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.
Vomimical
Created by: ellianth
Pronunciation: Vo-mim-mic
Sentence: Before he knew it Mr. Teacher was vomimicing Susan's SMS lingo.
Etymology: Vomimmic
Chameleunaware
Created by: rikboyee
Pronunciation: cuh-meal-ee-un-ah-wear
Sentence: everyone at the old folks home found it amusing when the young janitor started saying things like 'whippersnapper' and 'in my day'... but even more amusing was that he was totally chameleunaware
Etymology: chameleon, unaware
----------------------------
COMMENTS:
Nice switcheroo on the typical linguistic ageism. - wordmeister, 2007-03-20: 10:19:00
----------------------------
Imitalk
Created by: Discoveria
Pronunciation: Imm-me-tork
Sentence: The police officer did not take kindly to Simple Simon imitalking. It wasn't his fault that he had such a thick accent, was it guv'nor?
Etymology: Imitate + talk.
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)
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".
Vernacclimate
Created by: swallowedbyafish
Pronunciation:
Sentence: After a few months he found he had vernacclimated with the locals without even noticing.
Etymology: vernacular + acclimate
----------------------------
COMMENTS:
I think there is a real use for this word - nice one. - petaj, 2007-03-20: 08:46:00
Oooh, I like that one. - jedijawa, 2007-03-20: 09:20:00
----------------------------
Mimidic
Created by: Laala
Pronunciation: The first syllable is stressed.
Sentence:
Etymology: to mimic= to imitate, dicere (latin)= to say
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)
Locanaut
Created by: sisica
Pronunciation: LO-kah-not
Sentence: Did you hear that guy just locanaut? He said "y'all" and "ya reckon" but he told us he's from Oregon! I don't think they talk like that in Oregon!
Etymology: Loca -- from Local Naut -- from the Greek "naut" which means pertaining to ships or sailors, but used in "astronaut" as in a "star sailor." In this case, it would imply "sailing" of regions. Of course, considering that it sounds like "NOT," it also serves as a play on the words, suggesting "Local -- NOT!!"
Comments:
Today's definition was suggested by Osomatic.
Thank you Osomatic! ~ James
Today's definition was suggested by Osomatic. Thank you Osomatic. ~ James