Vote for the best verboticism.
DEFINITION: n. Embarrassing pet behavior; may be perfectly natural for the pet, but often makes humans feel self-conscious or ill at ease. v. To be embarrassed by your pet's beahviour
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.
Pettiquette
Created by: splendiction
Pronunciation: PET i ket
Sentence: Herb's labrador Bert had a dogs' pettiquette when greeting strangers. While it was embarrassing for Herb, Bert felt it natural to taste a stranger.
Etymology: From: ettiquette and pet.
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COMMENTS:
petticularly good word! - Nosila, 2009-11-14: 00:36:00
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Zoomiliate
Created by: Nosila
Pronunciation: zoo mil ee ayt
Sentence: Although Andrea was very fond of her new love, John, a rich doctor (her Mother would be delighted), she was afraid of going to his place for the first time. He had loads of animals and she feared that they might zoomiliate her, because she was not fond of them and they might sense it. Her worst phobias were realized that first night when the dogs dogged her, the cats were purrfectly awful to her, the hamsters hampered her, the budgies bugged her, the rabbits were rabid to her, the parrot parodied her, the ferrets fretted her, the turtles left her shell-shocked, the horses gave her nightmares, the cows bullied her, the goats and sheep treated her baaaadly and the chickens were fowl to her. She ran off never to return. Dr.John Doolittle then turned to his flock and thanked them for getting rid of the gold-digger!
Etymology: Zoo (Menagerie;group of animals housed in a place) & Humiliate (embarrass;mortify;shame)
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COMMENTS:
daaaaaamn, you're good - galwaywegian, 2009-11-13: 04:22:00
do you guys play Verbotomy at 4:00 in the morning while I am still sleeping? - mweinmann, 2009-11-13: 07:42:00
By the way, I love your word...you seem to be in "full gear" while I am not yet awake! - mweinmann, 2009-11-13: 07:43:00
Being on Mountain Standard Time, I get the new word at 10:00 each night...so it's usually the last thing I do before I fall into the arms of Morpheus! - Nosila, 2009-11-13: 12:09:00
You did it again - another fantastic word and sentence! I'm on easter standard time and can't stay awake till midnight to get the new word. - splendiction, 2009-11-13: 19:50:00
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Petabarrassment
Created by: totalyclipse
Pronunciation: pet a barr assment
Sentence: He was diagnosed with petabarrassment.
Etymology: Said to be from Greek penta (five) with the middle letter removed, as if the previously coined prefix tera- had been formed in the same way from Greek tetra (four).
Petifoul
Created by: Stevenson0
Pronunciation: pet/i/fowl
Sentence: Fred's dog, Fido, always sniffs, licks and slobbers when he meets people. Fido is a petifoul. Anybody who has been petifouled, hates petifoulers.
Etymology: pet + foul
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COMMENTS:
Poor Fido's really copping a hammering today. Does anyone actually know someone with a dog called Fido? - petaj, 2007-04-27: 21:31:00
I know someone with a phone called fido... - wordmeister, 2007-04-29: 06:03:00
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Prehumptuous
Created by: Tigger
Pronunciation: /pri-HUHMP-choo-uhs/
Sentence: After his incarceration in 'the pen', and his subsequent release into society, Fido displayed behavior that could only be described as prehumptuous. Fido's owner, Owen, could scarcely have a date drop by his apartment, or even his own mother, without Fido first pawing and then birddogging them. Needless to say, that made for some quite embarrassing visits.
Etymology: Presumptuous - impertinently bold behavior; forwardness (from Latin, præsumere "to take beforehand") & Hump - [as in 'humping'] a bad pet habit often displayed by canines; and particularly Fido! (slang origin of the word is uncertain; first published use in 1785)
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COMMENTS:
Great words this week everyone. Been travelling a lot, so I know this is way late, but I couldn't help adding my complaints about that absolute hound, Fido. Sorry metro, but he really is a "Bad Dog!!" - Tigger, 2008-07-06: 03:46:00
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Petaster
Created by: Goldentongue
Pronunciation: Pe-tas-ter
Sentence: What a petaster! I'm most embarrassed, forgive Peewee he doesn't normally do that to other people, but it's quite pleasurable isn't it?
Etymology: Pet: a domestic tamed animal. Disaster: an event that causes great damage
Discomfidoism
Created by: bountress
Pronunciation: dis-com-FI-do- ism
Sentence: Her dog's disomfidoism was out of line. My face was covered in slobber!
Etymology:
Profaunation
Created by: airlie
Pronunciation: pro-FAW-nay-shun
Sentence: Eleanor lunged backwards as Fido's attentions elevated from a friendly tail wag to intense profaunation. As though talking to Jed wasn't difficult enough, with his intense staring and too-friendly shoulder rubs and sneaky thigh touches, now his dog was invading her space. Feeling violated, Eleanor exclaimed to Jed, "Help! Your dog is trying to kiss me!" Jed snickered, and grabbed Fido's leash. "Down Fido! Down!" he exclaimed. "Sorry," he said, halfheartedly. "He's just very friendly." Eleanor wondered what else Fido and Jed had in common...
Etymology: PROFANATION: the act of profaning; desecration; defilement; debasement (PROFANE: to misuse something that should be held in reverence or respect) + FAUNA: the animals of a given region or period considered as a whole
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COMMENTS:
great word - hey metro - you missed one - Jabberwocky, 2008-07-04: 10:26:00
Terrific. - OZZIEBOB, 2008-07-05: 07:12:00
PROFAWNATION's nice- but it could be misinterpreted as a nation populated by professional adolescent whitetail deer.....?
Which are SURE to be chased by......FIDO! - metrohumanx, 2008-07-05: 10:19:00
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Nonmannerism
Created by: ekath
Pronunciation: non-man-er-ism
Sentence: My dog's most striking nonmannerism is her tendency to rub her butt on the stairs (for some obscure medical reason). My little brother, watching this, tried to imitate her and ended up getting carpet burn on his rear.
Etymology: from non + "man" + mannerism
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COMMENTS:
That story is so funny it must be true! - wordmeister, 2007-04-28: 22:49:00
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Comments:
Today's definition was suggested by purpleartichokes.
Thank you purpleartichokes! ~ James
Yes the rumors are true. This week we are offering the The Verbotomy Cup as prize for the top player of the week. See details on the Verbotomy Blog ~ James
Jabberwocky - 2007-04-27: 12:54:00
Hi Verbotomy, Those cups (mugs)are really great. Would it be possible for any of us to purchase ones even if we don't win?
Hi Jabberwocky, Glad you like the Verbotomy Cup! It is our wampeter, and as such I don't think we would sell it, because that might turn it into a MacGuffin. ~ James
Is it our waxing or waning wampeter? What's the other one (since a karass always has exactly two wampeters)?
I believe it is still waxing. And think that Dan Pink's right brain is the other wampeter. ~ James
mana1066 - 2007-05-06: 23:04:00
some of that went right over my head. whine! i want a cup too!
Quit a tail from the punster extrordinaire! Poor FIDO is the Lee Harvey Oswald of doggie misbehavior.
Today's definition was suggested by purpleartichokes. Thank you purpleartichokes. ~ James