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...
You have two votes. Click on the words to read the details, then vote your favorite.
Melancholfactory
Created by: kalex
Pronunciation: Me-lin-kol-fa-k-ter-eee
Sentence: The smell had a melancholfactory essence, subtly reminding me of years before, when Jack and I had also caught ourselves on fire. Burnt flesh! That brings it all back!
Etymology: melancholy-a forlorn feeling sometimes associated with nostalgia olfactory-having to do with or of the sense of smell, odor
Remimisscents
Created by: mrskellyscl
Pronunciation: rem-i-miss-scents
Sentence: The sweet fragrance of sticky buns and coffee propelled Sue into remimisscents of a childhood spent with her grandmother, whose baking prowess was legendary. She yearned for those happy, carefree days when she could eat as many sweet treats as she wanted to without gaining an ounce. She missed Grandma, too.
Etymology: reminiscence: an experience or event recollected; an event that brings to mind a similar, former event + miss: to long for + scents: aroma; fragrance
Scentiment
Created by: Nosila
Pronunciation: sent i ment
Sentence: When old John was lying in the hospital he kept smelling the aroma of roses. It raised in him the scentiment of his Mama and the perfume she wore when he was young. It was not until he recovered from his surgery that realized it was the smell from the soapy water they used to mop the floor with each day.
Etymology: Scent (aroma, smell) & Sentiment (tender or romantic feeling or emotion)
Yesterwhiff
Created by: remistram
Pronunciation: yess-ter-wiff
Sentence: Whenever she ate at the local diner the yesterwhiff of bacon & eggs aroma made her smile.
Etymology: yesterday + whiff
Retrostench
Created by: mrskellyscl
Pronunciation: re-tro-stench
Sentence: Wandering through the empty bingo hall, Jean soon became aware of a retrostench that was clearly that of an old lady marinated in Lilly of the Valley toilet water perfume. "It couldn't be," she thought, "Grandma's been dead for 20 years."
Etymology: Retro--involving, relating to or reminicent of things past Stench--an offensive smell or odor
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COMMENTS:
super word - Jabberwocky, 2009-03-23: 12:25:00
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Nosetalgia
Created by: artr
Pronunciation: nōstaljə
Sentence: Charlie went out for a walk. As he approached a patch of woods he caught the unmistakable scent of skunk. In a case of nosestalgia, he flashed back to his first encounter with one of these odoriferous creatures. It was quite a shock for a puppy to think that something he saw as a possible playmate would do something so rude. His current walk quickly took a new direction.
Etymology: nose (the sense of smell, esp. a dog's ability to track something by its scent) + nostalgia (a sentimental longing or wistful affection for the past)
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COMMENTS:
terrific - Jabberwocky, 2009-03-23: 12:24:00
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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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Whiffersnapper
Created by: petaj
Pronunciation: wiff-a-snap-a
Sentence: Mmmm! there's something about the whiffersnapper of packaging materials, that takes me right back to the Christmas parcel Grandma used to send us half way around the world.
Etymology: whiff (scent) + whippersnaper (youth)
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COMMENTS:
love it! - Jabberwocky, 2009-03-23: 12:30:00
Whiffersnapper conjures up the crackle of the enlightening smell in the air! Wheffervescent! - silveryaspen, 2009-03-23: 14:02:00
Enjoyed it...whiff love! - Nosila, 2009-03-23: 23:05:00
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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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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