Vote for the best verboticism.
DEFINITION: n. A tool which has been re-purposed and is now being used (perhaps unsafely) to perform a completely different function. v. To use a tool for a different purpose than for which it was originally designed.
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.
Gadgetlag
Created by: Nosila
Pronunciation: gad jet lag
Sentence: Ever since Wilbur & Orville had sent air travel to the next plane, A.Fred O'Travel worked night and day to find something to help passengers get over the fear of flying. More specifically, he found passengers were not as much afraid of flying and as afraid of getting the dreaded jet lag, which could immobilize them upon disembarkment. So Fred made a device which helped passengers to calm down and not shout out as embarrassing statements as "They are going in the wrong direction" and turn them into positive statements, like, "We don't care where the pilots land, as long as it is on Earth!" Not only did this tool (which was placed in each passenger's drink, act as an anti-gadgetlag, it made the passengers remember a happy, ethereal experience, which made them want to book again and again with NirvanAir.
Etymology: gadget (a device that is very useful for a particular job) & Jet Lag(fatigue and sleep disturbance resulting from disruption of the body's normal circadian rhythm as a result of jet travel)
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COMMENTS:
Egad! - silveryaspen, 2009-03-10: 14:57:00
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Electrocutilize
Created by: karenanne
Pronunciation: ee lek tro CYU til ize
Sentence: Stumpy likes to electrocutilize power tools for more mundane purposes. Last year, he electrocutilized his belt sander to polish his shoes - while he was still wearing them. That's why his nickname is Stumpy.
Etymology: electrocute + utilize
Skimprovise
Created by: Mustang
Pronunciation: SKIM-pro-vyz
Sentence: Even at risk of life and limb in using tools and devices dangerously to save a few pennies, Marlene would often skimprovise, sometimes even endangering those around her.
Etymology: Blend of 'skimp' (To provide for or supply inadequately; be stingy with) and 'improvise' (to make, provide, or arrange from whatever materials are readily available)
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COMMENTS:
You captured exactly why we do this! Your word for this definition is perfect! - silveryaspen, 2009-03-09: 11:09:00
Good word. - kateinkorea, 2009-03-09: 18:39:00
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Limplement
Created by: Nosila
Pronunciation: lim ple ment
Sentence: Eileen was attemting to use her recycled saw to trim her nose hairs. Unfortunately, it slipped and severed her leg, making it a limplement. She now spells her name I-Lean...
Etymology: Limb (arm or leg or tree branch) & Implement (tool, device, instrument)
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COMMENTS:
Are you sure her name wasn't Noeleen? - galwaywegian, 2013-07-04: 07:29:00
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Adapdeadly
Created by: galwaywegian
Pronunciation: ad ap ded lee
Sentence: Her array of adapdeadly tools included the cheesecuttercontraceptivewire, which took all risk of pregnancy and enjoyment out of the proceedings
Etymology: adapted, deadly
Twingineering
Created by: Banky
Pronunciation: /TWNJNRNK/
Sentence: Carol's use of the wiffleball bat, a feral cat, and 22 binder clips in her perverse twingineering experiment resulted in the summoning of no less than three ambulances to attend to the neighbor who was mistaken for a burglar.
Etymology: twin + engineering (as if you hadn't already figured that out...)
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COMMENTS:
terrific - Jabberwocky, 2009-03-09: 13:53:00
got a big laugh from the things you chose to twingineer. Excellent word! - silveryaspen, 2009-03-09: 14:15:00
Good word. - kateinkorea, 2009-03-09: 18:42:00
I twin-ge with laughter! - Nosila, 2009-03-09: 22:55:00
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Machamorphosis
Created by: TJayzz
Pronunciation: Mak-a-mor-foe-sis
Sentence: Budding inventor Ivor Patent-Pending, cleverly adapted his ceiling fan every winter by machamorphosis so that it blew out hot air, thus being able to dry his clothes when the weather was bad.
Etymology: Blend of Machine(an apparatus using mechanical power) and Metamorphosis(alter, to change completely)
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COMMENTS:
RIGHT-O TJ!...and with a string attached, it makes an EXCELLENT cat toy! - metrohumanx, 2009-03-09: 02:20:00
Machamorphosis....like a luvely flutterby! - metrohumanx, 2009-03-09: 02:25:00
good one - galwaywegian, 2009-03-09: 14:27:00
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Bioactinomaniac
Created by: RightOnTheWin
Pronunciation: {Bi-o\act-in-no\maine-knee-ack}
Sentence: He knew his obsession would overwhelm him as he encountered the octopus; he immediately allowed his bioactinomaniac habits to control him, and began cutting up the octopus with his finger nails.
Etymology: bio:living organisms. actino: having rays, radiating spines, or tentacles. maniac:one with an obession.
Overtool
Created by: artr
Pronunciation: ōvərtoōl
Sentence: Hal likes to overtool every thing he does. He shaves in the morning with a machete that he sharpens and hones for 20 minutes. He mows his half-acre lawn with a combine after mixing cocktails in a Hobart 20-quart commercial mixer. He doesn’t see his numerous trips to the ER as an indication that he should change, just as a source of stories to share at the local hardware store.
Etymology: overkill (the amount by which destruction or the capacity for destruction exceeds what is necessary) + tool (a device or implement, esp. one held in the hand, used to carry out a particular function)
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COMMENTS:
Really neat concept ! - RightOnTheWin, 2010-09-21: 09:33:00
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Dimprovise
Created by: FreakyDeak
Pronunciation: Dimm-pro-vize
Sentence:
Etymology: Dim + Improvise
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COMMENTS:
like it ! - galwaywegian, 2010-09-21: 03:22:00
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Comments:
Today's definition was suggested by metrohumanx. Thank you metrohumanx. ~ James
Thank YOU, James Gang...for the excellent illustrations! ARS LONGA VITA BREVIS! MetrohumanX
And thank you metrohumanx, for supplying so many wonderfully prickly ideas! ~ James
yellowbird - 2009-03-09: 20:52:00
Just the cartoon made me smile. No need to read the words today!
Today's definition was suggested by metrohumanx. Thank you metrohumanx. ~ James