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'It's all strategic positioning.'

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.

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Verboticisms

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Hyperinaction

artr

Created by: artr

Pronunciation: hīpərinakshən

Sentence: Bob works for the government. His job is subject to political whims. He has become the master of hyperinaction. He will create a flurry of activity only to reverse course and undo everything ha has just done. The bottom line is to look ever busy but to do nothing that will create waves and put his job in jeopardy.

Etymology: hyperactive (abnormally or extremely active) + inaction (lack of action where some is expected or appropriate)

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Strategery

Created by: Javeson1

Pronunciation: stra-TEE-juh-ree

Sentence: the president believes we should use strategery with this delicate situation.

Etymology: it's from an SNL skit of a debate between gore and bush... this was an SNL bushism. after all, isn't the definition of this word all the president really ever does anyway???

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COMMENTS:

by the way, who'se noticed the growing amount and variation of colors in these sketches??? - Javeson1, 2007-05-01: 20:42:00

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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)

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Seemulanting

Created by: jonobo

Pronunciation: like "simulating" but with an emphased "ANT" (yes the little insect), and "seem" and "mule" is also included - so it depends a bit on your mood how you pronounce it - but the easy way: simulanting.

Sentence: He was seemulanting the hell out of his secret new project. He was seemulanting so good, that he seemed to be a whole state of ants in one person and a hard working mule at the same time, he was not only seemulanting, he was "The Seem-Mule-Ant-Thing".

Etymology: Simulate + Seem + Mule + Ants (they always seem so busy).

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Laborge

ohwtepph

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)

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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

ohwtepph 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

petaj Ah yes, how about some ergonotics. Hadn't considered that idea. - petaj, 2007-05-02: 05:38:00

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Fantasimulabor

metrohumanx

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:

metrohumanx 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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Workplacebo

Created by: toadstool57

Pronunciation: work-plA-cE-bo

Sentence: Jill is considered the workplacebo, acting so busy the boss often comments that all his employees should use her as thier role model. She should get an oscar for her acting in the office.

Etymology: work place/placebo, as in fake

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Toiletraining

Created by: HubbMU

Pronunciation: toilet/training

Sentence: In order to avoid the gaze of his supervisor, Don decided to make time in his schedule for toiletraining.

Etymology: Toilet and training

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Scampress

Created by: Mustang

Pronunciation: skam-PRESS

Sentence: Jonathan had various ways to scampress his coworkers and supervisors by making it appear that he was not only hard at work but was performing above and beyond his experience level while actually being totally incompetent in his real job.

Etymology: Blend of the words 'scam' (a fraudulent or deceptive act or operation) and 'impress' (influence in opinion)

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Imitoil

Created by: iwasatripwire

Pronunciation: im-ih-toil

Sentence: "Tip 14: Constantly making trips to the photocopier is a great way to look busy AND get in some exercise." --from Imitoiling for Dummies

Etymology: imitate + toil

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Comments:

Verbotomy Verbotomy - 2007-05-01: 00:31:00
Today's definition was suggested by petaj.
Thank you petaj! ~ James

Verbotomy Verbotomy - 2007-05-01: 01:33:00
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

metrohumanx metrohumanx - 2008-07-17: 00:58:00
A word that NEEDS no introduction...