Vote for the best verboticism.
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.
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.
Mamalore
Created by: thebaron
Pronunciation: ma-ma-lore
Sentence: Whenever we ate oranges and swallowed the seeds, Aunt Janet would spurt out some mamalore, saying that oranges trees would grow in our stomachs.
Etymology: mama (mother) lore (length/myth)
Humumbug
Created by: vixphilia
Pronunciation: hum-MUM-bug
Sentence: Mum was feding me her usual humumbug: "If you keep making ugly faces,it will freeze like that!"
Etymology: Humbug: pretentious or silly talk Mum: Mother
Embullshitishment
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:
tee-hee! - mrskellyscl, 2010-01-20: 06:26:00
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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:)
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:
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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Animaliplify
Created by: Nosila
Pronunciation: an eemal plee fye
Sentence: Henrietta Capon had a lesson for her son, Alfonso, the heir to the Capon di Tutti Capon title. She tried to animalipify that if he made a wrong decision, without his consigliere, he would suffer the consequences. Without a peep or a chirp he would find himself the victim of fowl play. With his weapon cocked, he was a poultry excuse for his roost hero, Gary Cooper. Eggsistentialism eluded him, he became a Friar, gave and tried to pullet into a chickmonaskstery...without being hendered. The cluck stops here...
Etymology: Animal (creature;a living organism characterized by voluntary movement) ^ Amplify (exaggerate or make bigger; to enlarge beyond bounds or the truth)
Emochide
Created by: AlohaJo
Pronunciation: E-mo-ch-I-de
Sentence: The boy, after disobeying his father's warning, had to sit through a lengthy emochide.
Etymology: emotional+ chide
Rugrant
Created by: purpleartichokes
Pronunciation: rug-rant
Sentence: To be an effective scarent, one must concoct enough plausible rugrants to guide the child safely to adolescence, such as the once popular "if you don't eat your crusts, you won't grow hair on your chest."
Etymology: rug rat, rant
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COMMENTS:
Fortunately I ate my crusts. Great word! - Scrumpy, 2007-09-28: 07:46:00
scarent's a good word too - Jabberwocky, 2007-09-28: 15:16:00
Great word. - OZZIEBOB, 2007-09-30: 18:04:00
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Propagationganda
Created by: MrDave2176
Pronunciation: prop-uh-GEY-shuhn-gan-da
Sentence: Despite all of my mother's propagationganda my eyes never did "stick that way".
Etymology: Propagation:to breed + (propa)ganda : to disseminate information (or rumors)
Improverbs
Created by: rikboyee
Pronunciation: im-prov-erbz
Sentence: my parents kept us in line with a never ending stream of improverbs
Etymology: improv, proverbs
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COMMENTS:
Evcellent! - Scrumpy, 2007-09-28: 07:42:00
Fantastic words- Just what those mischievous imps need! - OZZIEBOB, 2007-09-30: 18:02:00
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Comments:
Today's definition was suggested by remistram. Thank you remistram! ~ James
Today's definition was suggested by remistram. Thank you remistram. ~ James