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'Omigod! What happened to your nose?'

DEFINITION: v. To make something worse while attempting to make it better. n. A bad improvement.

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Verboticisms

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Fortifry

Created by: Stevenson0

Pronunciation: for/ti/fry

Sentence: Dave thought that adding wires to his breaker panel would fortify his electricity. Little did he know he would fortifry it.

Etymology: fortify + fry

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COMMENTS:

"smokin" - Jabberwocky, 2008-05-15: 11:41:00

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Incorrectify

Created by: stache

Pronunciation: ĭn'kə-rěk'tə-fī'

Sentence: "You can't polish a turd," Garvin said when David showed him how he had used accessories to incorrectify his '79 Ford Pinto.

Etymology: incur, to bring upon oneself, as in, to incur the ridicule of the public; rectify, verb form of rectum, part of the human anatomy often euphemized as a term of disparagement.

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COMMENTS:

nice - Jabberwocky, 2008-05-15: 11:45:00

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Misrepair

youmustvotenato

Created by: youmustvotenato

Pronunciation: miss-repair

Sentence: With clippers in hand, I began cutting my hair. I kept having to "fix" my mistakes and soon enough, my hair was in misrepair.

Etymology: mistaken; repair

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Grimprovement

Created by: TJayzz

Pronunciation: Grimm-proov-mant

Sentence: Since taking the home improvement course at her local college, Jenny couldn't wait to try out her new found skills in her own home, but when her husband saw the new lime green paint job in the lounge he thought it was more like a grimprovement.

Etymology: Grim(depressing, unappealing) + Improvement(The action of improving or improved, to make something better than it was) =Grimprovement

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COMMENTS:

good word..grimpressive - Nosila, 2008-05-15: 01:54:00

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Conaversion

Created by: Nosila

Pronunciation: con a ver shun

Sentence: After watching way too many Improve Your Garden style shows on tv,the Reynolds family had decided to create a tropical getaway in their backyard. "Puerto Backyardo" they would call it, when friends asked where they'd be spending their vacation. They dreamed of Mai-Tai's served on the pool deck, luaus and barbecues with friends and a restful oasis after their hectic workdays. But Fate has a funny way of throwing cold water on your reveries. Instead of a dream home, their home had become a living nightmare of a money pit. Yes, the Reynolds' home renovation had truly become a conaversion. Due to poor planning, poor workmanship, misestimates,a fisticuffs with some of the sub-contractors, which involved police action and failure to get proper planning permission, they were left with a mess. No workable plumbing; a sinkhole, instead of a swimming pool;a huge fine for failing to dial-before-you-dig and the subsequent costs to repair the ruptured gas mains;a cease and desist work order from the county;a tools-down job action from the workers and various lawsuits from neighbours whose homes were also affected by this unnatural disaster. Not to mention, a few thousand dollars worth of tropical vegetation drying out in a shed, because there was nowhere to plant them. Serves them right for not doing their homework and checking out the credentials of their contractors, "The 3 Stooges Landscape Co." Nyuk, Nyuk, Nyuk...

Etymology: conversion ( the act of changing from one use or function or purpose to another;an event that results in a transformation)& aversion(a feeling of intense dislike;disinclined;opposed)

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Reekonstruction

Created by: galwaywegian

Pronunciation: reek on struk shun

Sentence: "how do you feel after your latest reekonstruction, mr Jackson?" the waiting media asked. "I'm bad" he said, "I'm bad"

Etymology: reek as in stinking, reconstruction

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COMMENTS:

nice reference to MJ - Jabberwocky, 2008-05-15: 11:45:00

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Remuddle

Created by: Mustang

Pronunciation: re-MUD-l

Sentence: Simpson had set out to completely redesign and redo the interior of his home but lacking proper skills and experience his effort turned out to be a hideous remuddle rather than the upgrade he had envisioned.

Etymology: Blend of 'remodel' (redo or makeover) and 'muddle' (to mix up in a confused or bungling manner)

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Sobadisticimprovement

Created by: chrissimo87

Pronunciation: so-bad-istic-improvement

Sentence: I think you will find that was top of the 100 sobadisticimprovments awards this year

Etymology:

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Adworsity

Created by: bookowl

Pronunciation: Ad/wurs/itee

Sentence: They suffered further adworsity when the contractor hung the windows upsidedown.

Etymology: add + worse + adversity

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Shedit

Created by: ZenoX

Pronunciation: shed it

Sentence: She went to a plastic surgeon the other day and shedited her nose. She was telling me all about that present she'll never afford now. Wait till she hears about her embarrassing shedit. She'll probably never admit her mistake.

Etymology: A shit edit, a change that should be hid in a dark place (shed).

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Comments:

Verbotomy Verbotomy - 2008-05-15: 00:01:00
Today's definition is inspired by author and philosopher, Mark Kingwell who I saw last night speaking about "Social Change". He reminded us that not all change is good change. And noted that in German they have word to describe such bad improvements -- Schlimmbesserung -- which we don't have in English. And so it's today's challenge. Thanks Mark! ~ James