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.

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Verboticisms

Click on each verboticism to read the sentences created by the Verbotomy writers, and to see your voting options...

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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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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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Unnovation

Created by: urbanwookie

Pronunciation: uhn-o-vay-shun

Sentence: After field trials of his latest product design, Geoff quickly realised that adding a cigarette lighter to a diver's watch was an unnovation...

Etymology: a contraction of "un" and "innovation"

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Whatchamadowithit

Created by: ekath

Pronunciation: whachama-do-with-it

Sentence: Its kind of sad when my mom tries to figure out how to operate her whatchamadowithits. Usually I sigh and show her, for example, how to turn her cell phone on.

Etymology: from whatchamacallit and not-knowing-what-to-do-with-it

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COMMENTS:

Man, I spent almost an hour trying to think of something like this, but the best I could think of was "howjamauseit". I'm glad somebody was able to find a better solution than that. - ErWenn, 2007-03-22: 00:45:00

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Einstymie

Created by: purpleartichokes

Pronunciation: EIN-sty-mee

Sentence: Sue was all thrilled to get her new cell phone, but after reading through the 245 page manual and realizing she didn't have a clue as to how to turn on the damn thing, she realized she had purchased yet another Einstymie.

Etymology: Einstein, stymie (A situation or problem presenting such difficulties as to discourage or defeat any attempt to deal with or resolve it.)

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COMMENTS:

very good - Jabberwocky, 2007-03-21: 11:31:00

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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)

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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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