Vote for the best verboticism.

'It's time to find your inner cockroach'

DEFINITION: n. A person who succeeds not because of their talents, but because they just won't quit. v. To firmly believe in your talents and never give up on your goals, despite the huge obstacles, snide comments, and repeated setbacks.

Create | Read

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.

Talentenacious

artr

Created by: artr

Pronunciation: talətənāshəs

Sentence: It’s not that Jim is the best or brightest in his field. His skill is being tanentenacious. The fact that he can’t carry a tune with a flat-bed truck doesn\'t stop him from becoming a country/western singing sensation. His rugged good looks, back-up singers and technology by the truckload has gotten him far. There was that little setback last week when somebody called ASPCA to report an animal being tortured when Jim was singing in the shower, but he’ll get past that.

Etymology: talent (natural aptitude or skill) + tenacious (not readily letting go of, giving up, or separated from an object that one holds, a position, or a principle)

| Comments and Points

Persistenator

Created by: arrrteest

Pronunciation: per-sis-ten-ay-tor

Sentence: In the office, Phyllis was called the persistenator. She worked hard and despite not having quite the flashes of brilliance and withitness as many new hires. However, she always was went about her daily duties. After 3 years waiting for the promotion from mail clerk to record filing, it took her another 4 years to make it to front desk. After spending 10 years at the job, and after much turnover in the office, she was finally promoted to office manager 6 years ago. She hoped to make the jump to mid-level management soon as she just completed a correspondance course in business administration.

Etymology: persistence,the act of persisting or persevering; continuing or repeating behavior + ator, suffix indicating a person that is involved with doing what the root word is about

----------------------------
COMMENTS:

On a roll! - OZZIEBOB, 2008-05-02: 05:29:00

----------------------------

| Comments and Points

Nosensequitter

Created by: Jabberwocky

Pronunciation: no/sens/kwit/tur

Sentence: Sally's philosophy was to aspire to be a nosensequitter who would never give up even if it was an unwarranted conclusion.

Etymology: no sense + quit + non sequitur (illogical conclusion)

----------------------------
COMMENTS:

Cute word...to fatten the Latin! - Nosila, 2009-06-11: 11:00:00

great! - mweinmann, 2009-06-12: 07:47:00

----------------------------

| Comments and Points

Persistalents

artr

Created by: artr

Pronunciation: pərsistalənts

Sentence: Some people have a talent for singing, some can play a musical instrument. Joyce has none of these. What she does have is persistalents. Once she sets her mind to do something, it would take an act of Congress to change her course. Nobody is surprised that her pet-of-choice is a pit bull.

Etymology: persistence (firm or obstinate continuance in a course of action in spite of difficulty or opposition) + talents (natural aptitude or skills) sounds a bit like pestilence.

----------------------------
COMMENTS:

nice - Jabberwocky, 2009-06-11: 15:47:00

----------------------------

| Comments and Points

Sisyfittite

metrohumanx

Created by: metrohumanx

Pronunciation: SISSY-fit-ite

Sentence: She was as dumb as a bag of old hammers- But got a degree and then conquered her stammer. Entomological studies at night… Brought her success as a SISYFITTITE

Etymology: SISYphus+FIT+hitTITE=SISYFITTITE.....SISYPHUS: Sisyphus was compelled to roll a huge rock up a steep hill, but before he could reach the top of the hill, the rock would always roll back down , forcing him to begin again. The maddening nature of the punishment was reserved for Sisyphus due to his belief that his cleverness surpassed that of Zeus. He later took a correspondance course to better himself, but wound up working in a gas station......FIT: to be seemly or proper for, to be suitable for or to harmonize with; Middle English fitten to marshal troops, from or akin to Middle Dutch vitten to be suitable.....HITTITE: a member of a conquering people in Asia Minor and Syria with an empire in the second millennium b.c. Based upon excavated pottery shards, they seemed to have been preoccupied with insects and cartoon beagles, although this is often disputed.

----------------------------
COMMENTS:

metrohumanx The Wayback machine originally referred to a fictional machine from an ongoing feature of the cartoon The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show used to transport the characters Mr. Peabody and Sherman back in time. It is also used as the name for part of the Internet Archive's site. - metrohumanx, 2009-06-11: 11:43:00

DrWebsterIII I love the thorough etymology - DrWebsterIII, 2009-06-11: 14:15:00

----------------------------

| Comments and Points

Obsesstinate

Created by: Stevenson0

Pronunciation: ob/sess/stuh/nit

Sentence: Karen's obsesstinate personality drove her supervisors and managers crazy and so she was promoted quickly up the company infrastructure to get rid of her, not because of her business sense, or corporate abilities.

Etymology: some one who is totally obsessed with being obstinate - obsess (uhb-ses) - to think about something unceasingly, or persistently + obstinate (ob-stuh-nit) - inflexible persistence, or an unyielding attitude

----------------------------
COMMENTS:

Excellent word! - Mustang, 2009-06-11: 20:50:00

----------------------------

| Comments and Points

Hambition

Created by: Nosila

Pronunciation: ham bish shun

Sentence: Liza was determined to be a great actress. She starred in school productions through high school and somehow made it into acting school. Her hambition was to get into a long-running soap, but she was rejected because her acting skills were too over the top. She finally got a bit part in a movie, "Joe's Apartment", but only because she was the only actor who allowed them to put a cockroach on her nose...

Etymology: Ham (unskilled actor who overacts) & Ambition (strong drive for success)

| Comments and Points

Suckcess

Created by: mweinmann

Pronunciation: suk - sess

Sentence: George was a huge suckcess. He was not good with people, pushy, offensive and many times did not get his facts straight. Because he was out in the used car lot six days a week, twelve hours a day, rain or shine; the sheer number of people he dealt with helped assure him of the number one spot for car sales each month.

Etymology: suck (inadequate or objectionable), success

----------------------------
COMMENTS:

DrWebsterIII ex'sell'ant ! all around - DrWebsterIII, 2009-06-11: 08:51:00

----------------------------

| Comments and Points

Reluctascious

Created by: daniellegeorge

Pronunciation: Re-luk-tay-shus

Sentence: "Dwayne, it's a square peg." "YES! The corners have worn off! It fits now, in this round hole!"

Etymology: reluctant and tenacious

----------------------------
COMMENTS:

nice blend - Jabberwocky, 2008-05-01: 11:53:00

----------------------------

| Comments and Points

Nosensequitter

Created by: Jabberwocky

Pronunciation: no/sens/kwit/tur

Sentence: Sally's philosophy was to aspire to be a nosensequitter who would never give up even if it was an unwarranted conclusion.

Etymology: no sense + quit + non sequitur (illogical conclusion)

----------------------------
COMMENTS:

brilliant! - galwaywegian, 2008-05-01: 06:58:00

Great word. - OZZIEBOB, 2008-05-02: 05:28:00

----------------------------

| Comments and Points

Show All or More...

 

Comments:

Verbotomy Verbotomy - 2008-05-01: 00:01:00
Today's definition is inspired by Johnny Bunko's Career Lesson # 4: "Persistence trumps talent". See: "The Adventures of Johnny Bunko" by Dan Pink. Thanks Dan! ~ James

Verbotomy Verbotomy - 2009-06-11: 00:01:00
Today's definition is inspired by Johnny Bunko's Career Lesson # 4: "Persistence trumps talent". See: "The Adventures of Johnny Bunko" by Dan Pink. Thanks Dan! ~ James

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