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.

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 + obstinate (tenaciously unwilling to yield)

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

Good one. - Mustang, 2008-05-01: 22:06:00

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

| 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

Blondfidence

DrWebsterIII

Created by: DrWebsterIII

Pronunciation: bland' fidens

Sentence: It was Stephanie's blondfidence that allowed her to achieve everything, not her genius.

Etymology: blonde + confidence = blondfidence blond (slang. simple minded, foolish confidence (conviction, faith, belief)

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

mrskellyscl Hey! I represent that! - mrskellyscl, 2009-06-11: 07:24:00

DrWebsterIII I'm a hair stylist & Legally Blonde is one of my favorites - DrWebsterIII, 2009-06-11: 08:48:00

hyperborean Fierce! - hyperborean, 2009-06-11: 10:52:00

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

| Comments and Points

Purseverance

Created by: Nosila

Pronunciation: poor sev eer ans

Sentence: When jockey/owner Cher Bett entered her horse, Mane Chance, in the biggest cup competition of the racing season, she had to overcome a lot of obstacles. Being a woman owner/jockey was a major issue in the male dominated sport. Getting backers, paying trainers, vets and stable staff were major financial considerations for the not-rich Cher. But after all her purseverance, she not only ran in the race, but won it at 20-to-1 odds. She won so much, she can afford to hire jockeys now and has become a legend in race circles!

Etymology: Purse (a sum of money offered as a prize) & Perseverance (persistance; tenacity)

| Comments and Points

Dogkarmatic

Created by: Mustang

Pronunciation: dog-kar-mat-ick

Sentence: Helen is a dedicated dogkarmatic, convinced that if she holds on to and practices the principles of hard work that in the end she will be greatly rewarded for her persistence and hard work, though some of her friends are convinced that her karma will eventually run over her dogma.

Etymology: Blend of 'dogma' (something held as an established opinion; especially : a definite authoritative tenet) and 'karma' ( the force generated by a person's actions held in Hinduism and Buddhism to perpetuate transmigration and in its ethical consequences to determine the nature of the person's next existence)

| Comments and Points

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

| 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

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)

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

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

| Comments and Points

Shambition

artr

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)

| Comments and Points

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

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