Vote for the best verboticism.

'I just asked the boss if she'd date me...'

DEFINITION: v. To make a mistake where the benefits exceed the costs of the screw-up. n. An excellent mistake, which despite its stupidity, produces a positive outcome.

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Verboticisms

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Catasterrific

Created by: Rutilus

Pronunciation: cat-as-ter-if-ik

Sentence: Geoff was happily contemplating the reason he'd got here.Refusing to accept his line manager's bullying and getting fired had given him time to study and re-train. Here was a man better qualified, better off and much happier. Oh how he chuckled at an event he had seen as a disaster had in fact been completely catasterrific for him.

Etymology: Catastrophic - dramatic negative effect; Terrific - extremely good, wonerful

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Fauxparagon

Created by: OZZIEBOB

Pronunciation: foh-PAR-uh-gon

Sentence: As the flash of the photographer's camera went off, amid what seemed to me to be an eternity of applause, my heart pounded with the joy of success. Years of hard work had finally paid off; my book had won the neighourhood annual literary award. However as I came forward to accept the thousand dollar prize, it was quickly becoming apparent to me that, to my horror and utter disbelief, almost certainly, a "great" dust-cover disaster was unfolding right before my eyes: the printers had put my name, by mistake, on another author's work. It was a fauxparagon, but I been down or my luck for far too long, so why shouldn't I have a bit of dumb luck too; and, anyway, I needed the money more than he did.

Etymology: FAUX: false, a blunder; PARAGON:ideal instance; a perfect model,perfect example.

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COMMENTS:

oops! - Jabberwocky, 2008-05-02: 14:07:00

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Inadvertendipity

Created by: Mustang

Pronunciation: In-ad-vert-ehn-DIP-ety

Sentence: Belinda's gift for inadvertendipity repeatedly astounded her friends and family when so many times things that might turn into disasters became successes in spite of her ineptitude in actually planning her life.

Etymology: Blend of inadvertent and serendipity

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COMMENTS:

mrskellyscl Great word! - mrskellyscl, 2009-06-12: 07:31:00

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Wurkel

Created by: alicat

Pronunciation: work-el

Sentence: I wurkelled when I crashed my mom's car. Now the insurance is replacing the car with a new one. Did I do that?

Etymology: Win + Urkel (as in Steve Urkel from Family Matters) or Work + Urkel

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Beneflukedup

metrohumanx

Created by: metrohumanx

Pronunciation: ben-ih-FLUKKED-up

Sentence: Their boss was a floozy- Todd really expected… To get some "OT" but was firmly rejected. Although he believed through the ranks he’d move up- He’s unemployed now ‘cause he BENEFLUKEDUP. Boasting about how she was more than willin’... His workmates line up now to take penicillin.

Etymology: BENEfits+FLUKE+f*ckeD UP= BENEFLUKEDUP.....BENEFIT: advantage, useful aid, help, a service provided by an employer in addition to wages or salary; Middle English, from Anglo-French benfet, from Latin bene factum, from neuter of bene factus, past participle of bene facere.....FLUKE: a stroke of luck, an accidentally successful stroke at billiards, pool, or social climbing; Middle English floke, fluke, from Old English flōc; akin to Old English flōh chip, Old High German flah smooth, Greek plax flat surface, and probably to Old English flōr floor.....F*ck up: to ruin or spoil especially through stupidity or carelessness, to act foolishly or stupidly, to blunder; origin uncertain.

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COMMENTS:

Your poems are epic, like played in 3D, who knew one could rhyme about the joys of VD? - Nosila, 2009-06-12: 08:53:00

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Erreka

Created by: galwaywegian

Pronunciation: urr eeek ah

Sentence: His accidental overdose of the new eyedrops he had been prescribed rendered him practically blind, but made him look really cutem, according to the (hopefully) beautiful 18 year old blonde who had just bought him a drink. It was an erreka moment.

Etymology: err, eureka.

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COMMENTS:

I hope her name was Erica - great combo - Jabberwocky, 2008-05-02: 06:08:00

Excellent verboticism. - Mustang, 2008-05-02: 18:46:00

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Airrorist

Created by: Nosila

Pronunciation: err or ist

Sentence: Randy was an airrorist. He'd slept in late, had not finished packing and due to heavy traffic got to the airport just as his flight to Miami took off without him. He had to rebook, wait 4 hours and finally boarded, only to learn that the flight he missed had been hijacked to Cuba and no one knew the fate of the passengers yet. His airror this morning saved his life!

Etymology: Air (travel via aircraft;flying) & Error (a misconception resulting from incorrect information;a wrong action attributable to bad judgment or ignorance or inattention) & ist (suffix for a person who follows a belief or does something) (Rhymes with Terrorist (a radical who employs terror as a political weapon; usually organizes with other terrorists in small cells; often uses religion as a cover for terrorist activities)

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Bewdytrap

petaj

Created by: petaj

Pronunciation: byoo-dee-trap

Sentence: Mark was on a sweet learning curve after falling for a bewdytrap. Although he succumbed to the seductive charms of a woman in power and asked her out for a date, the resulting dismissal led to a new job as a female impersonator. His strutting around the stage was reminiscent of his ex-boss and he was a huge hit with the audience.

Etymology: booby trap (something that causes someone to suffer an accident or make a mistake) + bewdy (Aust. sl variation of beauty meaning excellent)

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Egadvantage

Created by: Tigger

Pronunciation: /EE-gad-van-tij/

Sentence: When Vinny, the apprentice electrician, saw his boss grab his left arm, fall to the floor at his feet and then pass out, he dropped the wires he was holding and grabbed for the wall to steady himself. But he was working in front of the circuit breaker box, and instead of grabbing the wall, he accidentally switched on the main power feed. "Egad!" exclaimed Vinny, as his boss' body convulsed from the electricity, and he quickly switched the power off again. But it turned out to be an egadvantage, since the jolt restarted his boss' heart, saving his life.

Etymology: Egad - an expletive or mild oath (euphemistic corruption of the oath, "by God") + Advantage - a beneficial factor or combination of factors (from Old French, avantage "to come before")

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COMMENTS:

Good word, 'Shocking' story! - TJayzz, 2008-05-02: 16:28:00

Thank God Vinny did not conduct himself well that day!!Is this a shorts story?? - Nosila, 2008-05-03: 22:22:00

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Errambo

Created by: penelopeessence

Pronunciation: er-rambo

Sentence: To errambo (v) or an errambo (n). A doozy of a mistake or faux pas, e.g. 1.Propositioning the passing nun on the assumption she was in fancy dress was a real errambo. However, Eric became so contrite that he visited the church to confess and found his vocation there. 2.After making a joke about blowing up the laboratory he realised he'd erramboed when security arrived. But George admired their uniforms so much that he applied for a job and went on to earn his own handcuffs.

Etymology: From 'error', a mistake and 'Rambo', a larger than life fictional character. To make 'err' is human but to make a make a really big excellent mistake takes action of 'rambo' proportions.

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Comments:

Verbotomy Verbotomy - 2008-05-02: 00:01:00
Today's definition is inspired by Johnny Bunko's Career Lesson # 5: "Make excellent mistakes". See: "The Adventures of Johnny Bunko" by Dan Pink. Thanks Dan! ~ James

Verbotomy Verbotomy - 2009-06-12: 00:01:00
Today's definition is inspired by Johnny Bunko's Career Lesson # 5: "Make excellent mistakes". See: "The Adventures of Johnny Bunko" by Dan Pink. Thanks Dan! ~ James

Verbotomy Verbotomy - 2010-07-06: 00:01:00
Today's definition was suggested by johnnybunko. Thank you johnnybunko. ~ James

Israfaceneeme - 2018-07-06: 12:41:00
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