Vote for the best verboticism.
DEFINITION: n., A compulsive need to sniff everything and anything you pick up, even things that typically do not have distinctive odors. v., To habitually sniff everything within your grasp -- just to make sure it's fresh.
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.
Snexpertiff
Created by: remistram
Pronunciation: snek-spurt-iff
Sentence: He snexpertiffed anything in sight like a german shepherd police dog looking for contraband.
Etymology: sniff + expert
Obscensitivity
Created by: Mustang
Pronunciation: Ob-sens-uh-TIV-uh-ty
Sentence: Ralph had a major case of obscentsitivity and would sniff everything, foods, personal grooming tools, and other inanimate objects with some kind of misguided notion that he could determine the safety or value of those things.
Etymology: Blend of obsessive, scent, and sensitivity.
----------------------------
COMMENTS:
A triple whammy! - metrohumanx, 2008-10-27: 20:09:00
----------------------------
Duressence
Created by: Jabberwocky
Pronunciation: duress/ence
Sentence: Carlos was driven by an overwhelming duressence to identify every object by it's scent. By thirty, his nostrils were immense.
Etymology: duress + essence
----------------------------
COMMENTS:
Carlos had King Kong nostrils? - metrohumanx, 2008-10-27: 20:10:00
----------------------------
Nosphonatu
Created by: awesomoshis
Pronunciation: Nose-phone-ah-two
Sentence: I've been experiencing severe nosphonatu every since I dropped my phone in the toilet.
Etymology:
Odoretentiveness
Created by: OZZIEBOB
Pronunciation: OH-de-REE-ten-TIV-ness
Sentence: Bob's odoretentiveness was becoming serious. If he couldn't identify each odor specifically, he would become sniffixated, full of smellancholy and fragrangsted. However, Roxie wasn't worried: Bob, after all, was of Greek background, and besides a fellow called Odorpus Reakes, was one of his ancesstors!
Etymology: Conflation of ODOR & RETENTIVENESS to describe a person with such attention to detail of odors, smells and the like that the obsession becomes an annoyance to others, and can be carried out to the detriment of the odor-retentive person.
----------------------------
COMMENTS:
Thanks for all the "bonus" words in there, creative one! - metrohumanx, 2008-10-27: 20:17:00
Hey, Bob...aren't you from the same land as Smell Gibson?? Good Word! - Nosila, 2008-10-27: 21:00:00
----------------------------
Funkjunkie
Created by: petaj
Pronunciation: funk-junk-ee
Sentence: Fenella's compulsive sniffing had a nasty side-effect whereby she became addicted to strong, even repulsive, odours. She was diagnosed as a funkjunkie.
Etymology: funk (a strong smell) + junkie (addict)
----------------------------
COMMENTS:
Good one petaj. I like the sound of it. - purpleartichokes, 2007-11-29: 19:08:00
----------------------------
Snootfool
Created by: artr
Pronunciation: snoōtfoōl
Sentence: Harold is sure he can detect even the slightest sign that things are not what they should be. With a quick sniff he declares a check legit or fraudulent. He has rejected designer jeans more than once after a mere whiff. He sees himself as a Sherlock Holmes. Most see him as a snootfool.
Etymology: snoot (a person*s nose) + fool (a person who acts unwisely or imprudently; a silly person) a play on snootful
Snufflephilia
Created by: zxvasdf
Pronunciation: Snuf fle philia
Sentence: Allergy season has the tendency to turn large groups with normal nostril behavior into snufflephiles. It is not just allergies that inflict people with snufflephilia; some individuals are inexorably compelled to sample the smorgasbord of odors populating this world.
Etymology: Snuffle (to sniff) & -philia (tendency towards)
----------------------------
COMMENTS:
Odors are one of the most powerful memory-jogging senses we posess- the region of the brain that stores memories is intimately linked with the ability to smell.sniff sniff! - metrohumanx, 2008-10-27: 20:06:00
I reckon Proust made that school of thought popular. If you have children, it's advisable to impress upon them importance of a lesson with an unique, custom made smell. - zxvasdf, 2008-10-28: 00:33:00
I remember that "sour kid smell" all too well. - metrohumanx, 2008-10-28: 17:46:00
----------------------------
Compulsniff
Created by: Nuwanda
Pronunciation: come-pul-sniff
Sentence: Kathleen was a bit compulsniff, especially when it came to books. She would pick one up and quickly thumb the pages to release the book's scent. Yearbooks were--and still are--the best smelling books around.
Etymology: compulsive + sniff
----------------------------
COMMENTS:
Mmmmmm Boooooks! Yummy smells! - metrohumanx, 2008-10-27: 20:19:00
Great word, Nuwanda...makes scents! - Nosila, 2008-10-27: 21:03:00
----------------------------
Kleptaromatist
Created by: MichaelCampbellUK
Pronunciation: klep - ta - rome - a - tist
Sentence: Kevin was a confirmed kleptaromatist, compelled to plunder new scents uncontrollably.
Etymology: Kleptomaniac + aromatist
----------------------------
COMMENTS:
I like it! - Tigger, 2007-12-03: 21:27:00
----------------------------
Comments:
Today's definition was suggested by kabloozie. Thank you kabloozie ~ James
Remistram also submitted definition about compulsive sniffing, so I have added her name to the credits for this definition. Thank you again to kabloozie and remistram. ~ James
Today's definition was suggested by kabloozie. Thank you kabloozie. ~ James