forget (not able to remember) & play on forgetful (not retentive)
Chumnundrum
Created by: OZZIEBOB
Pronunciation: chum-NUN-drum
Sentence: When Bob couldn't remember the names of his five former partners and his ten children, his friends asked whether he was suffering from palzheimers, or was this chumnundrum just a last-hitch attempt to avoid palimony
Etymology: Blend of CHUM: mate, cobber,buddy & NUNDRUM of Conundrum: riddle, enigma. Alternative etymology: Chum: close friend; nun: none, not any & Drum: the facts, info.
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COMMENTS:
Terrific word. Very orignal etymology and that isn't easy with this definition! - silveryaspen, 2008-12-29: 10:16:00
love it - Jabberwocky, 2008-12-29: 15:23:00
Love it and palzheimers, too! What was the definition again?? - Nosila, 2008-12-29: 18:49:00
A#1 - metrohumanx, 2008-12-29: 19:11:00
This is clever....parumpachumdum. - mweinmann, 2008-12-30: 09:01:00
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Nymectomy
Created by: ErWenn
Pronunciation: /nəˈmɛktəˌmi/ /nuh-MEHK-tuh-Mee/
Sentence: Damn you! If you hadn't asked me, I wouldn't have had any problem remembering his name. How many times have I asked you to stop performing nymectomies on me?
Etymology: 2008 coined in Eng. from nym- (Gk. "onyma" meaning name) + -ectomy (Gk. "ektome" meaning "a cutting out")
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COMMENTS:
Roaring with laughter! Unlike most ectomies, nymectomies are contagious! Wonderful creation! It's a winner in my book! - silveryaspen, 2008-03-04: 10:32:00
a little angry are we today ErWenn? - Jabberwocky, 2008-03-04: 13:04:00
A really good word. - OZZIEBOB, 2008-03-04: 19:47:00
That'll teach me to verbotomize while I have a migraine. - ErWenn, 2008-03-04: 23:50:00
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Namenesic
Created by: Jabberwocky
Pronunciation: nam/eh/nee/sic
Sentence: Boy was namenesic since birth, probably because his parents had a hard time remembering his name. He finally decided to call every woman doll and every man, man.
Etymology: name + amnesic
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COMMENTS:
I was sure someone would beat me to this one. Grr, I'll get you next time, Jabberwocky! - ErWenn, 2008-03-04: 09:58:00
Easy does it ... most of the time! Simplicity is always appealing! Nice one! - silveryaspen, 2008-03-04: 10:10:00
Schmidt's " A Medical Word Finder" gives 'Lethonomia' as inability to recognize names and ' Anomia' as loss of ability to recognize names; I like your word better. - OZZIEBOB, 2008-03-04: 19:44:00
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Amnamenesia
Created by: Mustang
Pronunciation: am-naim-NEES-ya
Sentence: Jamie had instant recall on the winners of the last 30 world series, all the Superbowls, and every MLB MVP over the last 3 decades but when it came to recalling people's names he had recurring bouts of amnamenesia
Etymology: Blend of 'name' and 'amnesia'.
Amornesia
Created by: artr
Pronunciation: ämoŏrnēzhə
Sentence: Wendy was no good in the morning. Until she had had at least 2 cups of coffee, she was lucky if she could remember her own name. To work her way around her amornesia she took on the habit of calling anybody who ended up in her bedroom sweetheart. Unless she woke up in Starbucks, this is the way it was destined to stay.
Etymology: amore (love - Italian) + amnesia (a partial or total loss of memory)
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COMMENTS:
Absolutely caffeine-dish! - metrohumanx, 2008-12-29: 19:14:00
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Innomability
Created by: starwarsgeek8
Pronunciation: in-gnome-a-bill-it-ee
Sentence:
Etymology: Latin, 'nomen'=name, English 'ability'
Whodonym
Created by: Tigger
Pronunciation: /hoo-do-nim/
Sentence: Jason always called his fiancee by pet names, such as "Sweetheart" or "Honey," and although her name was actually 'Mary Louise' all her friends just called her "Lou". So when he introduced her to his cousin before the wedding, he got a case of 'brain lock' and all he could think of were whodonyms. Then, at the chapel, when the priest asked, "Do you take Mary Louise to be your lawfully wedded wife?" Jason's nervous first response was to ask, "Who?". It was beginning to look like the honeymoon wasn't going to be as pleasant and relaxing as he'd hoped.
Etymology: Who - what person? (from Old English, hwā "who") + pseudonym - a fictitious or pen name (from Greek, pseudonymos "having a false name")
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COMMENTS:
I'll be using "brain lock" ... great pairing! A Whodlum hopes everyone, especially the cops, have brain lock and whodonyms? Innovative! - silveryaspen, 2008-03-04: 19:11:00
Very creative: a real word! - OZZIEBOB, 2008-03-04: 20:01:00
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Quasinogo
Created by: petaj
Pronunciation: kwozzy-no-go
Sentence: Freddie Forgetty, was a real Quasinogo. His hunchback and dodgy eye were certainly detractions, but his worst failing was that he could never remember his girlfriends' names. He was often heard to say, "but the face rings a bell".
Etymology: Quasimodo - bell ringer at Notre Dame + no go (fail)
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COMMENTS:
Great sentence! - silveryaspen, 2008-12-31: 23:40:00
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Nomit
Created by: Stevenson0
Pronunciation: an/uh/nim
Sentence: On a regular basis, John nomits who he is with and just calls them 'Buddy' and 'Babe'.
Etymology: nom (name) + omit
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COMMENTS:
Uncomplicated but oh so powerful! Excellent creation! - silveryaspen, 2008-03-04: 09:50:00
In the running for highest quality-to-length ratio for the whole site! - ErWenn, 2008-03-04: 09:59:00
I agree, Erwenn! Well put! - silveryaspen, 2008-03-04: 19:01:00
Stevenson, every time I think of nomit, I think of gnome ... how in the world did you keep from making your sentence about gnomes? I've felt compelled all day to say your word (not sentence) has such a mythical and magical ambiance! So I finally said it! - silveryaspen, 2008-03-04: 19:04:00
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Comments:
Today's definition was suggested by silveryaspen. Thank you silveryaspen. ~ James
silveryaspen - 2008-03-04: 17:07:00
Your great word associations and creations made my day, everyone. It is a pleasure to have these mind associations with all of you every day! Isn't this website like sunshine for the mind? !!! Everyone contributes some rays! Everyone goes away warmed by some rays!
silveryaspen - 2008-03-04: 17:08:00
Good job with the defninition and cartoon. Thank you, James.
Thank you Silveryaspen for the inspiring words! ~ James
Today's definition was suggested by silveryaspen. Thank you silveryaspen. ~ James