Vote for the best verboticism.
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.
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.
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
Talkonalog
Created by: mana1066
Pronunciation: talk-on-a-log
Sentence: When hanging around Tyrone, Winston used his black talkonalog.
Etymology: talk + take on + dialog
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")
Pronunplacate
Created by: Mrgoodtimes
Pronunciation: Pruh-nuhn-pley-keyt
Sentence: Like dude bro, your pronunplacation of that algorithm was like totally cool. I totally tweeted it.
Etymology: Pronunciation - placate
Paraphonics
Created by: CharlieB
Pronunciation: para-fon-icks
Sentence: Scientists in the field of paraphonics have found the perfect example of manipulative parodiction: high-profile chef James Olivier and former Prime Minister Tommy Bleurgh both move easily between Estuary English and RP depending on their audience.
Etymology: parody (to imitate poorly or feebly) + phonic (of or pertaining to speech)
Mimidic
Created by: Laala
Pronunciation: The first syllable is stressed.
Sentence:
Etymology: to mimic= to imitate, dicere (latin)= to say
Vernactitude
Created by: Nosila
Pronunciation: ver nakt itood
Sentence: My Mother has a vernactitude in communicating with others from different ethnic backgrounds. First of all she speaks slower and louder than normal (apparently in her mind this will help them understand her English words better). She uses far more hand language & gestures and throws in foreign words to better describe what she is trying to say. It matters not that the foreign words are not in the language of that person. She recently spoke to a Chinese waiter and after she slowly and loudly told him her order, ended it with "Capeesh,Garçon?"
Etymology: Vernacular (the everyday speech of the people (as distinguished from literary language);a characteristic language of a particular group) & Aptitude (inherent ability)
----------------------------
COMMENTS:
Good for mum! - splendiction, 2009-10-06: 22:43:00
----------------------------
Idiolectate
Created by: Ahmad
Pronunciation: edeo-lektaet
Sentence: I have never seen such a perfect idiolectate like saim.
Etymology: idiolect = an individual way or style of talking. Imitate = to copy some one or something.so to copy some one's speech the way he/she speaks.
Verbotomime
Created by: jedijawa
Pronunciation: ver-boto-mime
Sentence: Jedijawa tends to unconsciously verbotomime the dialect and accent of people who he talks to for more than 5 minutes unless he tries very hard not to do so.
Etymology: verbotomy (pandering to the board on this one) + mime (to imitate)
----------------------------
COMMENTS:
Verbotomimicry is the sincerest form of flattery. Thank you! - Verbotomy, 2007-03-20: 10:27:00
----------------------------
Comments:
Today's definition was suggested by Osomatic.
Thank you Osomatic! ~ James
Today's definition was suggested by Osomatic. Thank you Osomatic. ~ James