Vote for the best verboticism.

'I'm sorry can you repeat that? '

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.

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.

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.

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

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

| Comments and Points

Vistappointment

Created by: Alchemist

Pronunciation: vis-tah-POYNY-ment

Sentence: That new self-walking dog leash I bought online turned out to be a big Vistappointment. I couldn't even get it configured to my breed, it kept defaulting to "shih tsu". What a rip!

Etymology: Vista (you know) + disappointment

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

very topical! - galwaywegian, 2007-03-21: 06:43:00

I don't normally appreciate topical verboticisms, but this one actually rolls off the tongue nicely. - Discoveria, 2007-03-21: 08:44:00

for relief of normal verboticism, apply topically...:-) - Alchemist, 2007-03-21: 09:19:00

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

| Comments and Points

Unutilovelty

Created by: mana1066

Pronunciation: un-you-till-â-vul-tee

Sentence: When the people on tv used it, it seemed like it would change my life. when i got it in the mail it ended up being a unutilovelty that collected dust.

Etymology: un+ utilize + novelty

| Comments and Points

Teclention

Created by: ziggy41

Pronunciation: (Tuh-CLENCH-en)

Sentence: I can't get this stupid teclention to ever work!

Etymology: Deflected (broke, unable to use properly), + technological (pertaining to technology), + invention (something patented or fabricated)

| Comments and Points

Ineffectualogy

aly22

Created by: aly22

Pronunciation: in-eff-ekt-oo-ology

Sentence: The system's ineffectualogy has slowed business to a crawl.

Etymology: Ineffectual + techonology

| Comments and Points

Technotogy

Created by: Osomatic

Pronunciation: teck + not + oh + gee

Sentence: Your hand held may do everything, but if the buttons are too small to use it's really technotogy, wouldn't you say?

Etymology: "Technology" with one letter substituted. See if you can guess which one.

| Comments and Points

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)

| Comments and Points

Innocumberance

Created by: PythianHabenero

Pronunciation: in-no-cumber-ants

Sentence: Voice recognition software is universally an innocumberance.

Etymology: "innovation" + "encumberance".

| Comments and Points

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.

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

Hate them, too! - Nosila, 2009-10-07: 23:48:00

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

| Comments and Points

Regenerrorate

CharlieB

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 and Points

Show All or More...

 

Comments:

Verbotomy Verbotomy - 2007-03-20: 00:11:00
Today's definition was suggested by erasmus.
Thank you erasmus! ~ James

Verbotomy Verbotomy - 2009-10-07: 00:05:00
Today's definition was suggested by erasmus. Thank you erasmus. ~ James