Vote for the best verboticism.

'I think Uncle Mikey taught our parrot a new word!'

DEFINITION: v. To leave your pet, child or lover in the care of a friend or relative who teaches them a stupid trick or bad habit. n. A stupid trick or bad habit learned from a caregiver.

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Verboticisms

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Malasitterism

Created by: CanadianAndyCapp

Pronunciation: Mal-a-sit-ter-ism

Sentence: Despite all precautions and checking, one cannot totally avoid the possibility that a child will pick up a malasitterism from the babysitter.

Etymology: Mal- Bad / Sitter- Part-time caregiver / ism- habit or manner

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COMMENTS:

Especially if the baby sitter is Mrs. Malaprop! - silveryaspen, 2008-02-26: 18:59:00

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Pollygraft

Created by: Nosila

Pronunciation: paw lee graft

Sentence: When the family went on their long vacation, they had left their green conure, Polly, with Uncle Mikey to "birdsit". Polly had developed an good vocabulary saying things like "Hello", "I love you", "Give me a kiss" and of course, "Polly wanna cracker". After they had taken Polly home, they noticed strange words crept into his vocabulary. Phrases like "Hand over all your money", "Just co-operate and no one gets hurt" and "Curses, it's the cops" were liberally sprinkled with swear words through his everyday chats. Horrified, they confronted Uncle Mikey and he admitted that he had pollygraft Polly and had used him in some of his criminal activities. Uncle Mikey was then polygraphed himself and sentenced. These days, Mikey is the one locked up in a cage and Polly now sings "Bad boys, bad boys, whatcha gonna do? Whatcha gonna doi when they come for you?"

Etymology: Polly (common name for a Parrot or other talking bird) & Graft (corrupt actions of official: the use of dishonest or illegal means to gain money or property by somebody in a position of power or in elected office or money obtained corruptly: something obtained illegally by taking advantage of high position or office)...Wordplay on Polygraphed (a medical instrument that records several physiological processes simultaneously (e.g., pulse rate and blood pressure and respiration and perspiration) most commonly called a Lie Detector when used in police interrogations)

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Petstidigitation

Created by: Mustang

Pronunciation: petz - tuh - didj - ih - tay -shun

Sentence: While keeping his brother in law Morton's favorite hunting dog while Morton was on vacation, Myron resorted to some underhanded petstidigitation to teach the old dog a couple new and socially unacceptable tricks.

Etymology: blend of pet and prestidigitation (sleight of hand or ('trick')

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COMMENTS:

Petty good! - silveryaspen, 2008-02-26: 18:58:00

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Guardiantic

Created by: Tigger

Pronunciation: /gahr-dee-AN-tik/

Sentence: It was only Eliza's third week teaching the 10-year-old class in Sunday School, but when the organist was late, she had to help out with choir practice, too. She reluctantly asked her father to stand-in and watch the Sunday School class. When she returned, she found her dear ole' Dad teaching the kids how to run a football pool, how to build a moonshine still, and other guardiantics.

Etymology: guardian - a person entrusted with the care of a minor (from Middle French, garde "guardian, warden, keeper") antic - a ludicrous or grotesque act (from Italian, antico "antique", originally referring to 'grotesque' Roman art)

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COMMENTS:

This is a true story... mostly. "Eliza's" father was actually teaching 10-year-olds how to run a football pool. - Tigger, 2008-02-26: 01:58:00

Nice word! - OZZIEBOB, 2008-02-26: 16:00:00

Clever blend of two words that really nailed the definition! - silveryaspen, 2008-02-26: 18:42:00

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Misdeminder

Created by: galwaywegian

Pronunciation: miss de mine der

Sentence: Rex's new misdeminers had increased since she left him for a fortnight with her teenage nephew. Chief among the new ones was his ability to whip the knickers off any visiting lady who got near enough to pat his head.

Etymology: misdemeanor, minder

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COMMENTS:

very funny - Jabberwocky, 2008-02-26: 11:28:00

like it - yellowbird, 2008-02-26: 15:28:00

Very good! - OZZIEBOB, 2008-02-26: 16:00:00

So innovative! - silveryaspen, 2008-02-26: 19:10:00

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Anticsrudeshow

Created by: Nosila

Pronunciation: an tix rood sho

Sentence: With no other babysitting options when she left town on business trips, Marcie had no choice but to live with the anticsrudeshow than ensued after her kids went to stay with her elderly Aunt FiFi. Aunt FiFi was ancient but spry, had never wed, and among other things, had travelled the world, been mistress to many famous and notorious men and entertained in burlesque in Vegas and Atlantic City in her checkered career. From her, Marcie's 5 year old daughter and 7 year old son had learned how to shoot craps, read the racing handicaps, mix martinis extra dry, swear like troopers, dance the Charleston and tango, load a derringer, and had watched every mob movie ever made. They had learned to say a lot of new words in Sicilian, spell "Witness Relocation Program" and knew that "RICO" stood for Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act. Yes, Show and Tell days at school after visits to Aunt Fifi were always riotous and resulted in Marcie's being called to the Principal's Office. Marcie thought that the word describing those days should have been called "Aunticsrudeshowandtell" instead!

Etymology: antics (a ludicrous or grotesque act done for fun) & rude (socially incorrect behaviour) & show (a public exhibition or entertainment) & Antiques Road Show (showing off something old whose value is relative and usually not worth as much to others.

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COMMENTS:

Wow, clever creation and amusing story! Was Aunt Fifi inspired by Auntie Mame, perhaps? - Tigger, 2008-02-26: 02:07:00

great story - Jabberwocky, 2008-02-26: 11:43:00

Clever and funny story! Anyhow, it could have been worse: imagine if Beavis & Butthead were Marie's only choice as baby-sitters! - OZZIEBOB, 2008-02-26: 15:59:00

Admire the inventiveness of your word and the play on the tv show! - silveryaspen, 2008-02-26: 18:46:00

Cheers, my friends and in the words of the show....How much do you think it's worth?.... - Nosila, 2008-02-26: 22:15:00

Tigger, I think it was spelled Auntie Maim in this case... - Nosila, 2008-02-26: 22:52:00

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Bobnoxious

artr

Created by: artr

Pronunciation: bäbnäkshəs

Sentence: Sending her kids to spend the summer with her brother Robert seemed like a good idea at the time. What Sharon got back was two kids loaded down with Bobnoxious tricks and stunts; everything from ”pull my finger” from Janie, her 4-year old to pails of water over her door from 7-year old Tom. She can’t wait until next summer when she hosts Bob’s kids.

Etymology: Bob (nickname for Robert) obnoxious (extremely unpleasant)

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Shenannygans

Created by: ErWenn

Pronunciation: /ʃənæniˌgæns/ Sounds like "shenanigans" if you say it fast enough, but make sure you pronounce the y as a long "ee" and not as a schwa.

Sentence: Don't believe what you see in the movies; the shenannygans of most flying babysitters do not end well.

Etymology: from she(nani)gans + nanny

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COMMENTS:

like it! - galwaywegian, 2008-02-26: 11:27:00

Really fits the definition and is a great choice of words with great blending! - silveryaspen, 2008-02-26: 18:39:00

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Cluckaktua

Created by: logarithm

Pronunciation: kluhk-kE-tu-wa

Sentence:

Etymology: 1) Cluck: the sound made by a hen (as in calling her chicks) 2) Kakaktua or 'cockatoo': from the Malay name for these birds, kaka(k)tua (either from kaka "parrot" + tuwah, or "older sister" from kakak "sister" + tua, "old").

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COMMENTS:

Alternative spelling: 'Cluckatoo'. - logarithm, 2008-12-11: 00:03:00

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Chaffectation

Created by: emdeejay

Pronunciation: Chaffe ektation

Sentence: Willow was never convinced that allowing her brother Mikey to look after the parrot was a great idea, but with a day to go before the family holiday she was out of options. Alas when they returned her fears has been realised: Silver the parrot had taken to uttering "Seeds of dissent! !@#$ you hippy!" during her yoga classes. She cringed as she imagined what other chaffectations may be lurking in Silvers vocabulary.

Etymology: Chaffe(1): Tender lesions that develop through abrasion of the epidermis. Chaffe(2): Annoying behaviours/happenstance that 'grates' on your nerves. Affectation: a new and/or unnatural behavoural tendency.

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Comments:

Verbotomy Verbotomy - 2008-02-26: 00:01:00
Today's definition was suggested by Nosila. Thank you Nosila. ~ James

Verbotomy Verbotomy - 2010-05-07: 00:04:00
Today's definition was suggested by Nosila. Thank you Nosila. ~ James