Vote for the best verboticism.
DEFINITION: v. To create an illusion of busyness so that your co-workers, and most importantly your boss, never realize that you have absolutely nothing to do. n. A person who pretends to be very busy.
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.
Sleightofhandyman
Created by: ziggy41
Pronunciation: slyte-ov-han-dee-man
Sentence: Watch Joe over there, his use of sleightofhandyman may make a manager think twice about giving him work, but he's been nailing that same nail for the past hour.
Etymology: Sleight of hand (trickery, deception) + handyman (a worker hired to do various jobs)
Exertsham
Created by: Stevenson0
Pronunciation: exert/sham
Sentence: The illusion of working is an age old problem and is also known as walking the dog, a government job, or exertsham.
Etymology: exertion + sham
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COMMENTS:
as long as the dog walkers don't shampoop and scoop - Jabberwocky, 2007-05-01: 10:36:00
i need someone to walk my shampoodle - rikboyee, 2007-05-01: 18:10:00
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Graftdodging
Created by: galwaywegian
Pronunciation: graft doj ing
Sentence: he was a devout graftdodger who had at least three sabbaths a week
Etymology: draft dodger, hard graft
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COMMENTS:
Good word. Dunno why nobody else has voted for it yet. - ErWenn, 2007-05-01: 22:06:00
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Dilbertification
Created by: pepperpatti
Pronunciation: dil-bur-ti-fi-kashun (after first two syllables, pronounced like identification)
Sentence: Since he started despising his job, he's been dilbertificating every day.
Etymology: origins trace back to Dilbert, a comic strip character created by Scott Adams that has since become the mascot of cubicle workers everywhere.
Accounterinsurgent
Created by: CharlieB
Pronunciation: ack-ount-er-in-serge-ant
Sentence: Ted believed in subverting the system from within by doing as little as possible. He clicked between spreadsheets while gazing into middle distance. No one knew it, but he was proud to be an accounterinsurgent.
Etymology: Accounts (money, esp in business) + counter (a desk from behind which service is given) + counterinsurgency (combating guerrilla warfare)
Laborfeign
Created by: Mustang
Pronunciation: LAY - bor - fain
Sentence: Elliot was an absolute master of laborfeign and had his boss and almost all of his office mates convinced he was struggling to achieve results while in reality he was accomplishing nothing, nor even putting forth any real effort.
Etymology: Blend of 'labor' (work), and 'feign' (to represent fictitiously; put on an appearance of)
Fantasimulabor
Created by: metrohumanx
Pronunciation: FANT-UH-SIM-YOU-LAY-BURR
Sentence: Since reading was prohibited at the library's circulation desk, everyone engaged in various degrees of FANTASIMULABOR. One portly cretin had been at it for so long that she actually believed FANTASIMULABOR would bring her academic accolades aplenty. Using smoke and mirrors, she had turned PROductivity into CONductivity. Her work ethic was so well camouflaged as to be completely undetectable, and the deception was made complete by her total lack of anything resembling a personality.
Etymology: FANTAsy+SIMUlated+LABOR
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COMMENTS:
I LOVE retirement!
Ars longa vita brevis. - metrohumanx, 2008-07-17: 00:56:00
great sentence - Jabberwocky, 2008-07-17: 14:10:00
She should read "Personality for Dummies" Terrific sentence. - OZZIEBOB, 2008-07-20: 07:15:00
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Kinetinertia
Created by: verysimplegame
Pronunciation: ki-ne-tin-er-sha
Sentence: His kinetinertia was a difficult balancing act - to remain active and involved while not actually DOING anything bordered on a science.
Etymology: Kinetics + inertia
Fauduction
Created by: zrotv
Pronunciation: fō-dŭk'shən
Sentence: no one was really doing anything productive, but when the boss came in we were all heavily engaged in fauduction, so no superiors were the wiser. (also, to fauduce, or fauducing)
Etymology: faux + production
Comments:
Today's definition was suggested by petaj.
Thank you petaj! ~ James
Congratulations to petaj for her win last week. We are offering a new Verbotomy Cup for the top player this week. And next week, we are doing theme on Cory Doctorow, and offering his newest book "Overclocked" as a prize to the top writer. See more about Cory at his blog www.craphound.com ~ James
A word that NEEDS no introduction...