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.
Shitcreeksurfing
Created by: katytee
Pronunciation:
Sentence: One good thing about an outbreak of the Ebola virus was that the queues at Tesco's customer service desk were always greatly reduced, thought John - who was one of life's natural shitcreeksurfers, and a bit of a pedantic git.
Etymology: To be 'up shit creek without a paddle' and take the opportunity for a spot of healthy exercise on your canoe.
Fiascool
Created by: artr
Pronunciation: fēˈaskoōl
Sentence: Kelly is completely unflappable to the point of being fiascool. In fact she could be classified as debaclaxed, accidentranquil or castrophlegmatic.
Etymology: fiasco (a thing that is a complete failure, esp. in a ludicrous or humiliating way) + cool (calmly audacious)
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")
----------------------------
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
----------------------------
Systemaddict
Created by: whipspeak
Pronunciation: sis-tuhm ad-ikt
Sentence: Even after his family and friend hosted a very nice intervention, norbertfineblatjr.com was still in systemaddict denial.
Etymology: System: given to or using a system or method + addict: to habituate to something compulsively or obsessively
----------------------------
COMMENTS:
your word is addictive - Nosila, 2009-11-26: 18:57:00
I can recommend a good program - whipspeak, 2009-11-27: 10:16:00
----------------------------
Disafearance
Created by: lumina
Pronunciation: dis/a/feer/ance
Sentence: When Julie found herself on an emergency Walmart run at 2 in the morning, she was glad she had mastered disafearance. No way did she want her ex and his model girlfriend to know how humiliated she was to be seen in her holey sweats as well as braless.
Etymology: the ability to "disappear" from the siight of others due to intense "fear" of being seen.
----------------------------
COMMENTS:
DISAFEARANCE needed in a brave new world... - metrohumanx, 2008-07-10: 20:54:00
----------------------------
Disastrotranquillize
Created by: duchessella
Pronunciation: di-sas-tro-TRAN-qui-lize
Sentence: My life is a wreck right now; I wish I can disastrotranquillize and sort out everything!
Etymology: Disaster + Tranquillize
Fiascool
Created by: pinwheel
Pronunciation: fee/as/cool
Sentence: The caterers were running late, the flowers were wilting, the groom was still running around naked after his stag night and I was struggling to get into my dress. It was all a horrible mess but throughout it all James, the best man, was totally fiascool.
Etymology: fiasco + cool
----------------------------
COMMENTS:
he probably went to fiaschool! - galwaywegian, 2007-05-10: 07:18:00
Maybe he had studied how to remain calm. He was a fiascholar. - petaj, 2007-05-11: 02:13:00
----------------------------
Zensible
Created by: Stevenson0
Pronunciation: Pronunciation: zen/si/bol
Sentence: Joe is zensible in the worst situations, remaining centered and focussed on what needs to be done to avert disaster and calmly following through.
Etymology: ZEN (calmness and enlightenment through meditation and self-contemplation) + SENSIBLE (having, using, or showing good sense, or sound judgmen)
Calmcentrate
Created by: iwasatripwire
Pronunciation: com-cen-trate
Sentence: I always put on my calmcentrating hat in a crisis.
Etymology: calm + concentrate
----------------------------
COMMENTS:
nice - wordmeister, 2007-05-10: 00:43:00
Won't forget that one! - geoamnesia, 2007-05-10: 03:40:00
----------------------------
Chaostoicize
Created by: Clayton
Pronunciation: KEY-uh-STOH-i-sahyz
Sentence: Jeremy's uncanny ability to chaostoicize set him apart from the other rodeo clowns.
Etymology: chaos + stoic + ize
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