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.

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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| Comments and Points

Yphone

Created by: idavecook

Pronunciation: Why, fone

Sentence: "I just got the 3G yPhone, it's sleek body feels so good in my hand, and you know I'll pick up some ladies with this thing." You realize, that's just the box you're holding, right?

Etymology: Why don't I have the freakin 3G iPhone!

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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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Beautronic

Created by: abrakadeborah

Pronunciation: Bew-tron-ik

Sentence: Al was in awe of Katie's shiny new beautronic device. To his dismay...it was not something he could compute.

Etymology: Taken in part of the word Beautiful: "Beau" - The concept of beauty. Taken in part of the word Electronic- "Tronic" - Of or pertaining to electronics or to devices, circuits, or systems developed through electronics

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Newtonspire

Created by: jadenguy

Pronunciation: New - Tin - Spire

Sentence: She coughed into her sleeve as she roamed the back alleys looking for her available dumpster, one left undisturbed by the savage local gearheads; the south side seemed promising, teeming with office parks rented often to failed startups. Her next hit of Newtonspiration would come in the form of a smart-minifridge. The internet would never go want for her milk-status again!

Etymology: Apple Newton + inspire or perspire or maybe just a spire, like the holy thing on churches that doesn't really mean anything in modern Christianity (look it up).

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COMMENTS:

great story as usual jadenguy - Jabberwocky, 2007-06-04: 12:21:00

thanks! i really like to put time into carefully crafting the exact feel of my word through narrative. - jadenguy, 2007-06-04: 12:33:00

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| Comments and Points

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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| Comments and Points

Implemenigma

Created by: Clayton

Pronunciation: IM-pluh-muh-NIG-muh

Sentence: Julie must've tangled with the ecclesiastical implications of her newfound implemenigma for at least half an hour before realizing it was just a fancy-schmancy garage door opener.

Etymology: implement + enigma

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COMMENTS:

I don't think you have an appropriate appreciation for garage door openers. They are the first form of high penetration consumer electronic wireless door locking system. It's not often people trust their Buicks and belt-sanders to robots. Still, great word. - jadenguy, 2007-06-04: 11:01:00

This word makes me sound smart! - purpleartichokes, 2007-06-04: 13:29:00

Garage door openers are nature's woodchuck drawbridge mechanisms. - Clayton, 2007-06-04: 21:40:00

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| Comments and Points

Gadgerbate

Created by: Jampot

Pronunciation:

Sentence:

Etymology:

| Comments and Points

Gizmofetish

Created by: Mustang

Pronunciation: GIZ - moe - fet - ish

Sentence: Being smitten with a very passionate gizmofetish, Warren could not pass up any opportunity to fiddle with technological toys or devices and often made a complete fool of himself with his absolute lack of understanding of how they work.

Etymology: Blend of 'gizmo' (A mechanical device or part whose name is forgotten or unknown; a gadget) and 'fetish' (any object, idea, etc., eliciting unquestioning reverence, respect, or devotion)

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COMMENTS:

metrohumanx It's terrible to suffer the stigma of a thingamajig hangup. Damn those deviant doohickeys! - metrohumanx, 2008-07-25: 01:15:00

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Eieio

Created by: shutz

Pronunciation: e-i-e-i-o, as in "Old McDonald had a farm"

Sentence: He kept buying eieios, and was running out of room to keep the useless but sexy gadgets.

Etymology: Comes from the recent marketing trend of adding e- and i- previxes to otherwise ordinary names to make them hip, current and modern. Also, the "io" part vaguely relates to "input/output", which is intrinsic aspect of all electronic devices, and can also

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COMMENTS:

eieiooooo or eieioh would work as well! - purpleartichokes, 2007-06-04: 13:28:00

You got my vote for originality and creativeness! - Stevenson0, 2007-06-05: 21:43:00

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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