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]
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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
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Shamanila
Created by: Nosila
Pronunciation: sha man ila
Sentence: Steve was the shamanila at the office. Most of his 8 hour shift was devoted to avoiding work. He had carried around his faithful manila folder daily trying to look busy. For 8 years he had fooled everyone. Until the day he got his new manager, Liz. She asked him to write out his job description. How in the world was he going to turn his one sentence actual duties (Carries around a file folder.) into a whole page or two of action verbs and activities?
Etymology: Sham (a person who makes deceitful pretenses;something that is a counterfeit; not what it seems to be) & Manila (a strong paper or thin cardboard with a smooth light brown finish made from e.g. Manila hemp & Shaman (one who practices sorcery)
Portfonio
Created by: mweinmann
Pronunciation: port - pfon - eeeooo
Sentence: Robert held tight to his large portfonio as he passed his manager's office. He really had nothing to do but he nicely played the part of a person who had millions of things to do and people to see.
Etymology: Portfolio - A collection of papers and accomplishment and another word for notebook. + phony (not real).
Fibdjet
Created by: giveaphuk
Pronunciation: Fib De Jet
Sentence: she fibdjeted with pieces of paper while looking @ the clock waiting from home time.
Etymology: Fib = to like & djet - ending of word fidget - meaning to behave or move nervously or restlessly.
Phantofiles
Created by: Stevenson0
Pronunciation: fan/tuh/files
Sentence: John 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 completed three different projects today and it's only noon." John's phantofiles put him in line for a raise.
Etymology: phantom + files
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COMMENTS:
phantastic - Nosila, 2010-01-07: 18:50:00
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Suppliesguise
Created by: mrskellyscl
Pronunciation: sup-plies-guys
Sentence: Herb was office supply guy and had charge of the stock room; however, we knew him as the "suppliesguise" because he'd spend the entire day running back and forth with paper, folders and what not just to make himself look busier than he really was. That wasn't so bad, but when anyone asked him to get supplies for them his response was, "I'm sorry, I'm too busy. You'll have to get it yourself!"
Etymology: supplies: provisions; furnish or equip + guise: an artful or simulated pretense
Propccupied
Created by: ziggy41
Pronunciation: Prop-kyu-pide
Sentence: To avoid obtaining any more work from her boss that day, she used her clever wit to propccupy herself with a dead beatle and a piece of bagel.
Etymology: Prop (an object) + occupied (busy)
Documentality
Created by: Nosila
Pronunciation: dok u men tal it ee
Sentence: Pierre's ruse was to use his documentality to elude real work. He would carry any official-looking folder or paper to make it look like he was on his way to a very important meeting. In fact, he remembered the trick his English classes used about the different words "stationary & stationery". The "ar" one stood for At Rest, as in stationary machinery and the other "er" one stood for the last 2 letters in paper...or in his case "Eternally Roving".
Etymology: Document (writing that provides information (especially information of an official nature); anything serving as a representation of a person's thinking by means of symbolic marks) & Mentality (a habitual or characteristic mental attitude that determines how you will interpret and respond to situations; mental ability)
Dosserier
Created by: galwaywegian
Pronunciation: dosss err eee ay
Sentence: he carried his dosserier with him everywhere, adding different coloured stickies each month or so to keep it looking fresh. He called it his licence to kill....time.
Etymology: dossier, dosser
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COMMENTS:
Hopefully the use of his dosserier won't come back to kick him in the dosserriere. - Clayton, 2007-06-13: 07:48:00
Maybe he carried it in a fanny pack - Jabberwocky, 2007-06-13: 09:26:00
How cheeky! - purpleartichokes, 2007-06-13: 10:36:00
i hate to butt in, but is there no rear end to these pun threads?! - jadenguy, 2007-06-13: 11:41:00
ooh that reminds me - it's lunchtime and now I'm in the moods for buns - Jabberwocky, 2007-06-13: 12:10:00
oops I meant mood - Jabberwocky, 2007-06-13: 12:11:00
I'm thinking it would be out-of-line to make a comment about sticky buns, but the air conditioner isn't working in my office today. - purpleartichokes, 2007-06-13: 12:36:00
Such a tool would be perfect for hiding the fact that you're just bumming around instead of working your @$$ off. - ErWenn, 2007-06-13: 14:05:00
Some might say you should just turn the other cheek, jadenguy, but I'm behind you 100% if you want to get to the bottom of this problem. - ErWenn, 2007-06-13: 14:10:00
Rear end to the pun threads? Tush, tush. I've got a haunch we'll be back end the saddle tomorrow. Now, let me hit the can and we can all go grab a Heinie. Fanny that I should put it that way... I've been glute to my seat the hole day. Sorry, that last one was for posteriority. - Clayton, 2007-06-13: 14:34:00
OMG Clayton and ErWenn! Too fanny! - purpleartichokes, 2007-06-13: 14:45:00
I think we should put an ASSterisk beside this definition - Jabberwocky, 2007-06-13: 14:47:00
i'm sorry if I came off a little anal before, as i didn't mean to be so stern. but i just find puns comical garbage that we'll always keep with us, but like junk in the trunk of your car that you forget about for as long as possible, bodonkadonk on wood. - jadenguy, 2007-06-13: 16:59:00
LMAO!! - purpleartichokes, 2007-06-13: 17:46:00
No butts about it, my friend laughed so hard it rectum! - petaj, 2007-06-14: 04:29:00
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Escaperwork
Created by: Discoveria
Pronunciation: ess-KAY-pur-wurk
Sentence: Just before weekly staff meetings, Joe's pile of escaperwork would grow to include three reports, two manila envelopes, a stapler and a large black binder labelled 'URGENT'.
Etymology: escape (to avoid) + paperwork (documents)
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