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...
You have two votes. Click on the words to read the details, then vote your favorite.
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)
----------------------------
COMMENTS:
I bet Dexter has several pendavers - Jabberwocky, 2008-10-03: 09:47:00
Good word - OZZIEBOB, 2008-10-05: 17:35:00
----------------------------
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)
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
----------------------------
Styless
Created by: pungineer
Pronunciation: Style/less
Sentence: Winston's major coronary failure was prompted when he was left styless in his own home, at the very moment he needed to write down the number flashing before him on the screen, his thoughtless children had taken all the functioning pens to school...
Etymology: Stylus - writing utensil + Less - opposite of more
----------------------------
COMMENTS:
No doubt his children thought he was styleless too. Daaaad, don't pick me up from school wearing that. - petaj, 2007-11-06: 07:09:00
ha, that'll teach them to steal all the good pens! - pungineer, 2007-11-06: 12:02:00
----------------------------
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 utilsils turn into pendavers when an important message needs to be scribbled.
Etymology: pen + cadaver
----------------------------
COMMENTS:
kinda gruesome but apt - porsche, 2007-11-06: 14:05:00
Good word! - OZZIEBOB, 2007-11-06: 16:54:00
----------------------------
Bictimized
Created by: purpleartichokes
Pronunciation: BIK-tum-ized
Sentence: The infomercial was urging him to "CALL NOW!!", but where was the freakin' pen to write down the number!? Finally finding it right where he left it, wedged between the telephone and milk in the refrigerator, he snatched it up and began to write down the number. But, alas, it would not produce anything more than a small dent in the paper, leaving Bob, once again, bictimized.
Etymology: Bic (brand of pen), victimized
----------------------------
COMMENTS:
The noun would be a "bicdemise". - purpleartichokes, 2007-11-06: 04:59:00
That would be the moment when he threw the useless calligraphic instrument into the bin. - petaj, 2007-11-06: 07:11:00
On the plus side, that probably saved Bob from later suffering buyers regret. - libertybelle, 2007-11-06: 08:50:00
----------------------------
Frupenstration
Created by: remistram
Pronunciation: fruh-pen-strey-shun
Sentence: By digging a small grave for all his old pens helped his frupenstration anxiety, but he did keep his favorite purple pen under his pillow - in case the pen fairy happened to come around.
Etymology: frustration + pen
----------------------------
COMMENTS:
has a great sound to it - would be very satisfying to mutter when searching for a pen - Jabberwocky, 2007-11-06: 14:03:00
thanks! I was going to go with fruspentration, but it sounded odd...! - remistram, 2007-11-06: 16:20:00
----------------------------
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)
Peninkless
Created by: Mustang
Pronunciation: PEN-ink-less
Sentence: Farley finally found a pen but he was again frustrated,as the pen was completely out of ink but it was bitter irony since he had intended to write a check on an empty bank account...he was both peninkless and momentarily penniless as well.
Etymology: Blend of 'pen', 'ink' with suffix 'less' (without) play on the word penniless
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