Vote for the best verboticism.

'Now be a good boy, and pick up your socks'

DEFINITION: v. To use animal training techniques to improve and direct the behavior of other people. n. A technique which uses the principles of animal training to solve a human behavioral riddle.

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.

Perpeturate

Created by: Mustang

Pronunciation: per - PET - yur - ait

Sentence: Using a system of punishments and rewards as she did with her doberman, Miriam attempted to perpeturate the same kinds of desired automatic responses from her boyfriend, Wilmont.

Etymology: Blend of perpetuate, pet, and saturate

| Comments and Points

Pavlover

Created by: Nosila

Pronunciation: pav lov er

Sentence: In order to break her husband Ivan of his sock-dropping habits, Anna rewarded him with love in order to get him to respond. She was a pavlover and if he still didn't learn to pick up his socks, she had to become a pavtufflover. But enough about their socks life...

Etymology: Pavlov (Russian physiologist who observed conditioned salivary responses in dogs (1849-1936)) & Lover (a person who loves or is loved)

| Comments and Points

Obediencesocool

Created by: splendiction

Pronunciation: rhymes with "obedience school"

Sentence: They had tried everything, it seemed, to eliminate their son’s thumbsucking: behaviour modification, ignoring, even praise. Nothing worked until obediencesocool! The idea of simply complying with their requests actually became the new cool thing to do! They hoped this new trend would last and spawn similar trends.

Etymology: A play on a dog "obedience school".

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

Cool word...what you have to do with teens these days... - Nosila, 2009-06-30: 01:22:00

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

| Comments and Points

Psycholdoggy

petaj

Created by: petaj

Pronunciation: sigh-COL-dog-e

Sentence: Sue-Ellen soon wised up she could manage her children's own behaviour modification for the cost of an obedience training course for her pet. There was no reason to pay out megabucks on a professional, when she was an expert psycholdogist.

Etymology: psychology + dog

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

nice and original - Jabberwocky, 2008-05-19: 14:19:00

I think that's happened to me. Good one! - Mustang, 2008-05-19: 23:52:00

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

| Comments and Points

Homesticate

Created by: Stevenson0

Pronunciation: hoh/mes/ti/kate

Sentence: In most relationships, the woman has to homesticate the male so he can function in modern society.

Etymology: homo sapiens (the modern species of humans) + domesticate (to tame an animal to live with humans); therefore, homesticate (to tame a human to live with humans)

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

good play on the human condition.... - mweinmann, 2009-06-30: 08:02:00

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

| Comments and Points

Schoolafool

Created by: shija

Pronunciation: school-laf-fool

Sentence: Have you tried schoolafooling?

Etymology: A blend of schooling and fooling.

| Comments and Points

Folklured

Created by: Tigger

Pronunciation: /fohk-loord/

Sentence: Sherry wasn't what you'd call 'book-smart' but she was very good at figuring out what people's motivations were, and which tactics would make them act the way she wanted. She had folklured her boyfriend into a marriage proposal, her parents into buying her another new car, and even her teachers into giving her good grades — now she was about to graduate college, thanks to another student, who was also her enamoured and very lonely tutor. She was definitely going to either work in sales, or in politics.

Etymology: from the word 'Folklore': Folk - people in general, or people of a distinct group (from German, volk "people") + Lured - tempted or enticed into a particular action; used a decoy for fishing or trapping (from Middle Low German, loder "bait")

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

She must have folklured her parents into buying her a new folkswagen! - Nosila, 2008-05-19: 16:56:00

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

| Comments and Points

Pavlovegantheory

Created by: Jabberwocky

Pronunciation: pav/low/veegan/theory

Sentence: The pavlovegantheory explores conditioning the reflexes of patrons to eat only vegetables when the subjects hear a bell ringing. An example would be the huge success of Potaco Bell.

Etymology: Pavolovian theory (dog's salivating when they hear a bell ringing) + vegan

| Comments and Points

Barkcorrecting

Created by: Annelanda

Pronunciation:

Sentence:

Etymology:

| Comments and Points

Circusitous

Created by: bookowl

Pronunciation: sir/cus/i/tus

Sentence: I used a circusitous route but the leash worked wonders for keeping the kids in check.

Etymology: circus + circuitous (devious)

| Comments and Points

Show All or More...

 

Comments:

Verbotomy Verbotomy - 2008-05-19: 00:01:00
Today's definition is inspired by Amy Sutherland's new book "What Shamu Taught me About Life, Love and Marriage". where she reminds us that "People are animals too!", and that "Any interaction is training". Now Amy has invented her own word for this and it's "Shamu", so I have added it today's list of verboticisms! Thanks Amy! ~ James

Verbotomy Verbotomy - 2009-06-29: 00:01:00
Today's definition is inspired by Amy Sutherland's book "What Shamu Taught me About Life, Love and Marriage", where she reminds us that "People are animals too!", and that "Any interaction is training". Of course, Amy has invented her own word for this -- "Shamu". Let's see what we come up with now... Thanks Amy! ~ James

Verbotomy Verbotomy - 2010-07-19: 00:41:00
Today's definition was suggested by amysutherland. Thank you amysutherland. ~ James