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.
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;
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COMMENTS:
Bob sounds like a complete fauxny. Shirkbait? Good word! - Mustang, 2008-08-06: 05:35:00
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Maloprop
Created by: readerwriter
Pronunciation: mal-o-prop
Sentence: Eric is so retro, Petra thought. Everytime she saw him cross the office floor on his way from the men's room to his desk, she had to laugh. Oh yeah, he just had to carry those maloprops to show everyone he knew what it was like in the 20th century. It was ludicrous. And, then if you said something, he had such excuses...like he didn't understand there were better ways of doing things.
Etymology: From mal, Latin/Romance languages, for bad or sick + prop for a property used for show. Also a play on the word malapropism, the ludicrous misuse of a word. In this case, the ludicrous misuse of a prop.
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
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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
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Portfonio
Created by: artr
Pronunciation: pôrtˈfōnēˌō
Sentence: Gerry has all the correct business props, the pinstripe suit, the proper tie, the Blackberry. He is never seen without his portfolio. The truth; the suit is a cheap knock-off; the tie, a clip-on; Blackberry, a much too expensive cell phone and the portfolio, a portfonio that holds nothing more than his lunch.
Etymology: portfolio (a large, thin, flat case for loose sheets of paper such as drawings or maps) + phony (not genuine; fraudulent)
Assidupicity
Created by: jesster
Pronunciation: Ass-id-you-plicity
Sentence: While Neville's constant assiduplicity never fooled the people that actually accomplished things, management was completely taken in. He was promoted so frequently that his failures never caught up to him, and soon was in charge of the entire department.
Etymology: assiduous (involved in often constant activity )+ duplicity (the inclination or practice of misleading others through lies or trickery)
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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Busybobbin
Created by: mplsbohemian
Pronunciation: BIHZ-ee-bahb-ihn
Sentence: The stack of files and papers at Alex's desk proved to be a most effective busybobbin, as no-one knew about his large Lego fort he was constructing behind it.
Etymology: busy + bobbin (trinket) + busybody
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COMMENTS:
Grr, I meant bauble, not bobbin. Oh, well. - mplsbohemian, 2007-06-13: 22:30:00
Sounds good either way. - ErWenn, 2007-06-13: 23:54:00
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Illusibusion
Created by: remistram
Pronunciation: ill-uge-ee-busy-un
Sentence: Stan was an expert at utilizing effective illusibusions - so much so that he was promoted to senior clerk.
Etymology: illusion + busy
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)
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COMMENTS:
Did Riger work at the Texas Blog Suppository? Ya crack me up, Nose! - metrohumanx, 2008-08-06: 16:37:00
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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