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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Aroamance
Created by: readerwriter
Pronunciation: uh-roh-manse
Sentence: The smell of yellowed paper created such a strong aroamance in Paige, taking her to the lands, islands, stars and planets of her childhood, that she could hardly believe it when the propriator of Moldy Oldies, her favorite book shop, found her on the floor, and told her it was closing time.
Etymology: Using AROMA, meaning odor, scent + ROAM, meaning to wander, travel + ROMANCE, meaning, among other things, flight of fancy, allure, fascination
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COMMENTS:
old books - what a lovely memory - Jabberwocky, 2009-03-23: 12:24:00
Sweet sentence, etymology and word ... for the aroamance that delights us for as long as we live and read! Delightful verbotomy! - silveryaspen, 2009-03-23: 13:31:00
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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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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.)
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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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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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
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.
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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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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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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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