Vote for the best verboticism.
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.
Verboticisms
Click on each verboticism to read the sentences created by the Verbotomy writers, and to see your voting options...
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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)
Dudstriment
Created by: abrakadeborah
Pronunciation: dud-stri-mint
Sentence: All of the pens in the office were dudstriments when Sam really needed to take notes.
Etymology: Dud- a person or thing that proves ineffectual or a failure. Instriments taken in part of the correct spelling "instruments" - An implement used to facilitate work.
Emptipendink
Created by: NeuroGlyph
Pronunciation: Empty-Pend-Ink
Sentence: It is better to be pendink on a sharpened pencil than emptipendink on a non-working pen.
Etymology: Independent/dependent...sub the dent w/ink.
Inkvain
Created by: petaj
Pronunciation: ink-vain
Sentence: It was all inkvain. Scrabbling through the bureau drawer in search of a writing implement while the gormless game-show host rabbited on about numbers to call had proven fruitless, and Sally was left despondent that she had not been able to write down the SMS number to win $5000 on Who wants to be a Millionaire.
Etymology: in vain (to no purpose) + ink (what the pens are missing)
Bicketline
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.
Pendaver
Created by: Stevenson0
Pronunciation: pen/daver
Sentence: It's another of Murphy's Laws that writing utensils turn into pendavers when an important message needs to be scribbled.
Etymology: PENDAVER noun - from PEN (instrument for writing) + CADAVER (a dead body)
Sypened
Created by: annbananne
Pronunciation: sigh pend
Sentence: When you really need to write something down you usually can only find sypens.
Etymology: syphen: ink was syphened out pen: pen (duh)
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COMMENTS:
good one! - Jabberwocky, 2007-11-06: 13:52:00
I like it too! - OZZIEBOB, 2007-11-06: 16:57:00
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Inkpediment
Created by: Tigger
Pronunciation: ink-PED'e-ment
Sentence: Unable to find a working pen, Barbara walked from room to room repeatedly chanting the phone number, while hoping to overcome her inkpediment.
Etymology: ink + impediment
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COMMENTS:
or inkPENdiment, perhaps. - MrDave2176, 2007-11-06: 09:19:00
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Inkonspicuous
Created by: Jabberwocky
Pronunciation: in/kon/spic/u/us
Sentence: Maybe if he pressed hard enough on the paper he would be able to see an outline of his words but the pen was virtually inkonspicuous.
Etymology: ink + inconspicuous
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COMMENTS:
sweet - leechdude, 2007-11-06: 21:14:00
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Comments:
Today's definition was suggested by vixphilia. Thank you vixphilia! ~ James'
OZZIEBOB - 2007-11-06: 16:53:00
Good word!
Today's definition was suggested by vixphilia. Thank you vixphilia. ~ James
Petrikreink - 2020-03-03: 05:14:00