Vote for the best verboticism.
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.
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.
Pollygraft
Created by: Nosila
Pronunciation: paw lee graft
Sentence: When the family went on their long vacation, they had left their green conure, Polly, with Uncle Mikey to "birdsit". Polly had developed an good vocabulary saying things like "Hello", "I love you", "Give me a kiss" and of course, "Polly wanna cracker". After they had taken Polly home, they noticed strange words crept into his vocabulary. Phrases like "Hand over all your money", "Just co-operate and no one gets hurt" and "Curses, it's the cops" were liberally sprinkled with swear words through his everyday chats. Horrified, they confronted Uncle Mikey and he admitted that he had pollygraft Polly and had used him in some of his criminal activities. Uncle Mikey was then polygraphed himself and sentenced. These days, Mikey is the one locked up in a cage and Polly now sings "Bad boys, bad boys, whatcha gonna do? Whatcha gonna doi when they come for you?"
Etymology: Polly (common name for a Parrot or other talking bird) & Graft (corrupt actions of official: the use of dishonest or illegal means to gain money or property by somebody in a position of power or in elected office or money obtained corruptly: something obtained illegally by taking advantage of high position or office)...Wordplay on Polygraphed (a medical instrument that records several physiological processes simultaneously (e.g., pulse rate and blood pressure and respiration and perspiration) most commonly called a Lie Detector when used in police interrogations)
Guardiantic
Created by: Tigger
Pronunciation: /gahr-dee-AN-tik/
Sentence: It was only Eliza's third week teaching the 10-year-old class in Sunday School, but when the organist was late, she had to help out with choir practice, too. She reluctantly asked her father to stand-in and watch the Sunday School class. When she returned, she found her dear ole' Dad teaching the kids how to run a football pool, how to build a moonshine still, and other guardiantics.
Etymology: guardian - a person entrusted with the care of a minor (from Middle French, garde "guardian, warden, keeper") antic - a ludicrous or grotesque act (from Italian, antico "antique", originally referring to 'grotesque' Roman art)
----------------------------
COMMENTS:
This is a true story... mostly. "Eliza's" father was actually teaching 10-year-olds how to run a football pool. - Tigger, 2008-02-26: 01:58:00
Nice word! - OZZIEBOB, 2008-02-26: 16:00:00
Clever blend of two words that really nailed the definition! - silveryaspen, 2008-02-26: 18:42:00
----------------------------
Cluckaktua
Created by: logarithm
Pronunciation: kluhk-kE-tu-wa
Sentence:
Etymology: 1) Cluck: the sound made by a hen (as in calling her chicks) 2) Kakaktua or 'cockatoo': from the Malay name for these birds, kaka(k)tua (either from kaka "parrot" + tuwah, or "older sister" from kakak "sister" + tua, "old").
----------------------------
COMMENTS:
Alternative spelling: 'Cluckatoo'. - logarithm, 2008-12-11: 00:03:00
----------------------------
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)
Pollytechnique
Created by: Nosila
Pronunciation: pol lee tek neek
Sentence: When Uncle Mikey babysat the Miller's parrot on their annual vacation, she usually learned a new pollytechnique. This year Polly added 3 new swear words to her vocabulary. These words only seemed to be used when the easily-offended were around. You just cannot unteach an old bird new tricks...
Etymology: Polly (common name for a parrot) I Technique (skillfulness in the command of fundamentals deriving from practice and familiarity) & word play on Polytechnic (a technical school offering instruction in many industrial arts and applied sciences)
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!
----------------------------
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
----------------------------
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.
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.
Naukintrait
Created by: jajsr
Pronunciation: Nah-kin-tr-eight
Sentence: After Billy's parents came back from their romantic get-a-way, they learned that Billy picked up all kinds of naukintraits from his aunt and uncle.
Etymology: Mixture of "Nau" from naughty: lacking in taste or propriety, "Kin": one's relatives, and "Trait": an inherited characteristic.
Misantopic
Created by: craigfu
Pronunciation: mis-uhn-top-ik
Sentence: When Billy demonstrated the misantopic his older brother Rick had taught him at dinner, the family was barred from the restaurant indefinitely.
Etymology: misanthropic(hating humankind) + topic(subject,occupation)
----------------------------
COMMENTS:
Unique angle, choice of words, and verboticism! - silveryaspen, 2008-02-26: 19:13:00
----------------------------
Comments:
Today's definition was suggested by Nosila. Thank you Nosila. ~ James
Today's definition was suggested by Nosila. Thank you Nosila. ~ James