Vote for the best verboticism.
DEFINITION: n. A technological innovation that doesn't work as expected because "normal people" can't figure out how to use it. v. To improve something in a way that makes it much harder to use.
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.
Digitknowitall
Created by: Nosila
Pronunciation: dij it no it all
Sentence: Reggie had bought a fancy new digital radio/alarm clock/coffeemaker/toaster. It was designed to be efficient in the morning by waking him up on time and getting his breakfast ready. His new appliance was a digitknowitall. Great in theory, but he could never get the radio station he liked programmed into it, so he had to listen to newscasts in a foreign language. He could also never program in the correct time...it was always an hour behind or so. The coffee tasted like something you would expect would come out of a new computer and the toast was always burned black. His only consolation was that the smoke detector awoke him if the alarm failed, the coffee was a handy extinguisher for the burnt breakfast offerings and his clock was right twice a day.
Etymology: Digital (of a circuit or device that represents magnitudes in digits) & Know-It-All (a person who thinks/behaves as if they know everything, but usually knows less than you would think on a subject).
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COMMENTS:
LOL! I'm still laughing, ha ha! Thanks! - splendiction, 2009-10-07: 21:44:00
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Technocando
Created by: rikboyee
Pronunciation: teck-no-can-do
Sentence: he downloaded it..he installed it..and only after hours of fruitless pointing and clicking and help menuing did he realise he'd fallen for another technocando
Etymology: techno, no can do
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COMMENTS:
funny and appropriate - Jabberwocky, 2007-03-21: 11:32:00
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Defeature
Created by: Discoveria
Pronunciation: Dee-fee-chur
Sentence: The car's inbuilt automatic window-unsteaming feature was nothing but a defeature, because the on/off button was almost under the driver's seat.
Etymology: Defeat + de- + feature. Defeature also happens to be an obsolete word for the noun "defeat" or for a deformity.
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COMMENTS:
Badget was taken by someone else...:D - Discoveria, 2007-03-21: 08:42:00
"Defeature" is better anyway. - ErWenn, 2007-03-21: 17:45:00
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Complacate
Created by: Nosila
Pronunciation: com plak kayt
Sentence: Initially when you had an IT problem, you just phoned Fred and he'd either tell you how to fix it or come and do it for you. When they installed a new system, they added a voice mail system to log complaints. It was intended to complacate the user. Your complaint was registered, but you had to go through an e-labourate series of "Press this, press that" options. You got nowhere but they figured all that button pushing kept you busy and entertained until they could figure out how you had screwed up their expensive system.
Etymology: Complicate (make more complex, intricate;confusing) & Placate (cause to be more favorably inclined; gain the good will of;lull;mollify)
Antitechinnovation
Created by: paintergrl1313
Pronunciation: Anti-teck-inno-vay-shun
Sentence: In the commercial this antitechinovation looked so easy, but I still can't figure out how to make a phone call!
Etymology: Anti, technologic, innovation
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COMMENTS:
Anything "anti" is good...lol. Nice wordage! - Sketchy, 2007-03-21: 14:45:00
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Hellectrodevice
Created by: splendiction
Pronunciation: hell EK tro de VICE
Sentence: “Please select one of the following options”, droned the hellectrodevice. She promptly hung up. Why waste time hoping to navigate through quirky voice menu-mazes?
Etymology: From: hell, electric, and device.
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COMMENTS:
Hate them, too! - Nosila, 2009-10-07: 23:48:00
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Guytech
Created by: artr
Pronunciation: gītek
Sentence: Bryan\'s life is full of guytech devices. From his watch that keeps time in eight time zones, functions as a stop watch, alarm, gaming device and spy camera to his laptop computer or Crackberry, if it*s new and cool he has it. Does he know how any of it works? Not a clue! He likes to babble in jargon even when he makes no sense but, truth be known, he has a VCR sitting next to his 90-inch hi-def TV that has blinked 12:00 since the day he got it.
Etymology: guy (a man) + tech (technology) a play off of high-tech
Regenerrorate
Created by: CharlieB
Pronunciation: re-jen-er-ate
Sentence: Phil Gates's latest update looked ever so flash but also had a tendency to crash the whole system. It was a classic example of some very keen, but slightly over-enthusiastic, egg heads regenerrorating the software.
Etymology: regenerate (to reconstitute in a better form or condition) + error (a mistake, to deviate from accuracy)
Comments:
Today's definition was suggested by erasmus.
Thank you erasmus! ~ James
Today's definition was suggested by erasmus. Thank you erasmus. ~ James