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.

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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Guessmo

Created by: Rhyme79

Pronunciation: guess-moe

Sentence: To Jimmy anything with a seemingly random stream of letters and numbers after its name is a guessmo. The new iFadpad 7X37tz comes with a free firewall and is a shiny thing of beauty. But Jimmy didn't know if he could talk to his mum with it or if he was supposed to attach it to his wall and let it download the internet into his brain. Maybe it was just a fire alarm.

Etymology: A play on the word 'gizmo'. Having to guess at the function of a gadget due to a lack of technological knowledge.

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Imacguffin

Created by: Osomatic

Pronunciation: i + mac + guff + in

Sentence: I don't know what this new iMacguffin is, but I MUST HAVE ONE.

Etymology: iPhone, iPod, etc... only applied to a Macguffin.

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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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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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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

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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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Digidrivel

Created by: galwaywegian

Pronunciation: didge ee drivvle

Sentence: he spoke complete and utter digidrival in a desperate attempt to ingratiate himself with the hot new techie.

Etymology: digital drivel

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Gizjizz

Created by: bmills

Pronunciation: Giz/jizz

Sentence: "Dude, you got the new Badberry!?? That's Awesome! I think i just gizjizzed myself. "

Etymology:

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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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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