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.

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Verboticisms

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Petagogy

Created by: rebelvin

Pronunciation: PET+pedAGOGY

Sentence: I know she is training me like a pet, but I just fall for her petagogy every time.

Etymology: PET+pedAGOGY

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COMMENTS:

petaj love it - petaj, 2008-05-19: 05:43:00

That's it! - pieceof314, 2008-05-19: 08:26:00

excellent - galwaywegian, 2008-05-19: 14:01:00

Good word. - OZZIEBOB, 2008-05-22: 01:19:00

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Spousebreak

Created by: skeeterzirra

Pronunciation: rhymes with housebreak

Sentence: If all men are dogs, where's a man-whisperer to teach women how to spousebreak them?

Etymology: Housebreak

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Petiquette

Created by: mweinmann

Pronunciation: pet - eh - kit

Sentence: Marjorie used petiquette to train her husband to do household chores. If he put the toilet seat down, he got a cookie; when he mowed the lawn, he got some ice cream. Every task had a "payoff" of some type..... She figured that if this worked on the dog, it might work on Charles.

Etymology: pet, etiquette (rules governing socially acceptable behavior)

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COMMENTS:

They don't call it animal husbandry for nothing! Good Word. - Nosila, 2009-06-30: 01:23:00

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Toughpavlove

Created by: Nosila

Pronunciation: tuff pav luv

Sentence: Anna used her psychological training to cure her boyfriend's bad habits. She called it toughpavlove because through conditioned response and a reward/punishment system, she got results and a cleaner house. Her Yorkie, Poopsie, was however, quite immune to the same training and pooped everywhere.

Etymology: Tough Love (The use of strict disciplinary measures and limitations on freedoms or privileges, as by a parent or guardian, as a means of fostering responsibility and expressing care or concern.) & Pavlov (Russian physiologist who observed conditioned salivary responses in dogs)

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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)

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Shamuducate

Created by: rikboyee

Pronunciation: sham-oo-dyoo-kayt

Sentence: once she discovered how much he enjoyed being scratched on the back of the head, she found it simple enough to shamuducate her husband

Etymology: shamu, educate

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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)

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COMMENTS:

...but we can still 'devolve' during football games, can't we? Excellent word! - Tigger, 2008-05-19: 02:51:00

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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

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Fidoisum

Created by: abrakadeborah

Pronunciation: Fy-dow-is-um

Sentence: Sally always knew how to get her way with Grant all she had to do was offer a "fidoisum" and he jumped! Grant knew the rewards were soon in sight and in just a few moments he would be Sally's lap dawg...

Etymology: Fido;Name for a dog. Isum;To be treated like a dog then to act like a dog, to fetch & roll over and do tricks:)~

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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

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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