Vote for the best verboticism.

'Who's the lucky lady?'

DEFINITION: v. To be unable to remember the name of a person you are speaking to, even though you've had a long-standing, and perhaps even an intimate relationship. n. An inability to remember a person's name.

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Verboticisms

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Onomamnesia

Created by: XMbIPb

Pronunciation: /o-no-ma-mne-zhi-a/

Sentence: Woke up one morning and said: “Good morning, Sue” to the woman still sleeping next to me. Given the fact that my wife’s name is not Sue, it didn’t sit well with her. Claiming ONOMAMNESIA didn’t work. Does anyone have any suggestions on how to get out of that one? I mean other than to find a good divorce attorney?

Etymology: ONOMA (fr. Greek) – name; AMNESIA (fr. Greek) – forgetfulness

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Palzheimers

Created by: OZZIEBOB

Pronunciation: palsz-HI-merz

Sentence: When Bob couldn't remember the names of his five former partners and his ten children, the judge wondered whether he was suffering from palzheimers, or that his namewashing was just a last-hitch attempt to avoid palimony.

Etymology: Blend of PAL: close friend, confidante etc & ALZHEIMERS: Used in the familiar and jocular sense for memory loss.

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COMMENTS:

Ach! You beat me to the Alzheimer's! (so to speak!)Well done, love your word. - Jamagra, 2008-03-04: 08:54:00

Good word. Kind of a sad idea, though. - ErWenn, 2008-03-04: 09:56:00

The opposite of palzheimers might be wisenheimers! Palzheimers might be a form of palsy of the brain! Your word is so evocative of so much! Stunningly great! - silveryaspen, 2008-03-04: 10:20:00

a classic!! - galwaywegian, 2008-03-04: 12:11:00

excellent Ozzie - Jabberwocky, 2008-03-04: 13:03:00

Sweet! - purpleartichokes, 2008-03-04: 18:16:00

Unforgettable word, Bob! - Tigger, 2008-03-04: 18:34:00

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Whodonym

Created by: Tigger

Pronunciation: /hoo-do-nim/

Sentence: Jason always called his fiancee by pet names, such as "Sweetheart" or "Honey," and although her name was actually 'Mary Louise' all her friends just called her "Lou". So when he introduced her to his cousin before the wedding, he got a case of 'brain lock' and all he could think of were whodonyms. Then, at the chapel, when the priest asked, "Do you take Mary Louise to be your lawfully wedded wife?" Jason's nervous first response was to ask, "Who?". It was beginning to look like the honeymoon wasn't going to be as pleasant and relaxing as he'd hoped.

Etymology: Who - what person? (from Old English, hwā "who") + pseudonym - a fictitious or pen name (from Greek, pseudonymos "having a false name")

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COMMENTS:

I'll be using "brain lock" ... great pairing! A Whodlum hopes everyone, especially the cops, have brain lock and whodonyms? Innovative! - silveryaspen, 2008-03-04: 19:11:00

Very creative: a real word! - OZZIEBOB, 2008-03-04: 20:01:00

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Routinenile

Created by: Banky

Pronunciation: roo-teen-niyl

Sentence: Maybe it was the hangover from the two bottles of cognac in the hot tub the night before. Perhaps it was the countless lines of cocaine in the men's room with various twenty-something boys that morning. It could be loss of blood from a very large, very angry, and very white tiger that was mauling him at the moment. Whatever the cause of the sudden onset of routinenility, Roy could not remember his partner's exotic foreign name to call out for help.

Etymology: routine - familiar + senile - exhibiting a loss of cognitive faculties

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COMMENTS:

Your sentence reporting this incident was better than any I read in the media! Innovative etymology. Exceptionally creative word! - silveryaspen, 2008-03-04: 09:54:00

Enjoyed the sentence; interesting word. - OZZIEBOB, 2008-03-04: 20:00:00

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Noniker

libertybelle

Created by: libertybelle

Pronunciation: non-ick-er

Sentence: Harry stumbled over a few nonikers before he remembered his brother's name was actually Rich. He had spent too many years calling him "Scooter", but that was not an appropriate title to introduce him as to the board of directors.

Etymology: non + moniker: name

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COMMENTS:

Nifty! - silveryaspen, 2008-03-04: 09:42:00

Clever blend and funny sentence. - Tigger, 2008-03-04: 19:15:00

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Amnamesia

Created by: zabxuq

Pronunciation: am-naim-shee-ah

Sentence: He distinctly remembered her smile but he couldn't respond to her greeting as he was dumbfounded by total amnamesia.

Etymology: name: identifying handle + amnesia: partial or complete loss of memory.

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Nomduhplume

Created by: Jabberwocky

Pronunciation: nom/duh/ploom

Sentence: It is difficult enough to remember names of old friends but getting together with a writer's group became a nightmare trying to remember their nomduhplumes.

Etymology: nom de plume (pen name) + uh? + duh

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COMMENTS:

Delightful! - silveryaspen, 2008-12-29: 10:15:00

Eggzellunt!! Wish I'd thought of it! - Mustang, 2008-12-30: 00:28:00

Clever - OZZIEBOB, 2009-01-04: 16:13:00

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Dejawho

Created by: leegro

Pronunciation: /dey-zhah-hoo/

Sentence: As she walked down the aisle of the airplane, Sarah had a sinking feeling of dejawho. Hadn't she once drunkely groped the sweaty man in the aisle seat across from her?

Etymology: From "deja vu," which is French for "I'm not forgetful, I'm just self-absorbed," and "who," which should feel like a familiar word to most of you.

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COMMENTS:

What a twist ... a woman groping a man! But the twists in your etymology are even better! Insightfully Clever! - silveryaspen, 2008-03-04: 17:14:00

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Forgetphil

Created by: Nosila

Pronunciation: for get fil

Sentence: When George brought his friend, Phil, home, he was unaware that Phil already "knew" his wife Julia in the Biblical way. But Phil had had so many previous girlfriends that he could not recall Julia. He was forgetphil, like someone who drank too much Milk of Amnesia...

Etymology: Forget (not able to remember) & play on forgetful (not retentive)

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Appellesia

Created by: gelsomina17

Pronunciation: apple-ee-sha

Sentence: Monica suffered an acute case of appellesia when she ran into her high school boyfriend at a party.

Etymology: appellation + amnesia

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COMMENTS:

Good one....very much like 'namenesia ' - Mustang, 2008-12-30: 00:29:00

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Comments:

Verbotomy Verbotomy - 2008-03-04: 00:01:00
Today's definition was suggested by silveryaspen. Thank you silveryaspen. ~ James

silveryaspen - 2008-03-04: 17:07:00
Your great word associations and creations made my day, everyone. It is a pleasure to have these mind associations with all of you every day! Isn't this website like sunshine for the mind? !!! Everyone contributes some rays! Everyone goes away warmed by some rays!

silveryaspen - 2008-03-04: 17:08:00
Good job with the defninition and cartoon. Thank you, James.

Verbotomy Verbotomy - 2008-03-04: 23:46:00
Thank you Silveryaspen for the inspiring words! ~ James

Verbotomy Verbotomy - 2010-05-13: 00:04:00
Today's definition was suggested by silveryaspen. Thank you silveryaspen. ~ James