Vote for the best verboticism.
DEFINITION: v. To remain calm, steadfast and ploddingly systematic in the midst of a huge freaking disaster. n. A person who systematizes everything from their morning routines to personal relationships.
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.
Pragmatician
Created by: Wordsmith
Pronunciation: prag-ma-ti-shun
Sentence: She was never emotional, didn't skip a beat; she immediately took control in a calm, orderly fashion resolving the issue as any pragmatician would.
Etymology: from the latin gramaticus, greek gmatico
Herosterics
Created by: janatic
Pronunciation:
Sentence: When the proverbial feces hits the fan, you can count on Stan to fall into herosterics.
Etymology: hero + hysterics
Catatoniclysmic
Created by: airlie
Pronunciation: KAT-a-ton-uh-KLIZ-mic
Sentence: Gazing upon Geraldine's panicked visage, Irving remained catatoniclysmic. He knew what to do. This was no crisis, this was merely one of those moments that make life worth smiling about. "AAAAHGGGH!" screeched Geraldine. "My hair! Don't let them see me like this!" She gripped his shirt, knuckles white, fabric strained to button-popping point. Irving blinked slowly, and a beatific smile spread across his face. "Don't panic, honey." He soothed. "I'm the sysadmin! I'll 403 everyone." Geraldine breathed a sigh of relief... and her relief lasted for a millesecond until she caught sight of her fire-engine red and day-old-bruise purple coiffe in the mirror. She fled to the bathroom in hysterics. Irving blinked slowly.
Etymology: CATACLYSM: any violent upheaval, esp. one of a social or political nature + CATATONIC, adjectival form of CATATONIA: a syndrome seen most frequently in schizophrenia, characterized by muscular rigidity and mental stupor, sometimes alternating with great excitement and confusion
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COMMENTS:
CATATONICLYSMIC is hilarious! Great word, Airlie... - metrohumanx, 2008-07-10: 08:02:00
terrific word - Jabberwocky, 2008-07-10: 09:29:00
Very gloomly; very great word. - OZZIEBOB, 2008-07-11: 18:11:00
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Steadphased
Created by: fredini
Pronunciation: Stead-Phased
Sentence: Despite the massive denial of service attack and calls from the CFO, the sys-admin remained steadphased as he rebooted the server.
Etymology: Steadfast +Phased
Hystericool
Created by: Tigger
Pronunciation: /hi-STER-i-kool/
Sentence: The whole family was going on summer vacation again — to Disney World this year — with Jane, her husband, their five kids, her in-laws and two cousins. Every year, it was Jane's job to organize the family's packing and get everyone ready to rush to the airport as soon as Jack, her husband, got home from work; and Jack was always late. With screaming kids running all around her, Jane calmly walked through the house, grabbed Grandpa Joe's medicine, Jennie's retainer, James' Game-Boy and Jill's iPod, dropped them into the appropriate suitcases while snatching a flying T-shirt out of the air and packing that too. While chaos erupted around her, Jane remained hystericool. She didn't even sweat a drop when she and Jack rode the Space Mountain ride. As the ride stopped, Jack leaned over and gave 'his Coolamity Jane' a smile and a big kiss.
Etymology: Hysterical - behavior characterized by excessive or uncontrollable emotion, such as fear or panic (from Greek, hysterikos "of the womb, suffering in the womb") + Cool - not excited; calm, especially during times of stress (from Pre-Germanic, koluz "cold, to freeze")
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COMMENTS:
HYSTERICOOL is beautiful- and obviously based on an all-too-real personal experience. Love it! - metrohumanx, 2008-07-10: 07:58:00
great word tigger - Jabberwocky, 2008-07-10: 09:33:00
Actually metro, I was thinking of the beginning of the movie 'Home Alone' and Catherine O'Hara's character when I wrote that. But anyone with that many kids to travel with ought to be a complete wreck, even if she does forget one... - Tigger, 2008-07-10: 10:54:00
I love it! And that "sentence!" We are all aspiring writers I think... :) Great read! - lumina, 2008-07-10: 18:43:00
Good one, Tigger...gives one hystericool laughter! - Nosila, 2008-07-10: 23:19:00
Another great word. - OZZIEBOB, 2008-07-11: 18:24:00
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Numbfreak
Created by: remistram
Pronunciation: numm - freek
Sentence: Ted numbfreaked like a pro when he was told that everyone in the office was being fired. He took his coffee cup and he went home. Needless to say he won the numbfreak employee of the month award.
Etymology: numb (to be indifferent, non-feeling), freak (as in irrationally emotional, an anomoly)
Fonzd
Created by: giveaphuk
Pronunciation: FO NZ D
Sentence: I was suprised how fonzd he was, considering the disaster unfolding around him.
Etymology: Fonzd, derived from Fonzie - "Happy Days" (played by Henry Wrinkler). I got the idea from infamous diner robbery scene, aka a huge freaking disaster, in movie "Pulp Fiction" when the Samual L. Jackson is saying 'Now everyone be cool like the fonz!'
Indexhaustive
Created by: CharlieB
Pronunciation: in-decks-orst-ive
Sentence: In the face of disaster, Sarah got tunnel vision. As her exasperated boyfriend pakced his suitcase to leave for a new life, she followed him round and indexhaustively rearranged the books he wasn't taking into alphabetical order.
Etymology: index (to put into order) + exhaustive (tiring out, draining) + ex (former partner or spouse)
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COMMENTS:
cute - Nosila, 2011-04-15: 11:30:00
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Modusopergandhi
Created by: Nosila
Pronunciation: mode us op er gan dee
Sentence: No matter what crisis happened at work or at home, Randy was a real modusopergandhi. He planned every detail, faithfully crossed achieved tasks off his to-do list and never allowed another's failure to plan to constitute an emergency on his part. He was the safety officer and very concientious about prevention and procedure. It then came as a great surprise to everyone, including him, when his girlfriend became unexpectedly pregnant. But then these things can happen when you are Randy...
Etymology: Modus Operandi (Latin for an unvarying or habitual method of procedure) & Gandhi (political and spiritual leader during India's struggle with Great Britain for home rule; an advocate of passive resistance (1869-1948. He always appeared calm and collected through physical and emotional strife)
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COMMENTS:
:-) - CharlieB, 2011-04-15: 06:39:00
cracked me up!!! - libertybelle, 2011-04-15: 07:35:00
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Comments:
Today's definition was inspired by Cory Doctorow's short story "When Sysadmins Ruled the Earth" which is published in Overclocked, and was suggested by autophile. Thank you Cory and autophile! ~ James
I'm still grinning at this one. Well done!
Today's definition was suggested by doctorow. Thank you doctorow. ~ James