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.
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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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.
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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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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Macgyvervise
Created by: Tigger
Pronunciation: mak-gai-ver-vais
Sentence: When Dean returned to the parking lot only to find that some vandal had ripped the spark plug wire off his motorcycle, he pulled out his handy little wire-bound notebook, unwound the wire, and used that to MacGyvervise the spark plug wire, and was quickly on his way home.
Etymology: MacGyver - fictional television character known for his inventive use of common items, and practical science, to solve problems. + Improvise - to make or provide from available materials.
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COMMENTS:
If you read my sentence, that really happened to me. - Tigger, 2009-03-09: 01:57:00
I believe, Tigger. I once plugged a vacuum hose on my Toota Corolla with a golf pencil and escaped from very unsavory suburb just in the nick of time. - metrohumanx, 2009-03-09: 02:04:00
And iu repaird my muffler at a rest stop with an empty tomato paste can, aluminum foil, and the ever-useful coat hanger! - metrohumanx, 2009-03-09: 02:22:00
Mye pennmonchip seams toobe deteriorating az da nite wears on....zorry! - metrohumanx, 2009-03-09: 02:24:00
Truth is always stranger than fiction. Great Create! - silveryaspen, 2009-03-09: 11:07:00
what do you mean fictional? - galwaywegian, 2009-03-09: 12:00:00
he pulled out his handy little wire-bound notebook, unwound the wire, Very inventive and good word there & fast thinking on your part to repair your motorcycle!> (and used that to MacGyvervise the spark plug wire, and was quickly on his way home.) - abrakadeborah, 2009-03-14: 19:01:00
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Mchammer
Created by: rombus
Pronunciation: mik - ham - mer
Sentence: Donald decided to mchammer his dog house together with his mchammer. It was a new tool that he created using a baseball bat, a visegrip and a socket wrench....Instead of hitting the nail on the head, he destroyed the entire dog house with his "hammer time"... Oh well, Donald thought as he put down the bat...."can't touch this" as a hammer again....must take up baseball.
Etymology: hammer, McDonalds, M C Hammer....
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COMMENTS:
Really hammered this one! - silveryaspen, 2009-03-09: 14:13:00
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Conglomergreats
Created by: silveryaspen
Pronunciation: cun glom er grates
Sentence: Alan Rench was out camping. He liked to rough it in the mountains. His sawtoothed blade doubled as his comb. His screw driver stirred his beans in the tin bucket, simmering over the campfire, as it hung by the tire iron, held aloft by his jack. His plate was one of his hubcaps. His pocket knife did triple duty, for he used it as his spoon and fork, too. He sang the old saw "I eat my beans with honey. I done it all my life. It makes 'em taste quite funny, but it keeps 'em on my knife." He also used his pocket knife to scrape his hubcap plate clean. Alan's multi-duty use of all his tools made them his conglomergreats!
Etymology: CONGLOMERATE - mix of many things. GREAT - large in number. So tools that be used for a mix of many things in a large number of ways are conglomergreats.
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COMMENTS:
It's a bit of a tongue twister, but if you can eat your beans off your knife, your tongue won't trip over it! - silveryaspen, 2009-03-09: 01:11:00
I'd LOVE to camp out with you! - metrohumanx, 2009-03-09: 01:13:00
Did you know you can cook flounder on your engine's manifold? It's VERY eco-efficient ! - metrohumanx, 2009-03-09: 02:18:00
I'd only cook a fish on the manifold for the halibut! And ps, silvery, they should be called BEEns! - Nosila, 2009-03-09: 22:53:00
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Mcgyvered
Created by: galwaywegian
Pronunciation: mig eye verd
Sentence: the newly mcgyvered blender also delivered perfect soups smoothies and ballistic missiles
Etymology: mcgyver
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COMMENTS:
Mcgood word - Nosila, 2010-09-20: 08:50:00
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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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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