Vote for the best verboticism.
DEFINITION: v., To read a person's face and interpret what they are actually thinking, even if they are trying to conceal their true feelings. n., The skill of reading people's faces, especially micro-expressions.
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.
Countenanvoyance
Created by: Nosila
Pronunciation: kown ten an voy ants
Sentence: E.S. Peer was a man gifted in countenanvoyance. He was a human lie detector and could soon sort out people's real agendas. This skill afforded him the ability to get very prestigious jobs and make himself invaluable to employers. Asked how he did it, E.S. said, "Eye can look into your face and eye nose what you are thinking. Under your make-up, eye can attest to your real make-up. You cannot brow beat me or make me en-visage something not there. Eye can tell when you mouthing something else and giving me cheek. Face it, eye can read you like a book!"
Etymology: Countenance (the Human face) & Clairvoyance (apparent power to perceive things that are not present to the senses)
Mugnacious
Created by: artr
Pronunciation: məgnāshəs
Sentence: The more Jason sat in the traffic jam the more mugnacious he became. Nobody had any trouble telling how he felt.
Etymology: mug (face) + pugnacious (having the appearance of a willing fighter)
Deciphacade
Created by: thegoatisbad
Pronunciation: de-si-fa-sod
Sentence: Kimberly was not an excellent deciphaçader, which further complicated her ability to communicate with anybody on her vacation to the newest Sandals resort in Bilbao.
Etymology: decipher (decode, interpret meaning) + façade (building's front)
Tellepathy
Created by: MrDave2176
Pronunciation: tel-EHP-ath-ee
Sentence: Maria's tellepathy was uncanny. She correctly read the disappointment on her son's face at his bag lunch options, and picked up on her husband's stress at his upcoming meeting. She tossed a candy bar into her son's lunch and spent a few extra seconds hugging her husband at the door to make things smoother.
Etymology: tell (the small nuances of behavior that poker players read in games) + (tel)epathy
Visageonary
Created by: Nosila
Pronunciation: vis aj on ar ee
Sentence: Sandra could read Mike's face like a book. She knew him so well now, thast he knew better than to try and lie to him. Yes, she was a visageonary, but too bad Mike was not. He was the last to find out when she ran off with his best friend, Pete...because she had been able to read the signals Pete was sending her!
Etymology: Visage (the appearance conveyed by a person's face) & Visionary (a person with unusual powers of foresight)
Visagenary
Created by: Nosila
Pronunciation: viz ah jen ari
Sentence: Victor had visagenary skills. His ability to tell whether or not a person was lying was legendary. This skill had stood him well through his life and was very handy when dealing with the children he taught in school. He taught them that the truth was their only option, because you could never tell who had this power besides him. It helped while dating (her lips were smiling but her eyes weren't...) And he could have been a human lie detector for the CIA or FBI or the police. Victor figured as long as he had the gift, he might as well earn some money with it. That's when he started on the Celebrity Poker circuit and won millions with his visagenary talents!
Etymology: Visage (the human face; the appearance conveyed by a person's face) & Visionary (a person with unusual powers of foresight,seeing ahead; knowing in advance; foreseeing)
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COMMENTS:
great word - Jabberwocky, 2008-10-16: 15:52:00
Excellent! - Mustang, 2008-10-16: 19:34:00
First-rate word, that. - metrohumanx, 2008-10-17: 07:47:00
Terrific - OZZIEBOB, 2008-10-19: 00:31:00
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Facesper
Created by: zxvasdf
Pronunciation: Faces per
Sentence: She would sit in the middle of pedestrian traffic and be engulfed in emotion, her delicate talent facespering strains of thoughts from the expressions of strangers that streamed past her like writhing eels in a current. A facesper like her had a tendency towards a delicacy in bone structure and diminutiveness in size, as if the swell of emotion splayed on the faces of the world caused the body to shrink inwards. Facesperate attempts by non-sensitives were the subject of ridicule by true facespers.
Etymology: Face (anterior part of the skull) & ESP (Extra Sensory Perception)& -er (one that has)
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COMMENTS:
I like how you incorporated the ESP into your word - Jabberwocky, 2008-10-16: 15:54:00
What a beautifully lyrical sentence. Bravo! - metrohumanx, 2008-10-17: 12:24:00
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Espivisage
Created by: purpleartichokes
Pronunciation: ESS-pee-vih-sahzh
Sentence: Sue used ESPivisage to successfully conclude that Bob wanted a burger and fries for lunch, and not the leftover tofurkey sandwich she suggested.
Etymology: ESP, visage, espionage
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COMMENTS:
Nice blend with good use of ESP! - OZZIEBOB, 2007-11-19: 16:16:00
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Ekman
Created by: CDH167
Pronunciation: eck man
Sentence: I thought I could lie with a straight face, but when I got home, my wife totally ekmanned me.
Etymology: From Paul Ekman, the psychologist who discovered microexpressions.
Obsenserate
Created by: mvandyke
Pronunciation: ob sense er ate
Sentence: Mark could easily 'obsenserate' Jeff's expression.
Etymology:
Comments:
Today's definition was suggested by aigle101. Thank you aigle101! ~ James
If you are interested in learning more about face reading and micro-expressions, check out The Naked Face. It's an article written by Malcolm Gladwell which originally appeared New Yorker magazine. ~ James
metrohumanx - 2008-10-16: 06:24:00
Clairvoyant wins lottery for second time!
Nobody ever really wants the fruit salad.:-)
Today's definition was suggested by aigle101. Thank you aigle101. ~ James