Vote for the best verboticism.
DEFINITION: n. The sacrifice a mother makes when she gives everything to her children, including life itself, and then simply lets them go. v. To give someone everything and then watch them walk away.
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.
Fledglemming
Created by: artr
Pronunciation: flejlemng
Sentence: Joyce watched with angst as her fledglemming packed to go off to college. Sure she and his father have given Jason great life lessons and done their best to prepare him for this day, he seems to be taking it much too casually. With a simple hug and kiss he is off to act as if he knows how to make his own decisions like an adult.
Etymology: fledgling (a young bird that has just fledged) + lemming (a person who unthinkingly joins a mass movement, esp. a headlong rush to destruction)
Bratlifice
Created by: katytee
Pronunciation:
Sentence: After 28 years of bratlifice, Mary ran away to Tuscany with the milkman.
Etymology: brats + life + sacrifice
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COMMENTS:
nice word. anywhere but Bratislava would probably have sufficed. - galwaywegian, 2007-05-11: 06:27:00
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Sacremancipate
Created by: Nosila
Pronunciation: sak remans ee payt
Sentence: She had done all she could for Little Robin... gave him life, fed him, cleaned him, taught him about life and kept him warm. It was now the time to sacremancipate him. His educatgion would continue at a higher level. Now that he knew where to look for the choicest worms, how to avoid predators and how to sing to attract a mate, Mother Nature would continue his education and teach him how to migrate each fall and return each spring. It was very sad each year when they left the nest to make it on their own.
Etymology: Sacrifice (the act of losing or surrendering something as a penalty for a mistake or fault or failure to perform etc.) & Emancipate (liberate, free from slavery or servitude)
Weanherschitzel
Created by: whipspeak
Pronunciation: ween-hur-shit-suhl
Sentence: On her son Myron's 23rd birthday, Fran served weanherschitzel.
Etymology: wean: to withhold mother's milk from (the young of a mammal) and substitute other nourishment. + her: the possessive form of she + schitzel: whipspeak for unappreciative offspring
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COMMENTS:
Zehr gut! - Nosila, 2009-11-29: 11:57:00
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Divorfeit
Created by: iwasatripwire
Pronunciation: di-vor-fit
Sentence: My poor mother had a hard time letting me go to college so far away, but eventually she came to terms with her divorfeit
Etymology: divorce (in the separation sense, not the end-of-a-marriage sense) + forfeit
Totsmartyr
Created by: heartnsoul
Pronunciation:
Sentence: She had always been devoted to their young son, but when Mark caught his wife writing Tommy’s HS book report, he realized his wife’s totsmartyr ways would never die. This mom was sure she always knew best.
Etymology: tot's + martyr OR tot + smarter / martyr
Matridoricide
Created by: cohenarie
Pronunciation:
Sentence:
Etymology: latin words for mother, gift and murder
Martyrnal
Created by: rikboyee
Pronunciation: mar-terr-nul
Sentence: She started sacrificing all of her outside interests when her martyrnal instinct kicked in
Etymology: martyr, maternal
Giventry
Created by: thesmeagle
Pronunciation: giv-en-tree
Sentence: When she mother gave him the money she would have used to buy a condo in Hawaii to start his business, Bradley was moved to tears by his mother's giventry.
Etymology: From the children's book, The Giving Tree
Comments:
Today's definition was inspired by Cory Doctorow's novel Someone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves Town, which is a story about a guy who's mother is literally a washing machine. It's a great read! And since this weekend is Mother's Day, it seems like the perfect fit! I was also thinking about "After the Siege" in Overclocked, where a mother pushes herself beyond exhaustion trying to save her child - the sacrifice. And purpleartichokes inadvertently suggested the mother idea with her comments on the younger degeneration. Thank you Cory and purpleartichokes! ~ James
ErWenn - 2007-05-11: 09:39:00
I noticed that many verbotomists focussed on the "letting go" part of the definition as the key, while others treated it as just one small part of the maternal sacrifice. I'm sure it says something about our personalities, but I'm not sure what.
We have posted The Petaj Splinterview on the Verbotomy Blog. ~ James
Bulletchewer - 2007-05-11: 16:55:00
I "have issues" because I advocate free speech as opposed to miserable hypocrisy of censorship? HUSH
Hey Bulletchewer, I replaced four letters in your message with non-alphanumeric symbols. Did that make you unhappy? ~ James
Hey ErWenn, I agree with you. The words and language we choose to use do indeed reflect our personalities. And with a definition like today's, there are many different viewpoints, so it gets complicated... I guess that's why they have Freudian psychiatrists. ~ James
Bulletchewer - 2007-05-11: 19:18:00
It made me THE most $@*#ing miserable crybaby in the whole world! Just kidding.
Me too. But that's okay, it's a game ~ James
Anyways, in many parts of the world, this Sunday is Mother's Day, so I would like to remind all our verbotomists to take appropriate action (e.g. buy flowers). And to all our verbotomists who happen to be mothers, I would like to say thank you. Thank you for your wonderful creativity. ~ James
*gasp* I am so honored. Petaj used my word TWICE!!! in his splinterview. Now, I can die peacefully.
Clayton - 2007-05-12: 17:21:00
Is it just me, or has anyone else noticed that the highest scoring words often do not reflect the part of speech suggested by the definition? Occasionally, this can be somewhat difficult to determine from a given description, but "the sacrifice a mother makes" clearly indicates that this word is meant to be a noun. Just nitpicking.
Hey Clayton, I have made a blog posting about this question. See: Parts of Speech and Verbotomy. It will be very interesting to hear what ErWenn has to say about this issue, since he also asked similar questions. ~ James
Clearly I should have mentioned that ohwtepph can also be relied on for coming up with not only amusing words, but very useful additions to everyday language.
Today's definition was suggested by doctorow. Thank you doctorow. ~ James