Vote for the best verboticism.
DEFINITION: n. A clever remark, especially a "comeback line" to an insult, which does not come to mind until it is too late to be delivered; often leads to the gnashing of teeth. v. To think of something clever after it's too late.
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.
Latealine
Created by: Dolraith
Pronunciation: Late-a-line
Sentence: The next day I had a latealine to her remark...
Etymology:
Hindsightjibe
Created by: Nosila
Pronunciation: hynde syte jybe
Sentence: Drew was famous for his hindsightjibes. When that snotty drag queen walked passed him and told Drew his fly was down (well, she actually said that he had left the garage door open on his dinky car)...he got tongue-tied and froze up(and not just because he had left that door open). Upon reflection, he should have yelled at her that the back of her dress was tucked into the top of her panty hose and a big long piece of arsewipe was stuck to the heel of her stilettos. But then he thought that he would just leave it to cleavage...
Etymology: Hindsight (understanding the nature of an event after it has happened) & Jibe (an aggressive remark directed at a person like a missile and intended to have a telling effect)
Substingstuff
Created by: ajcor
Pronunciation: substingstuff
Sentence: she devastated him with her oneliner about his mono brow but this time he was ready for the cruel witticism and was able to substingstuff right back at her.
Etymology: subsequent to+clever, smart, sting+remark,statement,content,stuff.
Lateslate
Created by: Discoveria
Pronunciation: layte-slayte
Sentence: My lateslate "No, your mother's a gas-guzzling user-unfriendly air polluter!" came to me only three minutes later - when the damage had already been dished out.
Etymology: Late + slate (to insult)
Repartardy
Created by: mrskellyscl
Pronunciation: re-par-tar-dy
Sentence: Mike could only deliver brilliant repartardy to his mirror long after his guests had gone. He longed to be quick and witty; however, he was tongue-tied while he was being verbally filleted by his friends' good natured bantering. As the Japanese proverb says: "He had many knives -- none of them sharp."
Etymology: repartee: swift, witty reply; a conversation marked with the exchange of witty retorts + tardy: arrive or occur after the expected time
----------------------------
COMMENTS:
:) - galwaywegian, 2009-10-20: 12:47:00
Cutting and pointed! - Nosila, 2009-10-21: 01:25:00
----------------------------
Wittischism
Created by: pinwheel
Pronunciation: wit/i/skiz/um
Sentence: John's wittischism was particularly acute as he replayed the argument in his mind three hours after the event.
Etymology: witticism (a clever remark) + schism (a division or break - in this case the break between the desire to retort and the actual thinking of the retort.
----------------------------
COMMENTS:
a clever cut... - ajcor, 2007-04-03: 18:00:00
----------------------------
Rejoinduh
Created by: CharlieB
Pronunciation: re-join-der
Sentence: Bill's witty riposte to his annoying colleagues came too late. He'd fallen into the humiliating trap of failing to think of a witticism, only a rejoinduh.
Etymology: rejoinder (a reply, a riposte) + uh! (an exclamation used to indicate doubt or hesitation)
Parrysoundbite
Created by: Jabberwocky
Pronunciation: pary/sownd/byte
Sentence: Barry needed dental surgery after his latest parrysoundbite which of course went unheard
Etymology: parry (retort) + Parry Sound (Ontario town) + sound bite (hence gnashing of teeth)
Gigglelag
Created by: Sed8ed
Pronunciation: gig-el-lag
Sentence: Gigglelag was a familiar state of affairs for Mark, who always found himself tongue-tied (?) until well after the argument was over.
Etymology: giggle + lag = gigglelag
Comments:
Today's definition was suggested by mplsbohemian.
Thank you mplsbohemian! ~ James
mplsbohemian - 2007-04-03: 11:13:00
Thanks for using the definition! I specifically chose it because the French expression for this is notoriously difficult to succinctly translate into English. Perhaps you guys can help! Peace Clint
Ah oui, "l'ésprit de l'escalier"... Merci pour la suggestion, mplsbohemian ~ James
Today's definition was suggested by mplsbohemian. Thank you mplsbohemian. ~ James