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.

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

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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Nonowhatitis

Created by: josje

Pronunciation: no know what it is

Sentence: nonowhatitis, is it good?

Etymology:

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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

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Gadgedweeb

Created by: serendipity9000

Pronunciation: ga-dja-dw-ee-b

Sentence: He was always buying the latest pretty gadgets but never could get them to work - he is such a gadgedweeb!

Etymology: Gadge (from gadget) + dweeb (a person regarded as socially inept or foolish)

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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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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

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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Whatchamacovet

mrskellyscl

Created by: mrskellyscl

Pronunciation: wha-tcha-ma-cov-it

Sentence: Jim watchamacoveted the new marvelous toy that his neighbor's son got for Christmas. "A wonder to behold, it was, with many colors bright. And the moment he laid eyes on it, it became his heart's delight. It went 'zip' when it moved and 'bop' when it stopped and 'whirr' when it stood still. He never knew just what it was, and I guess he never will".

Etymology: whatchamacallit: something whose name is unknown or forgotten; a widget, gadget, gizmo, doodad, thingamajig or doohickey + covet: blameworthy desire for another's stuff; wish for longingly. "The Marvelous Toy" (apologies to Tom Paxton)was a song sung by Peter, Paul and Mary (RIP) about a mystical toy, handed down from father to son, that had no name, no purpose, but seemed to have magical powers to amuse and delight the recipient.

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COMMENTS:

Good blend...I remember that old song! - Nosila, 2009-12-30: 01:53:00

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Ifrenzy

Created by: ellboogie

Pronunciation: I-fren-zee

Sentence: Vickie was all in an ifrenzy about the new v16.327 64 ziggybyte Waystahdoe going on sale for $995 at the Peachy Computers store. Bobby couldn't wait to replace his old ifrenzy that she bought three weeks ago.

Etymology:

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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