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.
Exaggerisk
Created by: mweinmann
Pronunciation: ex - aj - ur - isk
Sentence: Shelly tended to exaggerisk when she talked to her boys about the dangers lurking in the neighborhood. She was a bit paranoid after seeing the movie about vampires infiltrating rural towns where they might go unnoticed.
Etymology: exaggerate, risk
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COMMENTS:
Mom is just making sure her kids are exaggeready. - artr, 2010-01-20: 12:31:00
There's a New Moon at Twilight! - Nosila, 2010-01-20: 19:23:00
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Guidunce
Created by: remistram
Pronunciation: ghy-duhns
Sentence: "Do as I say, not as I do" was the most important guidunce her Mum ever gave her.
Etymology: guidance + dunce
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COMMENTS:
great word - Jabberwocky, 2007-09-28: 12:06:00
Great Word! Accurate sentence in a lot of cases! - Scrumpy, 2007-09-28: 13:22:00
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Lieperbole
Created by: artr
Pronunciation: līpərbəlē
Sentence: ”If you make a face, it could get stuck that way”, ”Behave because Santa is watching”, ”This is for your own good”. Many parents use lieperbole to keep their children in line.
Etymology: lie (an intentionally false statement) + hyperbole (exaggerated statements or claims not meant to be taken literally)
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COMMENTS:
Very nice. For the win, in my opinion. - mchristof, 2011-06-12: 23:50:00
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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:)
Dominprations
Created by: readerwriter
Pronunciation: DOM-in-pray-shuns
Sentence: Mother Hen, like most parental units, was given to dominprations whenever she got the chance, so worried was she that Little Clucky wouldn't make it to 12 weeks, his age of personal acountability. But, what did L.C. know--he was an adolescent and a major risk taker.
Etymology: From dominate, Latin domis, to exert supreme control + prate, idle chatter
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
Lorewarning
Created by: Jabberwocky
Pronunciation: lor/war/ning
Sentence: Lorewarning is the practice of raising children by indoctrinating them with urban legends.
Etymology: lore (myths, folklore) + forewarning
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COMMENTS:
Alligators in the sewers? - metrohumanx, 2008-08-29: 06:06:00
Witches eat little kids who don't go to bed on time? - lumina, 2008-08-29: 15:33:00
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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)
Scarefication
Created by: artr
Pronunciation: skair-uh-fi-key-shuhn
Sentence: Mother hen believes in the use of scarefication to keep her chicks in line. A little lie here, an exaggeration there, all pecked into their little psyches until they are afraid to do anything wrong.
Etymology: scare (to fill, especially suddenly, with fear or terror; frighten; alarm) Scarification (scratching, etching, burning/branding, or superficially cutting designs, pictures, or words into the skin as a permanent body modification)
Chickshtick
Created by: mweinmann
Pronunciation: chik - shtik
Sentence: Samancluck warned her little one to not peep too loud or her eyes would bug out.... It was just more of her chickshtick, designed to get her little one to behave.
Etymology: Chick (baby chicken) + Schtick (gimmick)
Comments:
Today's definition was suggested by remistram. Thank you remistram! ~ James
Today's definition was suggested by remistram. Thank you remistram. ~ James