Vote for the best verboticism.
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.
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.
Folkwhisperer
Created by: Nosila
Pronunciation: foke whis per er
Sentence: Abby decided to use her skills as a Horse Whisperer on her human family to see if the methods brought the same great results they had with her equine clients. With a large carrot, she approached her son Marvin cautiously, when he was again tying up her phone for hours. She bent close to his open ear, stroked his adolescent face gently and whispered the calming words which had the desired affect:"Get off that darn phone now or I will jam this carrot into your other ear!" At once he hung up and ran for his room. Yes, using Folkwhisperer methods worked every time... it wasn't tough love, but pavlove!
Etymology: folk (people in general)& the horse whisperer (a person who tames and trains horses by gentle methods and speech)
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COMMENTS:
'Pavloved' your story! Too funny! My conditioned response was to LOL... - Tigger, 2008-05-19: 02:49:00
you might not believe it but I didn't read youir sentence before I posted. - stache, 2008-05-19: 13:13:00
I believe you, stache...not the first time great minds have thought alike... - Nosila, 2008-05-19: 16:54:00
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Pavlovpotion
Created by: Nosila
Pronunciation: pav lov po shun
Sentence: Valentina trained dogs for a living, so it was no surprise that when she wanted her boyfriend, Charlie, to do her bidding, she had a method. She fed him a pavlovpotion and he would do anything for her without question.
Etymology: Pavlov (Russian physiologist who observed conditioned salivary responses in dogs (1849-1936)) & Love Potion (a drink credited with magical power; can make the one who takes it love the one who gave it)
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
Manapulate
Created by: TJayzz
Pronunciation: Man-ayp-yu-layt
Sentence: Pam was hoping that when Bob saw the documentary on how the apes adapted the various things in their surroundings to use as tools, that it may spur him on to getting on with all the little jobs that needed doing around the house
Etymology: Man(Human being) +ape (a large tailess primate) +(manipulate (to cleverly control or influence) =manapulate
Reinforcemen
Created by: mrskellyscl
Pronunciation: re-in-force-men
Sentence: Paula used both positive and negative reinforcemen to get whatever she wanted. Her technique included the rewards of steaks, sports, beer, and the occasional night out with the boys; however, she discovered that sex could be used both positively as a reward and negatively by withdrawing the reward when appropriate.
Etymology: reinforcement: technic whereby the delivery of a stimulus, good or bad, after a response increases the likelihood of the behavior repeating. + men: creatures that have been test subjects for women since the dawn of civilization
Shamu
Created by: Verbotomy
Pronunciation: Sham-moo
Sentence: Shamu the proper noun has become the all-purpose verb in our house. It's shorthand for using the principles of animal training to solve a behavioral riddle. We shamu friends, family, and neighbors. We shamu each other. "Did you just shamu me?" we will ask the other.
Etymology: Shamu is the stage name for the star Orcas (killer whales) at SeaWorld, that inspired the title of Amy Sutherland's book, "What Shamu Taught Me".
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COMMENTS:
The sentence is direct quote from Amy's book where she explains how she has adopted the word. ~ James - Verbotomy, 2008-05-19: 00:15:00
When this happens to me, I feel so Shamused. - Tigger, 2008-05-19: 02:54:00
Very shamutable! - OZZIEBOB, 2008-05-19: 06:38:00
Yes, if we apply shamu to creativity we get a shamutation. ~ James - Verbotomy, 2008-05-19: 15:46:00
I think it's time for as a serious stuff, what about the science, theory or study of shamu: "Shamulogy" - OZZIEBOB, 2008-05-20: 22:26:00
Oops! I think it's time for the serious stuff, what about the science, theory or study of shamu: "Shamulogy" - OZZIEBOB, 2008-05-20: 22:29:00
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Rollrover
Created by: artr
Pronunciation: rohl-roh-ver
Sentence: Jane's husband snores terribly if he sleeps on his back. She got tired of poking him in the ribs to get him to roll over onto his side. Watching him clicker-train their dog inspired her. That night, when the snoring started, she used the clicker. He immediately rolled onto his side. Her rollrover technique was a success. No more broken nails for her. No more sore ribs for him.
Etymology: roll over (a common trick dogs are trained to do) + Rover (a common dog name)
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:
good play on the human condition.... - mweinmann, 2009-06-30: 08:02:00
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Pavlove
Created by: stache
Pronunciation: pāv'lŭv'
Sentence: Janelle would pavlove Bart every night when he came home without the smell of cigarettes and beer about him; eventually, Bart stopped going to Moe's for drinks after work.
Etymology: Pavlov, Ivan, Russian physiologist who is best known for discovering the conditioned response; love, to have or express affection for another; also, sexual passion or desire.
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COMMENTS:
nice! - galwaywegian, 2008-05-19: 14:06:00
Excellent word. Makes me salivate. lol - Mustang, 2008-05-19: 14:36:00
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Comments:
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
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
Today's definition was suggested by amysutherland. Thank you amysutherland. ~ James