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.
Copychat
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)
Hackcent
Created by: Osomatic
Pronunciation: hack + sent
Sentence: John picked up a brogue in Dublin, and we made fun of him mercilessly for his hackcent.
Etymology: hack + accent
Mimiclique
Created by: Mustang
Pronunciation: MIM-ih-clik
Sentence: Without realizing he was doing it, whenever he was around his group of friends Lamar would do his mimiclique routine, subconsciously trying to impress each of them by copying their style of speech.
Etymology: Blend of the words 'mimic' and 'clique'
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
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
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COMMENTS:
Nice switcheroo on the typical linguistic ageism. - wordmeister, 2007-03-20: 10:19:00
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Reverblicate
Created by: buck180
Pronunciation: re 'verb' li kate
Sentence: When on vacation John unwittingly reverblicates the speech of the local people much to their dismay.
Etymology: From reverberate: to echo a sound. And from duplicate: to copy exactly.
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).
Clonilinguist
Created by: Sketchy
Pronunciation: clone-ILL-ling-WIST
Sentence: Mr. Hubbard is a clonilinguist. His mind auotmatically takes on the speech patterns of the people around him.
Etymology: Clone, Linguist
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COMMENTS:
lol...i thought it was clever, but is more of a noun??? - Sketchy, 2007-03-20: 16:49:00
Loving the slightly risque pun here- even if it was unintentional. - Bulletchewer, 2007-03-20: 18:07:00
definitely funny - wordmeister, 2007-03-20: 23:56:00
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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
Phoneticopy
Created by: mweinmann
Pronunciation: fone - et - eh - kopee
Sentence: Maurice continued to phoneticopy everything his students said, even when they showed their displeasure.
Etymology: phonetic (of or relating to speech sounds), copy
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COMMENTS:
Perfect word for the definition - splendiction, 2009-10-06: 22:41:00
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Comments:
Today's definition was suggested by Osomatic.
Thank you Osomatic! ~ James
Today's definition was suggested by Osomatic. Thank you Osomatic. ~ James