Vote for the best verboticism.
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.
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.
Inflappuation
Created by: Nosila
Pronunciation: in flap u ay shun
Sentence: When he saw her pink electronic device, Kenny had an attack of inflappuation. Like a magpie obsessed with shiny things, he was attracted to all things from cyber space. So bemused was he that he failed to notice Wendy's "device" was actually her container of Secret deodorant. That is why it is strong enough for a man, but made for a woman!
Etymology: Infatuation (an object of extravagant short-lived passion) & App (short for application...a program that gives a computer instructions that provide the user with tools to accomplish a task)
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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Nonowhatitis
Created by: josje
Pronunciation: no know what it is
Sentence: nonowhatitis, is it good?
Etymology:
Electrosess
Created by: franticff
Pronunciation: e-LEK-tro-sess
Sentence: You're so electrosessed; get your own iPhone!
Etymology: electric + obsess
Utensilly
Created by: Jabberwocky
Pronunciation: you/tense/silly
Sentence: Chris had a workshop full of every utensilly ever sold on the shopping channel.
Etymology: utensil + silly
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COMMENTS:
Nice word. - OZZIEBOB, 2008-07-27: 17:46:00
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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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Gearoused
Created by: Katisms1
Pronunciation: geer-OWzed
Sentence: Despite her Luddite leanings, she became increasingly gearoused with every page turn of her Hammacher Schlemmer catalogue.
Etymology: gear + aroused
Technimpotence
Created by: evan
Pronunciation: [tek-nim-puh-tuhns]
Sentence: My father is so technimpotent, he spent over 900 dollars on a brand new DSLR camera, but doesn't know how to put the pictures on his computer!
Etymology: Technology + Impotence. Word 'impotence' chosen due to its lustful inference while properly demonstrating a lack of performance capability with regard to Technology.
Bombtronic
Created by: mweinmann
Pronunciation: bom - tron - ik
Sentence: Bernice's new bombtronic device failed miserably as a phone or as a browser either. It looked cool, sounded cool but she could not make or receive phone calls or navigate to any web sites. None of the games that came on it worked well either. She just liked to carry it around, show it off and hear all the cool ring tones.
Etymology: bomb (to fail, blow up), electronic
Whatchamashinything
Created by: artr
Pronunciation: wəchəməshīnēθing
Sentence: Ralph loves his gadgets. Though he hardly knows how to use them, he just has to have the newest whatchamashinything.
Etymology: whatchamacallit (used to refer to a person or thing whose name one cannot recall, does not know, or does not wish to specify) + shiny thing (used to express something that is distracting)
Comments:
Today's definition was suggested by shutz. Thank you shutz! ~ James
Read about Jabberwocky's Garden of Verbal Delights in Verbotoweek.
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!
Sometimes my "comments" seem to appear in the wrong places....if only some clever soul would invent a GIZBO to prevent that.
....my brain hurts.....
Today's definition was suggested by shutz. Thank you shutz. ~ James