Vote for the best verboticism.

'I think Uncle Mikey taught our parrot a new word!'

DEFINITION: v. To leave your pet, child or lover in the care of a friend or relative who teaches them a stupid trick or bad habit. n. A stupid trick or bad habit learned from a caregiver.

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Verboticisms

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Nipinthebeak

Created by: silveryaspen

Pronunciation: nip - in - the - beek

Sentence: Someone's in the kitchen with Mynah! Someone taught him to say "*****". Help! I don't know how to stop Mynah from saying that! How do I nipinthebeak?

Etymology: Play on "Nip in the Bud" which means to stop it before it gets worse. Beak: bird's bill, slang term for mouth. Obviously, the cartoon inspried this bit of nonesense.

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Cusstoadyan

Created by: bookowl

Pronunciation: kuss/tow/deean

Sentence: Ever since little Gerry started spending time with his reprobate uncle he has picked up several unsuitable phrases for members of the family. It's no wonder because his uncle is a cusstoadyan.

Etymology: custodian + cuss + toady

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COMMENTS:

Great interplay! - silveryaspen, 2008-02-26: 19:26:00

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Caressconvoluted

Created by: freiflug

Pronunciation: /kəˈreskɒnvəˈluːted/

Sentence: "After I have received my turtle Frances back from my brother-in-law, all he does is nibbling the telephone cable. Frances has totally been caressconvoluted."

Etymology: caress: to touch or kiss lovingly; to fondle convulsion: an intense, paroxysmal, involuntary muscular contraction; an uncontrolled fit, as of laughter; a paroxysm Convulsion hereby alters/modifies the meaning of "caress", concluding in a somewhat spoiled interpretation of caressing sth. or so.

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Nannierism

Created by: Stevenson0

Pronunciation: nan/ni/riz/um

Sentence: We just put our three-year olds ability to swear with an accent down to another nannierism learned from his live-in babysitter.

Etymology: NANNIERISM - noun - from NANNY (a person employed to care for children in a household) + MANNERISM (Exaggerated, or affected style, or habit, as in dress, or speech)

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Surrohgreat

Created by: libertybelle

Pronunciation: sir-oh-grate

Sentence: I hesistated to let my brother watch my child as he proved his status as a surrohgreat last time when he taught her a score of filthy limericks.

Etymology: surrogate + oh great!

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COMMENTS:

Took me a moment to parse this one, but it made me chuckle when it clicked. - ErWenn, 2008-02-26: 10:12:00

it sort of reminds me of sewer grate which would be a grate place for filthy limericks - Jabberwocky, 2008-02-26: 13:24:00

Wouldn't you like to gate the mouths on the sirs who are surrohgreats! - silveryaspen, 2008-02-26: 19:07:00

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Shenannygans

Created by: ErWenn

Pronunciation: /ʃənæniˌgæns/ Sounds like "shenanigans" if you say it fast enough, but make sure you pronounce the y as a long "ee" and not as a schwa.

Sentence: Don't believe what you see in the movies; the shenannygans of most flying babysitters do not end well.

Etymology: from she(nani)gans + nanny

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COMMENTS:

like it! - galwaywegian, 2008-02-26: 11:27:00

Really fits the definition and is a great choice of words with great blending! - silveryaspen, 2008-02-26: 18:39:00

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Malasitterism

Created by: CanadianAndyCapp

Pronunciation: Mal-a-sit-ter-ism

Sentence: Despite all precautions and checking, one cannot totally avoid the possibility that a child will pick up a malasitterism from the babysitter.

Etymology: Mal- Bad / Sitter- Part-time caregiver / ism- habit or manner

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COMMENTS:

Especially if the baby sitter is Mrs. Malaprop! - silveryaspen, 2008-02-26: 18:59:00

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Chaffectation

Created by: emdeejay

Pronunciation: Chaffe ektation

Sentence: Willow was never convinced that allowing her brother Mikey to look after the parrot was a great idea, but with a day to go before the family holiday she was out of options. Alas when they returned her fears has been realised: Silver the parrot had taken to uttering "Seeds of dissent! !@#$ you hippy!" during her yoga classes. She cringed as she imagined what other chaffectations may be lurking in Silvers vocabulary.

Etymology: Chaffe(1): Tender lesions that develop through abrasion of the epidermis. Chaffe(2): Annoying behaviours/happenstance that 'grates' on your nerves. Affectation: a new and/or unnatural behavoural tendency.

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