Vote for the best verboticism.
DEFINITION: n. The weird feelings that rise up when you notice that you are being followed by a police officer, or a cop car, or the Special Forces Anti-Terrorist Unit. v. To feel nervous, self-conscious and guilty whenever you see a police officer.
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.
Lawofthejangle
Created by: silveryaspen
Pronunciation: law - of - the - jan - gul
Sentence: As I wind my way through the jungle of city streets, a squad car sticks to my bumper like glue. Even though I am doing nothing wrong, it is making me very nervous and edgy! Don't you just hate it when you become a victim of the unwritten lawofthejangle? There ought to be a law against police stalking innocent people.!
Etymology: Law of the Jungle, Jangle. Law: police. Jangle: irritating a person's nerves.
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COMMENTS:
The law of the jangle and the jangled nerves brought on by the scrutiny of the law. Always running in circles...the rat race goes on....and on....and on. ;-) - Mustang, 2008-03-20: 07:05:00
and the heat goes on, la de dah de da - petaj, 2008-03-20: 09:31:00
very funny - Jabberwocky, 2008-03-20: 11:05:00
Very clever and funny. Thanks for info on copasetic. I think I first heard it used in the late 1960s by someone at Mission Control, Houston when speaking to Gene Cernan, saying "Everything is copasetic, Gene." I don't know it's etymology, I must try and find out about it . - OZZIEBOB, 2008-03-22: 00:49:00
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Hangxiety
Created by: doseydotes
Pronunciation: ˈhaŋ-ˈzī-ə-tē
Sentence: Mildred tried to fight it, she really did, but she found herself sweaty with hangxiety every time she passed Ralph, Woolworth's security guard. It had been 55 years since she'd filched that tube of lipstick - she'd been too scared to ever use it, and she ended up throwing it in a drainage ditch - but she was certain that all Ralph had to do was look at her closely enough and he'd KNOW.
Etymology: From the British root, hang, meaning to stand about waiting for the trouble to start so one can get in on it early; and the Finnish (the Fins are such good finishers), xiety, meaning a group that collectively ducks its head in a guilty manner.
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COMMENTS:
Interesting etymology! When I think of hanging ... I think gallows! Your word is frighteningly good! - silveryaspen, 2008-03-20: 15:45:00
One way to generate true hangziety would be to ask a cop "How's it haning?" - silveryaspen, 2008-03-20: 15:47:00
Such a clever pun ... and incorporating hang with all it's meanings was absolutely brilliant! - silveryaspen, 2008-03-20: 15:48:00
Comprehensive and learned etymology. Saturday night's alright for fighting.... - stache, 2008-03-20: 16:53:00
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Susspooked
Created by: purpleartichokes
Pronunciation: sus-spookd
Sentence: Seeing the cop car in her rear view mirror, Alice felt susspooked, recalling that just yesterday she had ripped off from her mattress the DO NOT REMOVE UNDER PENALTY OF LAW tag.
Etymology: suspect, spooked
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COMMENTS:
Not the mattress tag!? Oh, that's hilarious. - Tigger, 2008-03-20: 11:57:00
Great originality! It ssssssslides over the tongue and ends with a poke ... fun to say and a fun sentence ... Double Kudos to you today! - silveryaspen, 2008-03-20: 16:03:00
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Poliprehensivity
Created by: yelloweyes
Pronunciation: pawl-ih-preh-hen-siv-it-ee
Sentence: Shelly has a severe case of poliprehensivity! Every time she sees a cop car, she flinches and hisses like a scared ferret. I think she poliprehensives so often because her dad went to jail when she was a kid.
Etymology: Poli - from police; prehensivity - from apprehensive (anxious/fearful something bad will happen).
Petrifuzzed
Created by: silveryaspen
Pronunciation: pe tri fuzz d
Sentence: The patrol car at a cafe, or stopping someone on a highway, chills us and fills us, with anxieties. We avoid them, like they were a dread disease. Even doing nothing wrong, it doesn't take very long, if around us, the cops buzzed, we go stone cold ... I call it petrifuzzed!
Etymology: PETRIFIED, FUZZ. PETRIFIED - so uneasy you turn stone cold. FUZZ - slang term for any type of police.
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COMMENTS:
great word - Jabberwocky, 2009-01-12: 12:06:00
Very sobering thought. - metrohumanx, 2009-01-12: 17:53:00
good word - mweinmann, 2009-01-13: 08:30:00
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Ticketdeskaphobia
Created by: Jamagra
Pronunciation: tik/it/desk/a/fo/bee/a
Sentence: Michelle had already accumulated 11 points against her driver's license. Two more would result in a suspension. Michelle's ticketdeskaphobia kicked in as she walked through the donut shop parking lot.
Etymology: ticket desk (a place at the police station or city hall to pay ticket fines in person) + phobia (an irrational fear of something); also a play on "triskaidekaphobia" (fear of the number 13...my favorite word to say)
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COMMENTS:
great - Jabberwocky, 2008-03-20: 11:07:00
Clever creation. - Tigger, 2008-03-20: 11:33:00
Your word adds up in more ways than one! - silveryaspen, 2008-03-20: 15:30:00
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Authoriterrorian
Created by: Banky
Pronunciation: awe-thorr-ih-tear-roar-een
Sentence: Was it a pothole? Brad was almost certain that it was, but it sort of felt like the truck bounced up instead of slammed down into the hole. The car behind him sped up, closing the gap between the vehicles at a pace that could only mean he would soon be bathed in red and blue light. He saw the outline of the roof mounted lights in the steel blue twilight of the sky. It had to have been a baby. He had run over a baby, and was now going to go to prison for the rest of his life. He would have a cell mate who was in the Vice Lords, and he would rape him...every night for three months. He'd toss him aside, a used shell of a man, trading him casually in the prison yard to a Mexican drug mule for a pack of smokes and a copy of "Jamaican Jugz". He would be unable to sit for weeks, and would have to sleep on the lice-ridden mattress on his stomach, crying himself silently to sleep, unable to...the car changed lanes, flying past him on the right, a blur of a red VW Jetta with a roofrack. Brad's authoriterrorian induced visage of the future faded as he crossed the rumble strip, quickly correcting to keep the truck on the road.
Etymology: authoritarian - submission to authority; terror - palpable fear
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COMMENTS:
Fantastic sentence (as usual), and fits the definition nicely! - purpleartichokes, 2008-03-20: 09:16:00
when you try to say the word it comes out like a dog barking - Jabberwocky, 2008-03-20: 11:11:00
Laugh-out-loud funny story! Great creation. - Tigger, 2008-03-20: 11:55:00
You have a great imagination and the vocabulary and ability to share it ever so wittily. You really know how to play with words! As always ... Excellent! - silveryaspen, 2008-03-20: 15:42:00
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Gulpable
Created by: artr
Pronunciation: gəlpəbəl
Sentence: Its not that he was all that bad a driver but every time he saw a police car in his rear view mirror he would have a gulpable moment. He would also fall into a state of dread when he came into contact with a doctor.
Etymology: gulp (make effortful breathing or swallowing movements, typically in response to strong emotion) + culpable (deserving blame)
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COMMENTS:
Captures the reaction and feeling so very well! - silveryaspen, 2009-01-12: 10:40:00
Gulpability is a serious crime...good word! - Nosila, 2009-01-12: 19:12:00
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Copscientious
Created by: Nosila
Pronunciation: kop shee en shuss
Sentence: When Zelda looked in her rear view mirror, that old feeling of being copscientious swept over her when she saw the patrol car behind her with two of the city's finest inside. A drop of sweat started on her brow and the perspiration started flowing. No wonder they called cops The Heat, she thought. She continued driving down the street, hoping they would get called away soon. She was meticulous in her driving procedures, for all her anxiety. Would they pull me over for some minor infraction? Had she forgotten some teensy traffic law? Her hands grew clammy and she prayed that she could get through the next light and leave them behind. Of course, no such luck today. She continued driving and trying to suppress that panicky feeling, hoping that her nervousness would not translate into a foolish mistake. She tried to remember where she had her pink slip and registration papers...her purse or her glove compartment? Letting her eyes stray back to the rear view mirror, she was horrified to see that they had moved up closer behind her. Now, she thought, I'll make a right turn (legally, of course) and try to lose them. To her horror, they signalled to turn right as well. Now she was beyond being copscientious, she was spiralling into panic mode. In the next moment, she felt relief sweep over her, as the patrol car turned into a driveway. She drove on away as the police pulled up to the donut shop. Thank goodness they had never stopped her. It would have been hard to explain away her husband's lifeless body in the trunk!!
Etymology: cops (bad boys, bad boys, what you gonna do, what you gonna do when they come for you??) & Conscientious (characterized by extreme care and great effort )
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COMMENTS:
terrific story - Jabberwocky, 2008-03-20: 11:10:00
Agreed, great story — gave me chills. - Tigger, 2008-03-20: 11:46:00
Terrorific sentence and word! - silveryaspen, 2008-03-20: 15:22:00
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Coughicer
Created by: simoneshin
Pronunciation: cough-icer
Sentence:
Etymology: a cough is a sudden and often repetitively occurring defence reflex which helps to clear the large breathing passages from excess secretions, irritants, foreign particles
Comments:
Today's definition was suggested by Nosila. Thank you Nosila. ~ James
mokelmoney - 2009-01-12: 12:32:00
copetrinoia
mokelmoney - 2009-01-12: 12:38:00
copetrinoia: cop/ e/ tri/ noia- to be petrified of the cops to the point of paranoia. Also, not change the subject [no pun intended] ,however I have made numerous contributions. Why are they being disregarded? Please check again...thats Bea Helfy or mokelmoney. Thank you
Today's definition was suggested by Nosila. Thank you Nosila. ~ James
DiplomatUfimskmef - 2018-05-27: 19:30:00
Уважаемые пользователи, друзья! Хотелось бы поделиться несложной и оч
GeorgeSib - 2018-05-27: 19:51:00
Вашему вниманию: организация свадеб в киеве и многое другое от Компании АртМуз: организаци