Vote for the best verboticism.
DEFINITION: n., An expressive gesture made with the belief that the person it is directed at cannot see it, typically occurs during telephone conversations, email discourses, and behind people's backs. v. To use an unseen gesture to express what you cannot say.
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.
Gesturot
Created by: purpleman
Pronunciation: gest/ter/ot
Sentence: this is usually on fone
Etymology: Gesture+not
Shomotion
Created by: Nosila
Pronunciation: sho mo shun
Sentence: When their boss called on a conference call from Honolulu with one of his hare-brained ideas, the office staff did their shomotion repertoire to indicate their disapproval. It worked fine until the boss installed Skype...
Etymology: Show (a public exhibition;expression)& Motion (gesture;non-verbal communcation)
Stealthcontempt
Created by: mrskellyscl
Pronunciation: stealth-con-tempt
Sentence: Eighth grade teachers feel a certain amount of stealthcontempt every time they turn their backs to their class. Girls giggle, pencils get dropped and a new generation of class clowns begin honing their skills at the teacher's expense. The young comics eventually learn, though, that the teacher really does have eyes in the back of her head, knows every trick in the book, and is not amused. The fledgling jesters are doomed to spend many long hours of their young lives doing long division problems and cleaning erasers.
Etymology: wordplay on self-contempt: to consider oneself as inferior; to mock or deride oneself -- stealth: an action done covertly or in secret + contempt: scorn, disrespect, open dislike; to be considered as inferior
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COMMENTS:
and later comes stealthloathing. - artr, 2010-04-16: 11:16:00
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Rearaction
Created by: TJayzz
Pronunciation: Ree-er-act-shun
Sentence: Norman was completely oblivious to the rearaction that was going on behind his back when he expressed his ideas for the new office decor. Everyone sounded like they were full of praise and approval whilst their hidden gestures told a very different story.
Etymology: Rear(at the back, behind) ORIGIN Old French rere from Latin retro 'back' + Action(a thing done) = Rearaction
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COMMENTS:
Sounds almost kinky...works though. - Mustang, 2008-11-19: 07:58:00
Great word- has slightly militaristic favour, also. - metrohumanx, 2008-11-21: 08:32:00
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Clandesderide
Created by: metrohumanx
Pronunciation: clan-DESS-de-ride (clandesderision)
Sentence: Whether it be an inane administrative voicemail, an idiotic conference call or just a monotonous moronic powerpoint presentation in a semi-darkened meeting, The Gang of Three would always CLANDESDERIDE every harebrained suggestion, pretentious "vision statement" or ill-conceived initiative that our overpaid executives would concoct in an attempt to be more "proactive" in running the company into the ground. One-way memos pathetically posted were as dead as the mimeograph machine, and the creativity generated by the phenomena of "hands-on" interactive micromanagement usually took the form of mysterious holy gestures, usually obscene...but always entertaining. The art of CLANDESDERISION will flourish until the advent of video teleconferencing and the ubiquitous webcam results in the tragic extinction of our sarcastic native species.
Etymology: CLANDEStine+DERIDE=CLANDESDERIDE..... CLANDESTINE:marked by, held in, or conducted with secrecy;Middle French or Latin; Middle French clandestin, from Latin clandestinus, from clam secretly; akin to Latin celare to hide...DERIDE:to subject to usually bitter or contemptuous ridicule,to laugh at contemptuously;Latin deridēre, from de- + ridēre to laugh. :)
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COMMENTS:
No respect?
http://www.rodney.com/rodney/home/home.asp - metrohumanx, 2008-11-19: 20:36:00
much respect - DaddyNewt, 2008-11-21: 23:33:00
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Handygraphed
Created by: silveryaspen
Pronunciation: han dee graff t
Sentence: Larry considered himself quite the lothario. He used clandesigns (clandestine signs) to signal other men in the area, to indicate what he thought of any woman near him, and how he rated them. He was pretty handy-dandy at sly signs. You could see, or say, he perfected the art of handygraphed!
Etymology: Interplay of the words of hand and graphed along with a pun on the word handicraft. Handy - skillful with the hands. Graphed - represented with signs. Handicraft - anything made with manual skills also known as hand skills.
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COMMENTS:
welcome back - Jabberwocky, 2008-11-19: 13:28:00
And so say all of us. Nice word. - OZZIEBOB, 2008-11-19: 16:47:00
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Slymutecue
Created by: OZZIEBOB
Pronunciation: SLAHY-mew-TEE-kyoo
Sentence: Sick of glibogusity and forsaking the immense sense of self-satisfaction he gained from omnibouchelating, Bob, from a side window, hoped that his miensavvy, combined with his subtle slymutecues, would convince the members of the selection panel that he - not the present applicant, a onetime slykick - was the right man for the job.
Etymology: Blend of SLY: stealthy, insidious, or secret ; MUTE: silent; refraining from speech or utterance & CUE: a hint; intimation; guiding suggestion.
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COMMENTS:
ooh - nice - Jabberwocky, 2008-11-19: 13:27:00
Nice triple header! - metrohumanx, 2008-11-19: 20:10:00
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Hexpression
Created by: Banky
Pronunciation: hecks-press-shun
Sentence: While the caller would blather on about savings on international calls of up to 1.3% over other hucksters, Dana would focus on contorting her face into her telemarketer hexpression, which she was convinced would visit bowel cancer upon these rude troglodytes.
Etymology: hex - a curse or malicious spell, expression - a visual depiction of mood or sentiment
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COMMENTS:
very funny - I'll have to try that some time - Jabberwocky, 2008-01-28: 10:54:00
Great idea! Terrific word! - silveryaspen, 2008-01-28: 11:40:00
Haha. Your sentence was LOL-funny! - Tigger, 2008-01-28: 12:09:00
Great word and sentence! - OZZIEBOB, 2008-01-28: 16:48:00
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Gesticuemock
Created by: Mustang
Pronunciation: jess-TIK-yew-mawk
Sentence: Rupert hated his boss and when talking to him by phone he would gesticuemock the boss with exaggerated and often obscene hand signals and gestures.
Etymology: Blend of 'gesticulate' (to express by gesturing) and 'mock' (a contemptuous or derisive imitative action or speech; mockery or derision)
Pantosign
Created by: Nosila
Pronunciation: pan to sine
Sentence: Harvey's banal suggestions were always met with the usual pantosigns by his supportive employees.
Etymology: pantomime (using gestures, not words) & sign (gesture, motion)
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COMMENTS:
Excellent! - silveryaspen, 2008-02-06: 17:57:00
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Comments:
Today's definition was suggested by ErWenn. Thank you ErWenn. ~ James
Maxine - 2008-01-28: 08:57:00
This is a really great cartoon!
Thanks Maxine! ~ James
I love the guy making a grab at himself - made me laugh out loud.
silveryaspen - 2008-01-28: 13:16:00
Fun definition, Erwenn. Your cartoon was uproariously funny, James. All the creations were a hoot,great job verbotomists!
ErWenn's definitions always always seem to generate a good laugh. See: Let me hold the door for you... Thanks! ~ James
silveryaspen - 2008-11-20: 08:25:00
Missed you all. Nice to be back.
Today's definition was suggested by ErWenn. Thank you ErWenn. ~ James