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'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.

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Verboticisms

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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.

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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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Stymieware

artr

Created by: artr

Pronunciation: stīmēwər

Sentence: Jerry is proud to own the latest, greatest smart phone. It is apparently smarter than him. Yesterday it automatically downloaded and installed the freshest stymieware. It is supposed to give him all kinds of new state-of-the-art capabilities. He is lucky to figure out how to make a phone call. He tried to text his brother but ended up in a video conference call with some guys in Denmark. It might have been interesting if he understood them.

Etymology: stymie (prevent or hinder the progress of) + software (the programs and other operating information used by a computer)

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Ditzmo

Created by: jedijawa

Pronunciation: ditz-mo

Sentence: The ditzmo was such a complicated bit of electronics that Bobbie didn't even try to figure it out.

Etymology: ditz (a scatterbrain) + gizmo (a mechanical device)

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COMMENTS:

Perfect! - wordmeister, 2007-03-21: 00:42:00

Simple and cute! Love it! - purpleartichokes, 2007-03-21: 04:39:00

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Dimvention

Created by: Nosila

Pronunciation: dim ven shun

Sentence: The new time-saving innovation in lighting should have been a breeze. But people tend to overthink things and could not understand that if you clapped your hands once, the light would go on, twice and it would brighten in intensity and three times it would turn off. Some people clapped all night trying to get this dimvention right...

Etymology: Dim (lacking clarity or distinctness;slow to learn or understand; lacking intellectual acuity)& Invention ( creation (a new device or process) resulting from study and experimentation)

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Technotlogical

mrskellyscl

Created by: mrskellyscl

Pronunciation: tek-not-lodge-ee-call

Sentence: The manual was written in such technotlogical terminology that no one really understood how to actually use the product. Nevertheless, it was a cool piece of technogadgetry and everyone wanted one.

Etymology: technological: relating to or or resulting from technology + not: a logical operator that returns a false value if the operand is true and a true value if the operand is false (whatever that means) + logical: rational, reasonable or sensible

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COMMENTS:

like it - galwaywegian, 2009-10-07: 06:05:00

yes often so true! Good word! - splendiction, 2009-10-07: 21:42:00

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Hardprove

arlouxo

Created by: arlouxo

Pronunciation: hardproove

Sentence: why do you have to hardprove everything?

Etymology: hard: because it became harder / prove: from "improve" because you have moved on

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Iletdown

Created by: iwasatripwire

Pronunciation: eye-let-down

Sentence: Oh man, that cool new feature turned out to be such an iLetdown.

Etymology: "i" (as in iPod, iPhone, etc) + "let down"

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Modconjob

petaj

Created by: petaj

Pronunciation: mod-con-job

Sentence: It was all hype and bonhomie in the sales pitch, but I've hit the trough of disillusionment with this modconjob.

Etymology: mod con (modern convenience) + con job (trick pulled by a confidence artist)

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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