Vote for the best verboticism.
DEFINITION: n. A wayward scent or aroma which invokes distant memories of one's childhood or younger days. v. To be suddenly catapulted into the past by a very strong odor.
Verboticisms
Click on each verboticism to read the sentences created by the Verbotomy writers, and to see your voting options...
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Smelementary
Created by: artr
Pronunciation: smel-uh-men-tree
Sentence: When Larry watched his grandchildren for the weekend they had a great time doing an art project together. As he caught a whiff of crayons and white paste he had a true smelementary moment.
Etymology: smell (to perceive something by its odor or scent) + elementary (of or pertaining to an elementary school)
Reminessence
Created by: Nosila
Pronunciation: rem in ess sens
Sentence: Howard was completing the Circle of Life. He had started out as a baby, grew through childhood to adulthood and now as a senior was regressing back to needing the care one gives an infant. His wife Margery tended his needs and the odors of caring for another human took her back to her own child-rearing years: the feedings, the changings, the bathing and looking after an increasingly helpless person. Sometimes the scent of adult diapers were reminessence of those she had put on her own children. The scent took her back to a time when she and Howard had worked hard and enjoyed the rewards of a growing family. Who says you cannot go back again? Margery did it every day now...
Etymology: Reminiscence (a mental impression retained and recalled from the past;the process of remembering (especially the process of recovering information by mental effort) & Essence (a toiletry that emits and diffuses a fragrant odor)
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COMMENTS:
like it - galwaywegian, 2009-03-23: 11:07:00
You have captured that cradle-to-the-grave, circle of life, with reminissence. Powerful word! - silveryaspen, 2009-03-23: 13:47:00
Your word is beautiful - I didn't realize mine starts the same way (remin. from reminisce/reminiscence). - splendiction, 2009-03-23: 16:43:00
Captured perfectly! - kateinkorea, 2009-03-23: 23:34:00
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Smemories
Created by: artr
Pronunciation: smem(ə)rēz
Sentence: While Bubba was touring the Everglades, somebody popped the top on a can of Red, White & Blue. Suddenly the smemmories flooded back. The combination of the fragrance of brackish water and cheap beer was almost too much for him. The mere thought of using kids as gator bait still makes him shudder. As bad as it is for him, it’s double for his buddy Lefty.
Etymology: smell (an odor or scent) + memories (something remembered from the past; a recollection)
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COMMENTS:
very funny - mrskellyscl, 2010-10-05: 06:18:00
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Olefactory
Created by: Banky
Pronunciation: /ohl-fak-torr-ee/
Sentence: Ron's nose smelled heated metal and stinging welled in his eyes. The punch had landed squarely on the bridge of his nose, and had trigged an olefactory reaction. He remembered the first time his stepdad had hit him. The terror as he grabbed him by the back of the shirt, the smell of red iron, a mouth full of blood, and his stepfather writhing and clawing at the side of his own head. He snapped out of the memory with a mouth full of salt and rubber, and there lay the mugger doubled much the way John was, years ago. He spat, and the ear landed askew on the ground, like a fallen leaf.
Etymology: ole - colloquial version of "old"; olfactory - relating to the sense of smell
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COMMENTS:
pretty graphic but a terrific word - Jabberwocky, 2009-03-23: 12:28:00
Your sentence ranks right up there with the best of Steven King! - silveryaspen, 2009-03-23: 13:41:00
Really good word and terrific sentence. - kateinkorea, 2009-03-23: 23:29:00
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Scentimental
Created by: silveryaspen
Pronunciation: scent eh meant all
Sentence: It does not matter from what corner of his mind, the now elderly Jack Horner, could always find, through out all time, be it from adolescent to his old-age prescent, the fragrance of cinnamon in bread pudding or plum pie, was indelibly etched, from his memory fetched, making his thumb twitch, and with a scentimental sigh, recapture the feeling of "What a good boy am I!"
Etymology: SCENT - a nice smell. SENTIMENTAL - tender feelings of nostalgia, tender feelings when thinking of the past. ///// For people whose first langauge is not English, or those so young they may not have heard of Jack Horner, here's his original nursery rhyme: Little Jack Horner sat in the corner, eating his pudding and pie. He stuck in his thumb, and pulled out a plum and said "What a good boy am I!"
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COMMENTS:
Song of the day: Scentimental Journey! - silveryaspen, 2009-03-23: 01:26:00
You're making me want some bread pudding!!! Mmmm Good word there Silveryaspen! :) - abrakadeborah, 2009-03-23: 06:18:00
Awesome word. - kateinkorea, 2009-03-23: 11:06:00
exsmellent! - galwaywegian, 2009-03-23: 11:06:00
yummy - Jabberwocky, 2009-03-23: 12:26:00
clever story corner... - mweinmann, 2009-03-23: 15:22:00
Now I want some bread pudding just like grandma used to make. - Mustang, 2009-03-23: 23:10:00
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Reminiscent
Created by: Negatrev
Pronunciation: rem-uh-nis-uhnt
Sentence: The bakery made bob reminiscent over his mothers baking as a child.
Etymology: reminiscent(awakening memories of something similar; suggestive (usually followed by of ): His style of writing is reminiscent of Melville's.) AND scent (to perceive or recognize by or as if by the sense of smell: to scent trouble.)
Oldsmeller
Created by: mweinmann
Pronunciation: old + smell + lur
Sentence: Yes, everytime I smell corn, I am reminded of the night Old Smeller and I slept in the cornfield waiting to catch the racoons; and the smell of hay reminds me of the time he helped bring the newly birthed calf home from the field. Sadly, when I smell pork, I remember how we were bitten by Feral Hogs. Finally, The smell of gunshot brings tears as I recall how Old Smeller got rabies from a Grey Wolf and my dad had to shoot him....
Etymology: Old - Smell - Old Yeller>> How certain odors would remind Travis of Old Yeller or Old Smeller.....
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COMMENTS:
humorous word & LOL sentences - "...bitten by Feral Hogs."!-must smell nasty - splendiction, 2009-03-23: 21:30:00
humorous word & LOL sentences - "...bitten by Feral Hogs."!-must smell nasty. Poor Oldsmeller. - splendiction, 2009-03-23: 21:32:00
Great word and Old Yeller sure brings back memories...7 of us in our family packed into the station wagon to go see the movie at the drive-in...at the end only My Dad and I were awake to see the sad ending and I cried all the way home! - Nosila, 2009-03-23: 23:03:00
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Nostrilgia
Created by: BoltonAlan
Pronunciation:
Sentence:
Etymology:
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COMMENTS:
excellent - galwaywegian, 2010-10-05: 04:36:00
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Mnaromonic
Created by: kateinkorea
Pronunciation: NARE oh MON ic
Sentence: When Sally was a child she was locked in a room and nobody could find the key. She had knocked over a bottle of ammonia and the smell took over the room. She cried for hours until finally they were able to break down the door. To this day ammonia causes a mnaromonic reaction in her.
Etymology: MNEMONIC + AROMA MNEMONIC: a word, sentence, poem, etc. that helps you to remember something AROMA: a smell
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COMMENTS:
using mnemonic to show that smells, like letters, can trigger memory was very clever! - silveryaspen, 2009-03-23: 13:34:00
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Reministench
Created by: splendiction
Pronunciation: re min i stench
Sentence: The acrid air wafting from the recycling bin reministenched Tony of the time the offensive odor of his brother's...Tony fled the funky room to awaken his parents. Presently Tony, clutching his stomach, reconsidered that his class recycle empty food containers. Suddenly one of Tony’s students announced: “Mr. N., Kitana left something in the recycling bin during art class. She ate some of the wall paper paste.”
Etymology: Reminisce (recall and think about a memory) and stench (bad or pungent odor): to smell a familiar odor and be reminded of the events surrounding the odor.
Comments:
Today's definition was suggested by metrohumanx. Thank you metrohumanx. ~ James
silveryaspen - 2009-03-23: 14:34:00
The score details are a great enhancement and have helped me understand them. Thank you!
Wow! This phenomenon seems to be more widespread than i thought! Apparently it's one of our more primal instincts.
RE: Score Details. I am still looking for a bug where it fails to add some votes to our weekly totals. Hopefully the score details page will help us find it. ~ James
Today's definition was suggested by metrohumanx. Thank you metrohumanx. ~ James