Vote for the best verboticism.

'That's cool technology! It's my deodorant.'

DEFINITION: v. To obsess over, and fantasize about electronic gadgets even though you can never figure out how they actually work. n. A beautiful but useless gadget.

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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.

Technoideum

CharlieB

Created by: CharlieB

Pronunciation: teck-no-id-e-um

Sentence: Billy's dad is so uncool. He's got an iPad and an iPhone and a Blackberry and a Twitter account, but he's never even heard of Angry Birds. He's a total technoideum.

Etymology: techno (short for technology) + no idea (clueless) + idi (incomplete form of idiot) + um (expressing hesitation)

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Hallucinnovate

petaj

Created by: petaj

Pronunciation: hal-loose-in-o-vate

Sentence: Nick the geek, had all the latest gadgets even though he couldn't use them. But his failure to master them was not enough to stop him hallucinnovating about what new gizmos would be available next week.

Etymology: hallucinate (fantasy vision) + innovation (something new, usually technological)

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Badjet

giveaphuk

Created by: giveaphuk

Pronunciation: badjet

Sentence: she was fascinated by the smooth sleek lines of the otherwise useless badjet

Etymology: badjet - a bad gadget.. something which looks nice but is otherwise useless.

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Agogatech

metrohumanx

Created by: metrohumanx

Pronunciation: uh-GOG-uh-tek

Sentence: Irascable Ira Gobler was perpetually AGOGATECH because his boys in R&D were quite prolifically producing a plethora of plastic playthings, electronic exotica, rubber replicas and extremely dangerous yet undeniably appealing appliances. Ira had no idea how they worked,nor did he care. As long as they clicked and buzzed, emanating their eerie electronic inducto-flux, he was more than satisfied- and downright dazzled. In fact, he was constantly AGOGATECH!

Etymology: AGOG-pleasantly mystified+AT+Tech(nology) Please see: http://goblertoys.com/

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COMMENTS:

Very clever. I like it! - Mustang, 2008-07-25: 07:05:00

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Contriviance

Created by: blacklotus90

Pronunciation: kun-triv-ee-ance

Sentence: That new RSS-reading toaster is nothing more than a contriviance!

Etymology: Contrivance (a device to perform a certain task) + Trivial (pointless, useless, futile)

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Yabadabadoodad

Created by: Jabberwocky

Pronunciation: ya/ba/da/ba/do/dad

Sentence: Fred kept tripping over his big flat feet every time he encountered a new yabadabadoodad.

Etymology: doodad + yabadabadoo

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COMMENTS:

like the roombstodon, the self guided vacuum pachyderm? *wop wop* it's a livin'. - jadenguy, 2007-06-04: 12:36:00

I'd make a comment about Wilma's vibraptor, but that would be sacrilege. - purpleartichokes, 2007-06-04: 13:58:00

You rock. *cough* - Osomatic, 2007-06-04: 17:34:00

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Doohickey

Created by: colapop

Pronunciation: \ˈdü-ˌhi-kē\

Sentence: Alice flashed her doohickey at Todd and he was floored. 'Wow, what is that?' he exclaimed, itching to get his hands on the device. 'No no Mister, don't you dare touch my doohickey until you've read the manual' she cooed.

Etymology: 'Doohickey' first originated in 1914, but seems fit for a revival. It derives from the word 'doodad' (gadget) + 'hickey' (love mark)

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Gizmomitty

Created by: OZZIEBOB

Pronunciation: giz-moh-MIT-ee

Sentence: Bob spent most of his day, failing to understand how to operate and use even the latest, simple electronic gadgets. But, never mind, and despite the setbacks suffered, he set his gizmomitty steadfastly on the practical applications of the "inventions" of Heath Robinson, Rube Goldberg and the japanese chindoguists.

Etymology: GIZMO: A mechanical device or part whose name is forgotten or unknown; a gadget. & MITTY: "Walter Mitty" (by James Thurber): a meek, mild man with a vivid fantasy life imagining himself a wartime pilot, etc., The character's name has come into more general use to refer to an ineffectual dreamer.

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COMMENTS:

You had me with the 'gizmo' part. - Mustang, 2008-07-25: 07:06:00

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Whatchamadooz

Created by: ErWenn

Pronunciation: /ˌʍʌtʃəməˈduz/

Sentence: My new vacuum cleaner comes with all sorts of whatchamadoozes and wherchamattachits, but the instruction manual only has very ambiguous pictures.

Etymology: From "What does it do?" in the same way that "whatchamacallit" comes from "What do you call it?"

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COMMENTS:

I think that the ambiguous, uncaptioned picture-instructions included with some whatchamadoozes would make a good verboticism. - ErWenn, 2007-06-04: 02:33:00

OK, just to be fair I'm waiting until later today to vote, but rest assured: you've got my vote. One of 'em, anyway. - Clayton, 2007-06-04: 06:27:00

Thanks both for voting and for waiting! - ErWenn, 2007-06-04: 12:08:00

I think they call those drawings Picasholes. I've used one to try to assemble what looked like a simple filing cabinet. Five months, and five friends later, it's almost together! - purpleartichokes, 2007-06-04: 15:29:00

Done and done. - Clayton, 2007-06-04: 21:41:00

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Electrowidget

Created by: texmom

Pronunciation: e lect o wid jet

Sentence: He bought the $600 red electrowidget as a gift for himself on Father's Day even though he had no clue what it was.

Etymology: electro - run by electricity widget - something non-understandable but useful.

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Comments:

Verbotomy Verbotomy - 2007-06-04: 01:33:00
Today's definition was suggested by shutz. Thank you shutz! ~ James

Verbotomy Verbotomy - 2007-06-04: 01:55:00
Read about Jabberwocky's Garden of Verbal Delights in Verbotoweek.

metrohumanx metrohumanx - 2008-07-25: 00:56:00
pronunciation: uh-GOG-uh-tek........... sentence:Poor old Ira Gobler was AGOGATECH at his designer's latest device.He was so AGOGATECH that he let the factory's flaccid finances flow into a virtual vat of vapors while he thoughtfully tinkered and tweaked the tin toys and gamboled among the gizmoes generated just beyond the grounded iron gates of the fabrication facility...Someday...he would write an operator's manual...................... etymology: Agog+at+Technology=aGOGatech!

metrohumanx metrohumanx - 2008-07-25: 01:12:00
Sometimes my "comments" seem to appear in the wrong places....if only some clever soul would invent a GIZBO to prevent that.

metrohumanx metrohumanx - 2008-07-25: 01:20:00
....my brain hurts.....

Verbotomy Verbotomy - 2009-12-29: 00:10:00
Today's definition was suggested by shutz. Thank you shutz. ~ James