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.
Filibluster
Created by: pinwheel
Pronunciation: fill/ee/blust/er
Sentence: Jemima spent the whole day working out what she would do if she won the lottery and managed to filibluster her way out of being given any new assignments.
Etymology: filibuster (using delaying tactics) + bluster (noisy bluffing)
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COMMENTS:
excellent! - Jabberwocky, 2007-05-01: 10:28:00
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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).
Faketivity
Created by: mrskellyscl
Pronunciation: fake-tiv-i-ty
Sentence: Wally was so well practiced in the art of faketivity that his pointy haired boss never knew that in 20 years he never once accomplished a single task. It was probably a good thing since Wally was so incompetent that he probably would have caused the company to go belly up if he had actually done any work. It was especially laughable that he won employee-of-the-month several times because the pointy haired boss thought he was really working hard.
Etymology: fake: having a false or misleading appearance; fraud + activity: the state of being active; energetic, lively; participate in specific pursuits (Wally is a character in the comic strip Dilbert who is always standing around holding a coffee cup, going to meetings and getting involved in conversations without ever actually working. Nevertheless he somehow always manages to stay under the pointy haired boss' radar and collect his paycheck.)
Defartmentalize
Created by: lumina
Pronunciation: dee/fart/men/tul/ize
Sentence: Josh was able to convince everyone in the office that he was on top of several projects at once. He had the ability to defartmentalize any project thrown his way. Yes, he had gotten so good at allocating everything to others on the sly, that he considered himself the Head of the Customer Service Defartment.
Etymology: Root word: Departmentalize: To organize something into departments. Phrase: fart around: To waste time.
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COMMENTS:
I think my boss is the defartment head. What should I do? - reverb, 2008-07-19: 06:42:00
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Actionpression
Created by: mana1066
Pronunciation: ack-shun-preshun
Sentence: If i didn't have a convincing actionpression, i would be layed off by now
Etymology: action + impression
Camofile
Created by: Akarroa
Pronunciation: Kam-oh-file
Sentence: Artie was achieving a high score on Tetris when he heard the sound of his boss's cheap leather shoes squeaking down the hall; a cue to camofile.
Etymology: Camoflauge, file
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COMMENTS:
Good one! - Nosila, 2009-11-17: 17:46:00
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Workillude
Created by: mercurious2001
Pronunciation: worl/il/lude
Sentence: I spent all day trying to workillude so that my boss stays happy.
Etymology: work and illusion
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)
Slackofflage
Created by: ErWenn
Pronunciation: /ˈslækəˌflɔʒ/
Sentence: The key to successful slackofflage is an untidy workspace; if your boss can identify each paper on your desk and window on your computer screen, then you've already lost.
Etymology: From "slack off" + "camouflage"
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COMMENTS:
nice. - playdohheart, 2007-05-01: 07:12:00
Thanks. - ErWenn, 2007-05-01: 09:20:00
Nice word, I tried going down the camouflage path but I couldn't come up with anything. Cheers! - Goldentongue, 2007-05-01: 10:14:00
Funny! - HubbMU, 2007-05-03: 12:52:00
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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...