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'Eat! Or you'll turn into a boneless chicken.'

DEFINITION: n., Cautionary advice provided by parents to their children, often makes no logical sense but carries enough emotional weight to affect the child's behavior. v. To warn of danger through the judicious use of exaggeration.

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Verboticisms

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Causham

Created by: Rehlit

Pronunciation: kaw-sham

Sentence: Many parents use an insidious causham to frighten their naughty children. Such as "If you eat watermelon seeds, a watermelon will grow in your stomach!"

Etymology: Caution(a warning against danger or evil; anything serving as a warning) + sham (something that is not what it purports to be; a spurious imitation; fraud or hoax; pretended; counterfeit; feigned:)

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Paranting

hooterbug

Created by: hooterbug

Pronunciation: pâr'ran-ting

Sentence: Due to my childhood and unique blend of "Paranting" from my mom and pops, I will be appearing on the Jerry Springer show one day soon.

Etymology: Blend of "Parent" (One who begets, gives birth to) and "ranting" (to scold vehemently)

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COMMENTS:

I think I will be on the same show. :) - lumina, 2008-08-29: 15:28:00

So many great words today! - Nosila, 2008-08-29: 20:11:00

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Momsense

Created by: TJayzz

Pronunciation: Mom-sen-s

Sentence: Linda was full so of momsense when it came to bringing up little Donald, she was forever telling him to eat his crusts to make his hair curly and that carrots would make him see in the dark. Being only four years old he thought his mum knew everything, he would constantly gaze into the mirror waiting for his curls to appear, and lie awake in the early hours desperate to have night vision.

Etymology: Mom(North American term for Mum) Sense(purpose,reason)(see Nonsense) = Momsense

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COMMENTS:

metrohumanx And Donald grew so tall from stepping in cow dung. - metrohumanx, 2008-08-29: 06:04:00

If he was like me and my bro, he wondered why mom never brought home the kind of spinach with the rip open can like Popeye. - lumina, 2008-08-29: 15:32:00

Love your word,TJayzz... - Nosila, 2008-08-29: 20:10:00

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Poultrygeist

Created by: Nosila

Pronunciation: pol tree guyst

Sentence: Chickenita Bantama had a hard time persuading her youngest chick,Henny Youngman, to eat his feed. She finally had to resort to scare tactics and told him the tale of the poultrygeist. It was a scary ghost chicken that came after little chicks that did not eat up their supper. It worked for her, even if some thought it was fowl play...Happy Halloween!

Etymology: Poultry (a domesticated gallinaceous bird) & Poltergeist (a ghost that announces its presence with rapping and the creation of disorder)

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COMMENTS:

DrWebsterIII LOVING YOUR STORIES - DrWebsterIII, 2012-10-31: 11:24:00

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Adlies

Created by: simoneshin

Pronunciation: ad - lise

Sentence: true story. while in kindergarten my teacher gave and my best some adlies; stop talking or your tongue will wear off. I stopped speaking for 2 weeks en now 20 years later I can still talk. So it probably was some good adlies.

Etymology: advice + lies

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Mythconduct

Created by: Tigger

Pronunciation: /mith-kon-dukt/

Sentence: Donna stared wistfully at her friends splashing in the pool, and glanced up at the clock again — it'd been only 53 minutes since she'd eaten that banana — seven more minutes before she could go back in the pool. Her mother had warned her many times that going into the water less than an hour after eating would inevitably cause cramps, which were somehow always fatal. 'Would she die from drowning or from the cramps themselves?' she wondered. What if she just dangled her legs in the water? No, it was just too risky. She couldn't overcome the mythconduct her mother had instilled into her. Six minutes and forty five seconds to go...

Etymology: Myth - any invented story, idea, or concept (from Greek, mythos "speech, story") + Conduct - personal behavior; way of acting (from Latin, conductus "to lead or bring together")

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COMMENTS:

metrohumanx I always doubted this prohibition. I even sent it in to "Mythbusters"....to no avail. - metrohumanx, 2008-08-29: 06:00:00

Well, Mythbusters did prove that you shouldn't spin around in a makeshift wirlpool too soon after eating pizza. Funny episode. But I'm convinced that the 1-hour 'no swimming' rule is nonsense. But I knew kids whose mothers wouldn't even let them stand in the wading pool because of that rule. - Tigger, 2008-08-29: 10:12:00

Good word - TJayzz, 2008-08-29: 13:43:00

Welcome back, Tigger, we mythed you! - Nosila, 2008-08-29: 20:09:00

This one is my favorite, well done! - Rehlit, 2008-09-01: 00:50:00

Good word there Tigger, it has a nice ring to it! I like the way you think :) - abrakadeborah, 2009-03-14: 19:07:00

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Yarnstay

Created by: jimtastic

Pronunciation: Yarn (as in barn)...stay (as in may)

Sentence: The yarnstay of going blind from playing with one's own thingamabob or puffinstuff has been passed on from older generations to younger generations for centuries.

Etymology: yarn: a word only used by grandmothers relating a tale, esp. a long story of adventure or incredible happenings / stay: to suspend or delay (actions, proceedings, etc.).

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COMMENTS:

Great blend of Old English words. - OZZIEBOB, 2007-09-30: 18:07:00

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Madvice

Created by: lumina

Pronunciation: mad/vice

Sentence: Yeah he was at it again. Dad, flappin' his chops about how he "had to walk a mile to school in the snow," "shine shoes for lunch money" and "wear grandpa's suit jacket to his 8th grade graduation." Patrick learned to tune both Dad AND Mom out the day he realized they were offering nothing but useless madvice once they started digging into their, "WHEN I WAS YOUR AGE" files.

Etymology: mad + advice. Parents short fuse when it comes to their "spoiled brats" whining...

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COMMENTS:

Amen...but of course we do the same things to our own kids...When I was in school, talk about computers was pure science fiction...why they had barely invented tv's or phones that weren't party lines! Cheers,lumina - Nosila, 2008-08-29: 20:08:00

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Embullshitishment

artr

Created by: artr

Pronunciation: emboŏlshitishmənt

Sentence: Billy grew in a world of embullshitishment. His parents would tell him **Step on a crack and you*ll break your mother*s back**. **Eat your vegetables or the dog will eat your foot**. The world can only wait to see how he will encourage his own children.

Etymology: embellishment (a decorative detail or feature added to something to make it more attractive) + bullshit (stupid or untrue talk or writing; nonsense)

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COMMENTS:

mrskellyscl tee-hee! - mrskellyscl, 2010-01-20: 06:26:00

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Mumsteer

petaj

Created by: petaj

Pronunciation: mum-steer

Sentence: I gave up listening to my mother after one to many mumsteers.

Etymology: bum steer + mum

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Comments:

Verbotomy Verbotomy - 2007-09-28: 00:01:00
Today's definition was suggested by remistram. Thank you remistram! ~ James

Verbotomy Verbotomy - 2010-01-20: 00:25:00
Today's definition was suggested by remistram. Thank you remistram. ~ James