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.
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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Stymieware
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)
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)
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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Wrecknology
Created by: swallowedbyafish
Pronunciation:
Sentence: He had been thwarted by another stupid piece of wrecknology!
Etymology: wreck + technology
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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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
Techlessness
Created by: jschrady
Pronunciation: Tek-les-nes
Sentence: Her lack of ability to enter the right pin code, no matter how many times the attendant assisted her, was, frankly, techlessness!
Etymology: Tech- technology Less- having nothing of something Ness- the action
Technospastic
Created by: Sketchy
Pronunciation: tech-NO-spas-TIC
Sentence: Shirley was feeling technospastic after hours of trying to figure out her new universal remote. "Screw It"! She grumbled to herself, as she hurled the badget at the television set, and got up to change the channel.
Etymology: technology, techno, spastic, spasm
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COMMENTS:
Thank you bulletchewer for "badget". - Sketchy, 2007-03-21: 14:52:00
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Technoprisoners
Created by: porsche
Pronunciation: tek/no/prizoners
Sentence: The motto of tech support is technoprisoners
Etymology: take no prisoners + technology
Comments:
Today's definition was suggested by erasmus.
Thank you erasmus! ~ James
Today's definition was suggested by erasmus. Thank you erasmus. ~ James