Vote for the best verboticism.

'Jennifer? You've changed your hairstyle! I like it!'

DEFINITION: v. To seek approval from your boss by emulating their style, mannerisms or affectations. n. A person who copies their boss's style in order to win favor.

Create | Read

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.

Copycad

CharlieB

Created by: CharlieB

Pronunciation: cop-ee-kad

Sentence: Frank's very crafty. He knows he'll never get to be manager of Knights Property unless Bob Knight approves it. So he wears the same style suits and drinks the same coffe. Bob thinks Frank's a mate, but behind Frank's smile is a heart of steel and obsessive ambition. Frank will do what it takes. He's a copycad.

Etymology: copycat (a person who copies another) + cad (one who behaves in a dishonourable way, a bounder)

| Comments and Points

Halopecia

Created by: Nosila

Pronunciation: hay lo peesheea

Sentence: Wanting badly to mirror her boss' success, Haley started developing a severe case of halopecia. It was hairable to watch.

Etymology: Halo (an indication of radiant light drawn around the head of a saint; halo effect-The halo effect is a cognitive bias whereby the perception of one trait (i.e. a characteristic of a person or object) is influenced by the perception of another trait (or several traits) of that person or object. An example would be judging a good-looking person as more intelligent) & Alopecia (loss of hair (especially on the head) or loss of wool or feathers)

| Comments and Points

Sycopyphant

TimTheEnchanter

Created by: TimTheEnchanter

Pronunciation: si-CAH-pee-fuhnt

Sentence: Everyone knew Cathy was a complete suck-up, always doing whatever the CIO, Mr. Srinivasan, wanted. But jaws hit the floor when she came into the meeting room today. She had risen to the level of complete sycopyphant, cutting her hair short, dying it black, and wearing a Nehru jacket identical to what her boss always wore. The two were almost indistinguishable.

Etymology: SYCOPHANT: a servile self-seeking flatterer + COPY an imitation or reproduction of an original

----------------------------
COMMENTS:

Good word...like a psychopyphant maybe??? - Nosila, 2008-08-07: 23:26:00

metrohumanx Great paragrab Tim the E... - metrohumanx, 2008-08-08: 07:15:00

----------------------------

| Comments and Points

Doppelmanager

Created by: purpleartichokes

Pronunciation: dah-puhl-man-a-jer

Sentence: All butt-kissing and other adminitraits aside, when Bob showed up sporting the same Rocky and Bullwinkle tie that the boss wore, it was readily apparent that he had become a doppelmanager destined for the Borg room. Simpresarios always wound up as directums.

Etymology: doppelganger, manager

----------------------------
COMMENTS:

Didn't we all go through Bulletchewer's 'dopple anger' a few months ago? Where is that 'Chewer'? I miss his sarcastic comments. - Stevenson0, 2007-06-14: 07:53:00

Did he do a doppel word? Yep, he was quite the charhackter. - purpleartichokes, 2007-06-14: 08:05:00

I just thought of a better word - mimeostaff. It's up for grabs for anyone wants it! - purpleartichokes, 2007-06-14: 10:39:00

personally I like your xeroxymorons - that's a terrific word - Jabberwocky, 2007-06-14: 10:49:00

I liked it too, but it doesn't have any boss connotations. Perhaps it could be used for people who imitate pop culture icons. - purpleartichokes, 2007-06-14: 11:21:00

Another one - imbosster. - purpleartichokes, 2007-06-14: 11:27:00

that's very good - Jabberwocky, 2007-06-14: 11:37:00

Personally, I was going for a combination of mimicry and the lowliest worker I could think of, rather than use the boss. But a word like "employsonate" could go either way. - Clayton, 2007-06-14: 11:42:00

Good word there, also... three points! - Clayton, 2007-06-14: 11:43:00

Oooo, I like employsonate! Quite versatile. - purpleartichokes, 2007-06-14: 11:57:00

Ted Doppel would be proud. - Clayton, 2007-06-14: 12:05:00

xeroxymoron can be equated to any government official that I've come across - employsonate reminds me of some of the people I've 'worked with'or should I say 'hand held' through the day doing their job - Stevenson0, 2007-06-14: 14:41:00

petaj Imbossination/imbossinator was another one I toyed with, on the impersonation idea. - petaj, 2007-06-14: 23:52:00

----------------------------

| Comments and Points

Suckape

mrskellyscl

Created by: mrskellyscl

Pronunciation: suck-ape

Sentence: Jen's such a suckape. In order to ingratiate herself to the boss she decided to copy him, so she changed political parties and started listening to Barry Manilow. But wearing green polyester suits with running shoes is just a bit over the top.

Etymology: suckup: ingratiate oneself to, often insincerely + ape: one who copies the mannerisms or words of another; an imitator

| Comments and Points

Suckcessor

petaj

Created by: petaj

Pronunciation: successor

Sentence: Tina is now a consultant on suckcession planning. She has a wealth of experience in career advancement through the judicious use plastic surgery and the less intrusive techniques of mimicry and style adoption.

Etymology: suck up to + successor

| Comments and Points

Copykate

artr

Created by: artr

Pronunciation: käpēkāt

Sentence: CopyKate wants so much to be like her boss that it hurts. The trouble is that her budget for the extravagant is nowhere near his. He wears European designer suits and drives a top-of-the-line Fiat. She wears knockoffs and drives a counterfiat, a Ford Fiesta with an after-market simulant grill. The shaved head wasn’t difficult to pull off. The chest hair may take some doing.

Etymology: duplicate (exactly like something else, esp. through having been copied) + Kate (woman’s name) A play on copycat

| Comments and Points

Pretwinder

thegoatisbad

Created by: thegoatisbad

Pronunciation: pre-twin-der

Sentence: Kimberly would have been annoyed at Zinnia's blatant pretwinding around their boss, Jared, if Kimberly wasn't sleeping with him.

Etymology: pretend + twin

| Comments and Points

Apeproval

Created by: Rhyme79

Pronunciation: ape-proov-all

Sentence: My boss is so vain that I figured he couldn't miss how awesome I am if I try the apeproval tactic. I mean, what I have got to lose? Putting on a hundred pounds, wearing enormous glasses, shaving my head and dressing like a gorilla kicked through a circus could only be good for my career, right?

Etymology: Ape- copy, mimic. Approval- consent, blessing.

| Comments and Points

Imiflater

Created by: ErWenn

Pronunciation: /ˈɪməˌfleɪtɚ/

Sentence: Those engaged in imiflatery should be careful not to mimic their targets too well, as even the most narcissistic person would probably hate themselves if they were able to see them from the outside.

Etymology: From imitate + flatter (as in "imitation is the sincerest form of flattery")

| Comments and Points

Show All or More...

 

Comments:

Verbotomy Verbotomy - 2007-06-14: 01:10:00
Office politics. You know it's a game. You understand the players. You've got a strategy. Now it's time to take action with Timothy Johnson's GUST -- even if that means shaving your head. Today's definition was suggested by remistram. Thank you remistram and Timothy! ~ James

purpleartichokes - 2007-06-14: 18:10:00
Love the artwork today James! Very funny!

Verbotomy Verbotomy - 2007-06-14: 18:17:00
Thanks purple! And cheers to remistram for thinking of such a funny idea. ~ James

Verbotomy Verbotomy - 2007-06-14: 18:27:00
By the way, Robert J. Sawyer, winner of Hugo and Nebula best novel awards, will be our featured author at Verbotomy next week. More details to follow... Check out Rob's website at www.sfwriter.com. ~ James

Verbotomy Verbotomy - 2010-01-08: 00:44:00
Today's definition was suggested by remistram. Thank you remistram. ~ James