Vote for the best verboticism.
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.
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.
Hacklentless
Created by: artr
Pronunciation: hak-lent-lis
Sentence: Sally is now in charge of the department, not because of any outstanding talent or even a clear understanding of what the job entails. Anybody with an ounce of skill or ambition has moved on to bigger and better things long ago. Her plodding, hacklentless approach to her work and mediocre results keeps her so far under the radar of scrutiny that she has no enemies. In fact, most people don't even know who she is after 20 years with the company. Sometimes people walk into her because they just don't notice she is there.
Etymology: Hack (a person, as an artist or writer, who exploits, for money, his or her creative ability or training in the production of dull, unimaginative, and trite work) + relentless (unyieldingly severe, strict, or harsh)
Littlengina
Created by: verbherder
Pronunciation: lit-l-en-jahy-nuh
Sentence: The blue-haired woman ringing up Slurpees for the past 38 years at the Gas 'N Sip turned out to be a littlengina. Some publisher bought the novel she was always jawing about, and now it's a best seller in several regions of Portugal.
Etymology: The little engine that could
Sisyfittite
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.
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COMMENTS:
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
I love the thorough etymology - DrWebsterIII, 2009-06-11: 14:15:00
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Nonquitidity
Created by: jakebrain69
Pronunciation: non kwitt idi tty
Sentence: " her bullish nonquitidity to accept the general acceptance was inspirational"
Etymology: determined, firm, unceasing.
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COMMENTS:
Lovely word! - OZZIEBOB, 2008-05-02: 05:39:00
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Shambition
Created by: artr
Pronunciation: shambishən
Sentence: After years of being passed over for advancement, Harry's time finally came. He was promoted to Division Director. Unfortunately the budget cuts and ensuing layoffs left him as the lone worker. In a case of shambition Harry hadn’t even applied for the position when it was vacated by his former boss.
Etymology: sham (a thing that is not what it is purported to be) + ambition (a strong desire to do or to achieve something, typically requiring determination and hard work)
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)
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COMMENTS:
Cute word...to fatten the Latin! - Nosila, 2009-06-11: 11:00:00
great! - mweinmann, 2009-06-12: 07:47:00
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Sissyfuss
Created by: galwaywegian
Pronunciation: sisss eeee fuhsss
Sentence: Mary was the complete Sissyfuss, who else would have tried to get one of the Rolling Stones to settle down on Beverly Hills?
Etymology: sissy fuss, Sisiphus
Determinedator
Created by: Tigger
Pronunciation: /di-tur-mind-ney-ter/
Sentence: As a new employee at Cyberdyne Inc., Sarah was one of those rare people who was undeterred by setbacks, or her lack of experience, and always maintained a positive outlook. Like a true determinedator, she never gave up. She was confident that someday one of the executive's desks would have her name on it, "Ms. S. Connors". Things were about to change for her — she could feel it.
Etymology: Determined - resolute; staunch; strongly motivated to succeed (from Latin, détermināre "without limits") + Terminator - a nearly indestructible robot, which will stop at nothing in order to accomplish it's mission (from the Terminator movies)
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COMMENTS:
when I first saw your word I read it as determined dater and thought you would take that route - the terminator connection is good as well - Jabberwocky, 2008-05-01: 14:36:00
Hasta La Vista, Baby...good word - Nosila, 2008-05-01: 21:21:00
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Talentenacious
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)
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)
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COMMENTS:
brilliant! - galwaywegian, 2008-05-01: 06:58:00
Great word. - OZZIEBOB, 2008-05-02: 05:28:00
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Comments:
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
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
Today's definition was suggested by johnnybunko. Thank you johnnybunko. ~ James