Vote for the best verboticism.

'You can't put paper towels in the paper recycling!!'

DEFINITION: n. Anxiety created by an inability to understand or follow the regulations for recycling, composting and garbage collection. v. To feel confused and conflicted because you produce too much garbage and don't know how to get rid of it.

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Verboticisms

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Refufugue

Created by: msherman51

Pronunciation: Re foo fewdge'

Sentence: Newspapers, shopping bags, plastics sorted by number, she confidently approached the array of bins; minutes later she was seen still standing in full refufuge, arms outstretched, clutching but unable to release her number 2 plastic juice container.

Etymology: refuse, wretched or otherwise, and fugue, a state of being unable to choose or act

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Greenatoryangst

Created by: arrrteest

Pronunciation: green-a-tor-ee-angst

Sentence: It was Brother Chad's turn to take out the recycling. It was a chore that he tried to get done before Brother Conrad came back from his evening prayers because he knew that there would be no refuge for improperly sorting the refuse. It was Conrad's contention that Chad refused to refer to the reference chart he put up on the refectory refrigerator on how to properly identify and sort the ungodly amount of consumer waste generated at the monastary. Brother Raphael often had to referee and run interference for poor Brother Chad becuase he recognized his constant confusion and greenatoryangst when it came to sorting the recycling.

Etymology: green (environmental)+atory (from obligatory) + angst (anxiety, fear)

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COMMENTS:

Really resourceful recounting of rather raunchy recycling rituals! Raves! - spotthecat1, 2008-03-25: 04:37:00

Very nicely done alliteration! Your etymology has originality and is meaning full. Great creates! - silveryaspen, 2008-03-25: 13:44:00

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Stuckuptreehugger

Created by: kimmi

Pronunciation: stuck up tree hugger

Sentence:

Etymology:

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Trashcombobulation

Created by: spotthecat1

Pronunciation: trash-kuhm-bob-yuh-ley-shun

Sentence: Stella and Stan spent hours sorting through the remains of their mega-market shopping splurges and in a fury of trashcombobulation threw all the refuse in a giant Hefty™ bag and carefully deposited the unsorted mess in their neighbor's pile. The only witness was the owl who just blinked and asked, "Who?"

Etymology: (trash)1325–75; ME trasches (pl.), appar. c. Norw trask rubbish; akin to OE trus brushwood, ON tros rubbish + (dis-combobulation) 1825–35, Americanism; fanciful alter. of discompose or discomfort

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COMMENTS:

Very informative etymology! - silveryaspen, 2008-03-25: 13:21:00

Nice! - purpleartichokes, 2008-03-25: 15:19:00

Very nice - OZZIEBOB, 2008-03-25: 20:06:00

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Environdimentia

Created by: Tigger

Pronunciation: /en-vay-ern-di-MEN-shuh/

Sentence: On the point of crying, Lauren sat slumped between bins of plastic bottles and stacks of papers, in a state of environdimentia. She knew that the #1 and #2 plastics were supposed to go together, but there was also a bin for bottles with 'necks'... so then what did those numbers mean on the bottles with the necks? Then there were the plastic bags, and some were recyclable, but some weren't. There was also the newspapers, and she remembered something about not mixing in any shiny circulars and flyers, which were often stuck into the newspapers when they were sold. Why would they do that?! It all seemed so ecoillogical. Lauren's husband Gregg would be home soon, and he was an ecologist — he understood all the rules. But he couldn't seem to understand why Lauren didn't get it, and he'd be frustrated with her again. She really wanted to be a tree hugger, like he was, but with all these crazy rules she felt like more of a tree-shrugger.

Etymology: Environment - natural surroundings (from Old French, environ "in circle") + Dementia - madness or insanity (from Low Latin, démentāre "deprive of mind")

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COMMENTS:

I like the way you presented a different way of looking at this. Strong verboticism. - silveryaspen, 2008-03-25: 12:45:00

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Thaiquandgo

Created by: bookowl

Pronunciation: tie/kwand/go

Sentence: Thaiquandgo occurs when you have to decide where to recycle your Thai food leftovers.

Etymology: Thai (food) + quandary + go + Taekwando

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COMMENTS:

Clever and funny! - silveryaspen, 2008-03-25: 12:42:00

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Rubbishension

Created by: doseydotes

Pronunciation: rə-bish-en(t)-shən

Sentence: Standing before the recycling bins in the Wal*Mart parking lot, Midge felt herself break out in a sweat. Did the aluminum vegetable cans belong with the soda cans, or did they simply go in with the regular garbage? "Good grief, lady, hurry up!" the man behind Midge spat between clenched teeth. Midge, her vision blurring, gave up and walked away with her bags of refuse. "I'm going to have to visit Dr. Johnson and see if I can't get something for this rubbishension pretty soon," she thought, as she stuffed the bags into her car, which was already filled with other recyclables.

Etymology: From Greek, rub, meaning "to cause slight friction"; from Phoenician, bish, meaning "fish with big lips"; and from English (American South dialect), ension, meaning "to creep along slowly and stealthily."

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Illitteracy

Created by: Nosila

Pronunciation: il lit ter as see

Sentence: Betty & Bob both suffered from illitteracy. They still could not figure out what was recyclable, compostable or just plain trash. They even tried joining Waste Watchers. This confusion was further added to by their garbage collectors, who were moody jokers. Sometimes they would take away the stuff, sometimes not. After all Bob & Betty's efforts and research on the Web about environmental responsibility, imagine their surprise if they found out that their town just dumped it all in the same landfill anyway!

Etymology: Ill (sick from; distressing; a cause for complaining ) & Iliteracy (an inability to read;ignorance resulting from not reading) & Litter (garbage, refuse, trash, especially that left in public places)

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Recycoanalysis

karenanne

Created by: karenanne

Pronunciation: ree SIKE oh ahn AL uh sis

Sentence: The amount of recycoanalysis that Ann Ziety goes through just to decide where to put some of her refuse and discarded items makes it almost a second job. It can probably be traced to the fact that her parents are huge environmentalists and were recycling back in the 70's, before it was cool or even all that convenient. All they ever read when she was a child was "Mother Earth" and the Sierra Club magazine, which they then pressed into pellets and burned in their wood-burning fireplace. Ann never feels that she can measure up to her parents' high standards. Even today, they pick through the neighbors' trash and re-sort it into the proper recycling containers. Their neighbors say fondly that they put the "mental" in "environmental." For example, if Ann's mother were reading today's Verbotomy, she would be quick to point out that, of course, used paper towels, as well as napkins and coffee filters, should be COMPOSTED.

Etymology: recycle + psychoanalysis

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Discomposture

Created by: Jabberwocky

Pronunciation: dis/com/post/yur

Sentence: I hurried down the street with my sunglasses on, listening to my ipod, so that none of the neighbours would notice my discomposture after I had hastily stashed a plastic muffin tray in the recycling bin. It did have a recyling symbol on it but I wasn't sure if the number was acceptable or not.

Etymology: discomposure + compost + dis (as in disrespect)

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COMMENTS:

Too true! - silveryaspen, 2009-01-15: 12:41:00

Sounds like the makings of great gardening soil - Mustang, 2009-01-16: 01:23:00

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Show All or More...

 

Comments:

Verbotomy Verbotomy - 2008-03-25: 00:01:00
Today's definition was suggested by remistram. Thank you remistram. ~ James

stache - 2008-03-25: 02:10:00
I love the "IDEAS" bin.

Verbotomy Verbotomy - 2008-03-25: 05:32:00
Thanks stache. That's the bin where I put out my old ideas for recycling. ~ James

Jamagra - 2008-03-25: 08:07:00
James... maybe you could recycle those ideas my way? Love the cartoon and the word, but today... I got nothin'.

Jamagra - 2008-03-25: 09:10:00
Oh! Thought of something. I'm good now!

remistram - 2008-03-25: 10:23:00
got our massive bin last week...process is a bit more streamlined, am happy now!

purpleartichokes - 2008-03-25: 11:15:00
Lucky you, remi... our community recycling consists of loading the stuff up in your car and taking it to the recycling center on one of the few days/hours that they happen to be open. Sucks. I did get a FREE compost bin from our state env. protection folks. $80 value. My mother (and only my mother) is so proud!

My Rottin' Poem

I love my compost pile!
It thrills me to the bone
To think that all that wilted slop
Will enhance the crops I've grown!

I garden with a passion,
And I compost with a zeal.
I collect the coffee grounds at work
And cherish every peel.

In my cellar I compost in winter
Much to my son's dismay.
Though sweet to me, the smell can chase
Unwanted guests away.

My pile in the summer
Is a another sad slop story.
The dog next door gulps the gourmet treat,
Then regurgitates... quite gory.

The peels get strewn about my lawn
By some midnight compost thief.
I try to promptly pick up the stuff,
Before the neighbors give me grief.

The egg-shells never make it
To calcify my plants.
The birds steal most of the precious shards
Or they get toted off by ants.

My composting efforts without a bin
Have been daunting, to say the least.
By the time the stuff finally starts to rot,
It gets eaten by some beast.

So you see, kind folks at DEP
Why it's for a bin I pray.
If I can clean up my compost act,
The neighbors might let me stay!

silveryaspen - 2008-03-25: 13:09:00
Funtastic rhyme and reasoning!

Verbotomy Verbotomy - 2008-03-25: 16:22:00
Hey purple, I figured you loved vegetables, and guessed you were a dedicated composter, but composting in your basement??? Yikes!! Maybe that's why your shower curtain is covered in mildew. ~ James

Jamagra - 2008-03-25: 17:25:00
Purple, I am very proud of you too! You grow, girl!

purpleartichokes - 2008-03-25: 18:21:00
Um, yeah, I actually did compost in the basement in a garbage can. Apparently, I didn't add enough "browns" to the mix, cuz when I dumped it in the spring, the neighborhood smelled like a cesspool for days. ...oops. Thanks Jamagra! I'm gonna try my hand at a giant punkin this year! James - thanks for the idea. I bet that shower curtain junk would compost nicely!

arrrteest - 2008-03-25: 18:37:00
Great poem, too! I used to have a worm composting bin. At least the kids thought it was cool.

Verbotomy Verbotomy - 2010-06-01: 00:31:00
Today's definition was suggested by remistram. Thank you remistram. ~ James

youmustvotenato youmustvotenato - 2011-10-18: 10:29:00
greentard

AlenaTable - 2018-06-01: 03:13:00
Широкий ассортимент биопрепаратов для перерабатывающих предприятий и сельского хозяйства

Tamaratequera - 2018-06-01: 18:07:00
Древторг Woodtrade, пиломатериаl