Vote for the best verboticism.

'What's with this stupid pen?'

DEFINITION: v., To search for and find a pen to write down an important note, only to discover that the pen does not work. n., A moment in time when the only pens you can find, are pens that do not work.

Create | Read

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.

Birony

Created by: Nosila

Pronunciation: by ron ee

Sentence: It was one of life's bits of birony that Fred could only find pens in his house that were all out of ink. He could never find the write stuff!

Etymology: Biro (a pen that has a small metal ball as the point of transfer of ink to paper) & Irony (incongruity between what might be expected and what actually occurs)

| Comments and Points

Quilliterate

Created by: porsche

Pronunciation: kwill/it/ur/at

Sentence: Without his ink source Dave was quilliterate.

Etymology: quill + illiterate

| Comments and Points

Penundrum

Created by: OZZIEBOB

Pronunciation: pen-NUHN-druhm

Sentence: Bob faced a penundrum when his biro pendripulated as he tried to write down the address of his new girlfriend - Woodraliggunie st, Gutchboordankendockenarup, Western Australia. Despite his dyspengraphic pleadings, she remained unsympathetic presenting him with a penultimatum: get one that writes or get lost!

Etymology: Blend of pen & conundrum: a puzzling question or problem.

----------------------------
COMMENTS:

I think Bob should buy some pencils - Jabberwocky, 2007-11-06: 13:51:00

I guess Bob will never get to go to Camp Comeoniwannalaya with his new-found girlfriend. (great word ozzie!) - purpleartichokes, 2007-11-06: 19:58:00

----------------------------

| Comments and Points

Bickenscratch

Created by: xirtam

Pronunciation: bic-en-skrach

Sentence: With the only pen I could find out of ink, I had to bickenscratch the phone number into the note pad so I could read the indentations later.

Etymology: bic: a brand of pen + Chicken Scratch: slang; poor or illegible writing. Scratch: To write or draw by scraping or cutting the lines into a surface.

----------------------------
COMMENTS:

To be precise, this is the inevitable result of the event described, but I like it! 'He bickenscratched his way through the morning until he finally found a pen that worked.' - Tigger, 2007-11-06: 13:23:00

I like it too. Resembles my grocery list. - purpleartichokes, 2007-11-06: 20:01:00

----------------------------

| Comments and Points

Peninsulate

Created by: QuantumMechanic

Pronunciation: pen en suh late

Sentence: I knew the answer, but I didn't couldn't call in to win, because I was peninsulated -- all of the pens I found were dead.

Etymology: pen (ink writing instrument) + insulate (isolate), parallel to peninsula (an isolated spit of land)

| Comments and Points

Stupenaled

Created by: looseball

Pronunciation: stew pen awld

Sentence: Look at him that pen has never worked I just lay it down and stupenal him every time.

Etymology:

| Comments and Points

Inkoherent

Created by: galwaywegian

Pronunciation: ink oh hee rent

Sentence: the inkoherence meant he just had to scrape her number onto his arm.

Etymology: incoherent ink

| Comments and Points

Birony

Created by: Nosila

Pronunciation: by ro nee

Sentence: The birony was that when Eddie needed a pawn to record a message, he could never find one. Nevermind all his pens were MontBlanc's, Crosses and other expensive names, none worked properly, not even the uBICuitous free ones he collected!

Etymology: Biro (a pen that has a small metal ball as the point of transfer of ink to paper)& Irony ( incongruity between what might be expected and what actually occurs)

| Comments and Points

Bicketline

libertybelle

Created by: libertybelle

Pronunciation: bick-et-line

Sentence: Darryl went through all of his pens to write down Miranda's phone number to no avail; he formed a bicketline with all of the pens that refused to work.

Etymology: bic - popular brand of pen + picket line. A bicstrike.

| Comments and Points

Pennotwritis

Created by: tuckerdognc

Pronunciation: Pen-not-wri-tis

Sentence: I can't believe I have pennotwritis again. I could have sworn I threw all these out.

Etymology: thought to be from the latin, pendenitis, the affliction caused by having too many pens.

| Comments and Points

Show All or More...

 

Comments:

Verbotomy Verbotomy - 2007-11-06: 00:01:00
Today's definition was suggested by vixphilia. Thank you vixphilia! ~ James'

OZZIEBOB - 2007-11-06: 16:53:00
Good word!

Verbotomy Verbotomy - 2010-03-03: 00:16:00
Today's definition was suggested by vixphilia. Thank you vixphilia. ~ James

Petrikreink - 2020-03-03: 05:14:00