Vote for the best verboticism.
DEFINITION: n. A prop (e.g. papers, files or any non-functional equipment) used to create the illusion of busyness. v. To use office supplies to create the illusion that you are working.
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.
Work-o-the-wisprop
Created by: ohwtepph
Pronunciation: wohrk-oh-thuh-wiz-prop
Sentence: Oh god, that Ben has been such a work-o-the-wispropper ever since he started out in the business of being the business supervisor. The work-o-the-wisprop he carried around were very convincing: papers to be signed, a neat brown folder and a clipboard with Transformers scribbles on it.
Etymology: will-o-the-wisp [illusion] + work + prop + wiz [the best at something e.g. a math wiz]
----------------------------
COMMENTS:
good one! - pguse, 2007-06-13: 10:04:00
thanks. :D - ohwtepph, 2007-06-13: 10:28:00
It's a good one and I voted for you! - Stevenson0, 2007-06-13: 17:36:00
How did you get that punctuation in there? - mplsbohemian, 2007-06-13: 19:43:00
you can work all sorts of magic if you go into 'oops i want to change the spelling' bit of the edit section.... it makes things much more verbsatile - rikboyee, 2007-06-13: 22:23:00
----------------------------
Phantofiles
Created by: Stevenson0
Pronunciation: fan/toe/files
Sentence: Joe had six different coloured sets of phantofiles he alternated at various times of the day to keep 'The Man' off his case and to demonstrate his industriousness and multitasking abilities. "Damn, he's good!" thought his boss. "He's been working on six different projects today and it's only noon." Joe's phantofiles put him in line for a raise.
Etymology: PHANTOFILES - noun - from PHANTOM (an appearance, or illusion without material substance) + FILES (a container, or folder for keeping papers in order)
----------------------------
COMMENTS:
I worked with a guy that did that...he got away with it until his new female boss figured him out and gave him the boot! - Nosila, 2008-08-06: 00:50:00
pesty female bosses! - scrabbelicious, 2008-08-06: 06:43:00
What datum lurks in the hearts of men?Only the Phantofile knows. - metrohumanx, 2008-08-06: 11:25:00
----------------------------
Roboflage
Created by: administraitor
Pronunciation: row-bow-flaj
Sentence: Howard found that measuring floors desks and windows allowed him to prowl the office at will, his roboflage consisting of a tape and clipboard.
Etymology: robot (worker) + camouflage
Shirkprop
Created by: OZZIEBOB
Pronunciation: SHURK-prop
Sentence: Bob was a fauxbullient gizbo, but most of all he was a scheming skirkprop.
Etymology: SHIRK: One who lives by shifts and tricks; one who avoids the performance of duty or labor& PROP: any movable articles, item or objects used on the set of a play or movie;
----------------------------
COMMENTS:
Bob sounds like a complete fauxny. Shirkbait? Good word! - Mustang, 2008-08-06: 05:35:00
----------------------------
Smartphony
Created by: artr
Pronunciation: smärtfōnē
Sentence: Tom can always be seen with his smartphony in hand. It gives him the air of being up on current technology. He has never read an e-mail on it. He has never made or received a phone call. The truth is that he barely understands how to turn it on.
Etymology: smartphone (a mobile phone that incorporates a PDA) + phony (not genuine; fraudulent)
Figmendation
Created by: Nosila
Pronunciation: fig men day shun
Sentence: As a long time civil servant in the federal Department of the Obscure and Forgotten Files, Roger was the King of the Toadies. He spent his entire workday carrying around a file folder which was labelled S.M.A.R.T. It looked very official and proved to the innocent bystander or visitor that Roger was a man with a special mission and purpose in his work. In fact the S.M.A.R.T. File was a figmendation. It usually contained a crossword puzzle or scratch & win cards, which Roger would spend his days at work playing. His co-workers thought that the S.M.A.R.T. stood for Segregated Modules Actualizing Relative Theory. In fact, the S.M.A.R.T. acronym actually stood for See Me Avoiding Real Toil. Yes, Roger was also known by his more popular nickname: The SmartFile Dodger!
Etymology: figment (a contrived or fantastic idea, i.e: a figment of the imagination) & mendacious (intentionally untrue;lying)
----------------------------
COMMENTS:
Did Riger work at the Texas Blog Suppository? Ya crack me up, Nose! - metrohumanx, 2008-08-06: 16:37:00
----------------------------
Clamourflage
Created by: rikboyee
Pronunciation: clam-err-flarj
Sentence: the only way to stop her intraypidation taking hold was to make sure she was well clamourflaged
Etymology: clamour, camouflage
Fillusion
Created by: protothor
Pronunciation: fillusion
Sentence: This fillusion is working very well; no one even expects I'm not doing anything.
Etymology: From 'file' and 'illusion', anything that gives an observer the idea that you're preoccupied.
Earpencil
Created by: texmom
Pronunciation: Eer pen sill
Sentence: He wandered around with an earpencil as if he were doing math.
Etymology: ear - yeah the body part pencil - simple graphic tool
Evidiligence
Created by: ErWenn
Pronunciation: /ˌɛvəˈdɪlədʒɛns/
Sentence: While folders and papers make excellent passive evidiligence for someone on the move, a mobile phone or PDA can serve the same purpose even when seated at one's desk, though such tools require an active effort to complete the effect of slackofflage.
Etymology: From evidence + diligence
----------------------------
COMMENTS:
very on-message you evidiligently gave it a lot of thought. - galwaywegian, 2007-06-13: 07:03:00
Don't indilige him. - Clayton, 2007-06-13: 07:50:00
Actually, I didn't give it that much thought. I just borrowed some thoughts I'd had from when I created the previous verboticism "slackofflage." I've noticed that some of my highest-scoring words are ones I was least confident in (such as "mockliment.") Maybe there's a message there. Maybe I just give everything too much thought. Yeah, that seems more likely. - ErWenn, 2007-06-13: 14:02:00
now now ErWenn - you know what they say about making ASSumptions - Jabberwocky, 2007-06-13: 14:20:00
----------------------------
Comments:
The "S" in Timothy Johnson's GUST stands for Strategy. And strategy is key! Especially if you are trying to get way with doing nothing. Today's definition was suggested by remistram. Thank you remistram and Timothy! ~ James
Rebekah - 2009-11-05: 18:33:00
Protaskinate
Today's definition was suggested by remistram. Thank you remistram. ~ James