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.
Puttermucking
Created by: paperhoard
Pronunciation: putter-muck-ing
Sentence: I'm in a haiku mood today: Boss walks in the room... Puttermucking sounds elevate... Office silent chuckles...
Etymology: putter = do random, unplanned work or activities or spend time idly. muck = nonsense; worthless talk or literature; trash.
Industriouscreen
Created by: Goldentongue
Pronunciation: Ind-os-trios-creen
Sentence: My God, that Edwards sure looks busy, although I can't recall asigning him any new tasks. He is an adept industriouscreener, I wonder if industrioscreenship can be tought?
Etymology: Industrious: hard working: Screen:concealment
Simdiligence
Created by: badsnudge
Pronunciation: /sim ˈdi-lə-jən(t)s\
Sentence: The simdiligent Simon stopped sweeping to tie his tennis shoe. An hour later Simon was found still 'tying' his shoe, with his head on his knee and softly snoring.
Etymology: sim- simulated diligence- diligence
Workfake
Created by: suzanne
Pronunciation: wur-k-fayk
Sentence: John workfaked his way home early by carrying out three telephone directories wrapped in envelopes to his car. His boss opened the door for him.
Etymology: work- to labour fake - false
Laborge
Created by: ohwtepph
Pronunciation: ley - bohrj
Sentence: It is often portrayed in television that CEOs are good at laborge-- that is making it seem like they are really working. Donald Trump has nothing to say on this.
Etymology: labor + forge (to imitate fraudulently)
----------------------------
COMMENTS:
Strangely enough, forge also means, "To advance gradually but steadily", which why laborgery... Oops! Here comes my boss - wordmeister, 2007-05-01: 09:11:00
Oh, trivial! - ohwtepph, 2007-05-01: 09:41:00
Laborgery is fergery! (Since no one has gone down the "erg" path yet.) - purpleartichokes, 2007-05-01: 13:22:00
Ah yes, how about some ergonotics. Hadn't considered that idea. - petaj, 2007-05-02: 05:38:00
----------------------------
Choreshaminvention
Created by: TJayzz
Pronunciation: Chor-sham-in-vent-shun
Sentence: Charles had perfected the art of the Choreshaminvention, whereby he would spend all day at his desk looking so busy when he was actually doing nothing at all. His co-workers began to wonder how he managed to cope with the workload. In fact he was so good at it that he was thinking about writing a book and perhaps even a film script about his talent
Etymology: Chore(a routine or tedious task) ORIGIN Variant of obsolete Char or Chare + Sham (Pretence, bogus, false) ORIGIN Northern English dialect variant of SHAME. + Invention (Something invented, a false story) = Choreshaminvention
----------------------------
COMMENTS:
a film and a book?? way too much work - Jabberwocky, 2008-07-17: 14:07:00
----------------------------
Rushsemblance
Created by: catgrin
Pronunciation: ruhsh-sem-bluhns
Sentence: Jerry's definitely not my fastest worker, he never seems to hit quota, but the rushsemblance he maintains during the work week is that of a dedicated, single-minded drone.
Etymology: From "rush" (to hurry) and "semblance" (outward aspect or appearance)
Feigndustrious
Created by: mweinmann
Pronunciation: fayn - dus - tree - us
Sentence: On his good days Harold was feigndustrious as he at least pretended to be busy for most of the day. On his bad days, he sat at his desk and played solitaire with a deck of cards but no one seemed to notice but me.
Etymology: fein, industrious
----------------------------
COMMENTS:
good one - Nosila, 2009-11-17: 17:48:00
----------------------------
Shamployee
Created by: Nosila
Pronunciation: sham ploy ee
Sentence: Sam was a shamployee. He spent a lot of energy avoiding real work by pretending to be busy. He gets hundreds of calls and e-mails a day (from family, friends, telemarketers) and he has to go to endless rounds of meetings with outside contacts and on many missions to customers outside the building (movie theatres, restaurants, casinos.) Sam's not alone...there is a Sam in most companies: The Loafer in the shoe store or bakery; the Abstainer in the paint company; the Clock-Watcher in the Watch Factory; The Wool-gatherer in the sheep station; The Idler in the mechanic shop; The Slacker in the men's wear store;The Sluggard in the Garden Centre; The Lazybones at the Orthopedic Surgeon's; the Trifler in the cake shop...they are everywhere!
Etymology: Sham (something that is a counterfeit; not what it seems to be;a person who makes deceitful pretenses;make believe with the intent to deceive) & Employee (a worker who is hired to perform a job)
Shirkcrafting
Created by: jedijawa
Pronunciation: shirk-craft-ing
Sentence: Betsy has honed the skill of shirkcrafting so that she can manage to get no work done during a day with nobody being the wiser.
Etymology: shirk + crafting
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...