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.
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.
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COMMENTS:
DISAFEARANCE needed in a brave new world... - metrohumanx, 2008-07-10: 20:54:00
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Inswerviate
Created by: rubysoho
Pronunciation: in-swerv-ee-ate
Sentence: When faced with a deadline that is complicated with challenge it is critical to not get off track. In these situations, inswerviants rise to the top. While their behavior may seem uptight on a normal day, their singlemindedness and unwillingness to swerve or deviate from a path can save the day when the heat is on.
Etymology:
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
Calmcentrate
Created by: iwasatripwire
Pronunciation: com-cen-trate
Sentence: I always put on my calmcentrating hat in a crisis.
Etymology: calm + concentrate
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COMMENTS:
nice - wordmeister, 2007-05-10: 00:43:00
Won't forget that one! - geoamnesia, 2007-05-10: 03:40:00
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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)
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)
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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Spock
Created by: autophile
Pronunciation: SPOCK
Sentence: Ron's boss panicked because his boss's boss panicked, and on up the line because sh*t flows downhill, but Ron casually spocked the problem and there was panic no more.
Etymology: From Star Trek's unflappable rational scientist, Mr. Spock.
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COMMENTS:
Gotta love Spock. In real life, he's a poet as well. I think he'd approve of Verbotomy. - purpleartichokes, 2007-05-10: 19:37:00
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Staotic
Created by: ekath
Pronunciation: stay-ot-tick
Sentence: Todd is so staotic that he didn't even cry out when the acid splashed in his face... he just calmly went over and pulled the safety shower. When it fire-hosed him into the ground, he shakily stood up and asked to go to the nurse's office. Carol should have been more like Todd.
Etymology: from stable + chaotic
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