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'OMG YGLT Shakespeare'

DEFINITION: v. To unconsciously adopt the vocal mannerisms and linguistic stylings of the people with whom you are speaking. n. A speaker who adopts the vocal mannerisms of their audience.

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Verboticisms

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Talkonalog

Created by: mana1066

Pronunciation: talk-on-a-log

Sentence: When hanging around Tyrone, Winston used his black talkonalog.

Etymology: talk + take on + dialog

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Linguistricks

mrskellyscl

Created by: mrskellyscl

Pronunciation: ling-gwist-tricks

Sentence: Professor Jones was skilled at linguistricks; however he clearly had been spending too much time with his students when he was heard in the faculty room saying, "Dude...I was like...and she was like...and then we like.....ya, know?"

Etymology: linguistics: the study of the nature, structure and variation of languages; + tricks: particular trait or mannerism; special skill or knack

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Scameleon

artr

Created by: artr

Pronunciation: skamēlyən

Sentence: A big part of the politician’s popularity is because he is a scameleon. Whatever group he is talking to is the group he is part of. If speaking to blue-collar workers, the sleeves are rolled up and the language a bit rough. A chat with business leaders prompts the three-piece suit and corresponding jargon. When pressed, followers can’t even specify what party he belongs to. He could be a liberal Republican or a moderate Democrat.

Etymology: scam (a dishonest scheme; a fraud) + chameleon (a small slow-moving Old World lizard with a prehensile tail, long extensible tongue, protruding eyes that rotate independently, and a highly developed ability to change color)

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Accentefugue

Created by: Alchemist

Pronunciation: ak-SENT-eh-fyoog

Sentence: Whenever Josh is around Brits, he turns into a helpless accentefugue, peppering his sentences with "luv" "guv" and "quid". Strange, as he has lived his whole life in Brooklyn.

Etymology: accent (pronunciation common to a certain group of people) + fugue (A pathological amnesiac condition during which one is apparently conscious of one's actions but has no recollection of them), with a nod towards accent aigue

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Copychat

artr

Created by: artr

Pronunciation: kop-ee-chat

Sentence: I don't want to say that Tom is feeble-minded but whenever he talks to anybody for more than a few minutes he ends up sounding just like them. This can be embarrassing when he talks to someone with a distinctive voice who thinks they are being mocked. Last week a woman with a pronounced stutter slapped him.

Etymology: copycat (a person or thing that copies, imitates, mimics, or follows the lead of another) + chat (to converse in a familiar or informal manner)

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Dialectick

Created by: Nuwanda

Pronunciation: die-a-leck-tick

Sentence: For most of his life, Joe was able to avoid mishap caused by his dialectick. Growing up in Central Iowa, no one seemed to notice or care much when he affected the speech patterns of a Keokuk-ian or Des Moines-ite. But his dialectick did not serve him well when he got a job at the Starbucks across the street from U.N. headquarters. He was fired after two hours because of complaints that he was taunting the customers.

Etymology: Dialect (dialect n. A regional or social variety of a language distinguished by pronunciation, grammar, or vocabulary, especially a variety of speech.) + tic (A habitual spasmodic muscular movement or contraction, usually of the face or extremities)

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Lexidapt

Created by: ziggy41

Pronunciation: (lecks-uh-dapt)

Sentence: Musicians are somewhat known for the ability to lexidapt one's speech within minutes.

Etymology: From Greek "lexis-" (word) and Latin "adaptare" (to fit, to adjust).

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Accentufake

Created by: Loreshai

Pronunciation: ack sent you fake

Sentence: Bill accentufaked his reading of Shakespeare so that the ignorant children might learn something.

Etymology: accentuate- to highlight a certain item + fake - not real ( also a play on "accent you fake")

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Verbmitate

Created by: juliar

Pronunciation:

Sentence: The skinny white boy verbmitated the gangsters and got shot.

Etymology: comes from "verbal", meaning word, and mitate, as in "imitate".

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Osmolinguate

Created by: PythianHabenero

Pronunciation: osmo-LING-g(y)oo-ate

Sentence: My tendency to osmolinguate is one reason why I prefer to keep friends whose elocution I find pleasant.

Etymology: "Osmosis" + the lingu- word root, with help from "amalgamate".

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Comments:

Verbotomy Verbotomy - 2007-03-20: 00:00:33
Today's definition was suggested by Osomatic.
Thank you Osomatic! ~ James

Verbotomy Verbotomy - 2009-10-06: 00:14:00
Today's definition was suggested by Osomatic. Thank you Osomatic. ~ James