Vote for the best verboticism.
DEFINITION: n. An idea that pops into your head just before you fall asleep, which is so big and brilliant, or else so dark and scary, that it keeps you awake all night long. v. To lie awake in bed with a head full of big dreams.
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.
Insomnobsession
Created by: Mustang
Pronunciation: in - som - nob - SESH - uhn
Sentence: Dewayne was experiencing yet another of his frequent bouts of insomnobsession, a plight that often befell him when his fertile imagination would trigger images of either exciting events or impending doom just at bedtime, and he knew it would be dawn before he fell asleep, if he slept at all.
Etymology: Blend of insomnia and obsession.
Thinksomnia
Created by: Nosila
Pronunciation: think som neeya
Sentence: Apparently he was too busy or preoccupied to think during his busy day, but Joe Einstein got his best ideas at night just before or after he went to sleep and ended up thinking of all the possibilies/obstructions/refinements to his ideas all night. To the point he could not get to sleep. He had thinksomnia real bad and it was only when he actually committed these ideas to paper while he was "on" that he remembered enough of them in the morning to put them in motion. But this meant turning on a light, writing for hours and keeping his wife Mona awake, too. It was not until he had another bright idea one night that she approved of his nocturnal brilliance. He invented a sleeprecorder and told it all his ideas as he got them, so that he could replay in the morning and capitalize on his great ideas!
Etymology: Think (ideas;imagine;visualize;an instance of deliberate thinking) & Insomnia (an inability to sleep; chronic sleeplessness)
Branake
Created by: Tanik
Pronunciation: BrAn-Ak
Sentence: She was up all night with a serious case of branake. She just couldn't shake the thought of Bob with Sally.
Etymology: brain + awake
Ideapnea
Created by: OZZIEBOB
Pronunciation: ahy-dee-ap-NEE-uh
Sentence: Bob, a lateral-thinking, horror film addict, was woken a thousand times nightly by his ideapnea, including frightening bouts of zedlesspookia.
Etymology: IDEA: Thought, conception, notion & APNEA: a temporary suspension of breathing, occurring during sleep (sleep apnea)often waking the sufferer hundreds of times a night. With Bob it his crazy ideas that wake him up- ask Roxie.
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COMMENTS:
Wish I'd thought of it....great word! - Mustang, 2008-06-20: 06:10:00
great - Jabberwocky, 2008-06-20: 13:06:00
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Bedspiration
Created by: mrskellyscl
Pronunciation: bed-spi-ray-shun
Sentence: Clair's bedspiration helped her to finally finish her second symphony. All she had to do was move the piano into the bedroom and move Gustav out of it since there wasn't room for both him and the piano.
Etymology: bed + bedspread + inspiration: sudden creative act or idea; stimulation of the mind or feelings to special activity or creativity
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COMMENTS:
Bedspiration can be hard on matressimony. - artr, 2009-10-26: 14:47:00
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Kawinkythink
Created by: mplsbohemian
Pronunciation: kuh-WIHNK-ee-THIHNK
Sentence: Alex's kawinkythink had him tossing and turning all night--why not a marshmallow creme and jelly sandwich?
Etymology: kawinkydink (folk etymology pronunciation of "coincidence") + wink (as in "forty winks") + think = the coincidence of trying to sleep and having a thought
Premonstermare
Created by: Bulletchewer
Pronunciation: pre-mun-stir-mayr
Sentence: Dennis Skinner's premonstermare of a plot to quietly poison and thus kill the terrifying legacy of his beloved Mrs Thatcher caused the beast to stir more than a junkie's coffee.
Etymology: From "pre-" meaning "before", "premonition" meaning "inappropriate and patronizing", "monster" meaning "Mrs Thatcher" and "mare" meaning "Mrs Thatcher/old, barely-female horse".
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COMMENTS:
Huh? premonition - inappropriate and patronizing. Some subtlety there I just can't see - maybe a Dennis Skinner quote? - petaj, 2007-04-09: 07:18:00
A dream that occurs right before PMS. - purpleartichokes, 2007-04-09: 14:50:00
Premonition doesn't fit here, hence inappropriate. The fact I explain "pre-" is patronizing. Contrived as ever. No Skinner quote, just nods at "the Beast of Bolsover", as he is affectionately known. But if you're looking for references, did you get all/any of the Zeppelin refs for my word "gallowsbeaver"? - Bulletchewer, 2007-04-09: 15:44:00
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Fortythinks
Created by: Stevenson0
Pronunciation: for/tee/th/inks
Sentence: He was restless, sleep deprived and in the state of fortythinks, filled with the brilliant ideas on how he was going to become a partner in the firm at 29 years of age.
Etymology: fortywinks + thinks
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COMMENTS:
clever - Jabberwocky, 2007-04-09: 12:16:00
Very clever indeed. - ErWenn, 2007-04-09: 22:47:00
Oh, that's so very clever. - jedijawa, 2007-04-09: 23:46:00
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Wakethought
Created by: ohwtepph
Pronunciation: /weyk-thawt/
Sentence: He stays up all night to the wakethought of murdering his wife.
Etymology: Wake + Thought
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COMMENTS:
A nice archaic-sounding word. Wakethought could be a good movie title, too. :) - ohwtepph, 2007-04-09: 23:31:00
You got the scary part.... - wordmeister, 2007-04-10: 02:50:00
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Comments:
Thank you to Dan Pink for sponsoring this week's Right-Brain Verbotomy Contest and creativity prize. ~ James
What happened last week? Read Verbotoweek! A look back at last week's wickedest words and funniest comments... Edited by "Weeklink", one of our top players who from some reason, perhaps self-preservation, prefers to remain anonymous! See: Verbotoweek in the Verbotomy Blog.
Bulletchewer - 2007-04-09: 15:52:00
Wonder if this happened to Thomas Edison. Oh, and in a related piece of propaganda, vote for Wordmeister's "Nightbulb"! PS Great (if slightly embarrassing) blog!
wordmeister - 2007-04-09: 18:04:00
Hey Bulletchewer, Thanks for the vote of support! I guess I managed to skip through my own premonstermare without getting trampled...
Bulletchewer - 2007-04-09: 18:37:00
Just wondering if anyone else is ineligible for this week's contest. Who's up for a Sir Geoffrey?
toadstool57 - 2007-04-09: 21:34:00
James - cool that you spotlighted CFLs.
Thanks toadstool57. We're just trying to create some environmentally friendly ideas. ~ James
OZZIEBOB - 2008-06-21: 19:35:00
Excellent.
Today's definition was suggested by wordmeister. Thank you wordmeister. ~ James