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.

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:

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

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

| 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

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.

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

nice! - galwaywegian, 2008-05-19: 14:06:00

Excellent word. Makes me salivate. lol - Mustang, 2008-05-19: 14:36:00

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

| 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

Poochnique

Created by: OZZIEBOB

Pronunciation: POOCH-neek

Sentence: "If you have something to say." Roxie barked, "shut up." She hoped that her poochniques would make Bob think that he had a dog for a wife, and he would forever remain her best friend.

Etymology: Blend of POOCH: slang for dog; etymology unknown, could be from German "Putzi" a name for a lap-dog?? & TECHNIQUE.

| Comments and Points

Rollrover

artr

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)

| Comments and Points

Perpeturate

Created by: Mustang

Pronunciation: per-PET-yur-ayt

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

Etymology: Blend of 'pet' (a pampered and usually spoiled child) 'perpetuate' ( to make perpetual or cause to last indefinitely) and 'saturate' ( to treat, furnish, or charge with something to the point where no more can be absorbed, dissolved, or retained)

| Comments and Points

Reinforceman

mrskellyscl

Created by: mrskellyscl

Pronunciation: re-in-force-man

Sentence: Lia found that Max responded well to positive reinforceman one day by accident when she came home and found the dishes were done. She fussed on him, grilled his favorite steak and bought him a six-pack. Max immediately got up after the meal and did the dishes. Later that night while watching Victoria Stilwell train a Rottweiler on "It's Me or the Dog" she had a revelation. Perhaps she could teach Max to put the toilet seat down if she used a really good reward. She decided to learn some training techniques from Victoria and immediately went to the mall to get a little treat for him from Victoria's Secret.

Etymology: reinforcement + man: in Operant Conditioning reinforcement occurs when an event following a response will increase the likelihood of that response happening again. Animals trained with reinforcement techniques are trained by using treats and praise instead of negative reinforcement. Victoria Stilwell is a dog trainer on Animal Planet who uses reinforcement on ill-mannered dogs.

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

Clever word and story.... - mweinmann, 2009-06-30: 08:03:00

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

| Comments and Points

Beaubedience

artr

Created by: artr

Pronunciation: bōbēdēəns

Sentence: Jill believes in beaubedience. Her boyfriend knows how to behave because she has taught him well. Just last week when he spilled milk on the kitchen counter, she rubbed his nose in it and barked at him. At least she has given up smacking him with rolled-up newspaper.

Etymology: beau (a boyfriend or male admirer) + obedience (compliance with someone\'s wishes or orders or acknowledgment of their authority)

| Comments and Points

Dougwhisperer

artr

Created by: artr

Pronunciation: dəgwispərər

Sentence: Doug's girlfriend is great at getting him to do what she wants by applying the best pet training techniques. A treat here, a scratch behind the ear there. She keeps it all positive, no smack with a rolled-up newspaper here. She is so good at it that her friends call her the Dougwhisperer.

Etymology: Doug () + Dog Whisperer (The Dog Whisperer, Cesar Millan, is a dog trainer who adopts a sympathetic view of the motives, needs, and desires of the dog, based on natural dog behavior and modern dog psychology)

| 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