Vote for the best verboticism.
DEFINITION: v. To exercise power through the strategic use of personal insults, while pretending to offer encouragement. n. A leader who motivates people by insulting them.
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.
Offenspire
Created by: Wordotwist
Pronunciation: Ouf en spire
Sentence: The offenspirational capabilities of our supervisor keeps the entire workforce at the stitching factory on tether hooks.Only yesterday she humiliaded Nancy with the most flattering comments about her eyes ; followed immediately by the advise on how she could deliver more acceptable results if she kept them on her stitch – rather on the nearby ‘slicks’ for most of the time !
Etymology: A combination of offend - as to offend through an insulting,demeaning etc remark; and inspire - through encouragement,praise etc.
Compliminsult
Created by: couv78
Pronunciation: Com-pli-min-sult
Sentence: She just told me that the report looks good but she reckons she could have had a monkey do it and get the same result - I think she just compliminsulted me?
Etymology: From Compliment and Insult
Sublimhate
Created by: mplsbohemian
Pronunciation: SUHB-lihm-hayt
Sentence: Alex, unaware of the powers of sublimhation, couldn't understand why he always felt worse after his boss's "pep talks".
Etymology: subordinate + subliminal + sublimate + hate
----------------------------
COMMENTS:
oooo, an irony fisted word! - purpleartichokes, 2007-06-12: 13:19:00
Excellent word. - ErWenn, 2007-06-13: 00:34:00
----------------------------
Snideypraise
Created by: TJayzz
Pronunciation: Sny-dee-pray-ze
Sentence: Rebecca thought she was a great boss, she didn't even realise by the way she encouraged her staff by mixing encouragement and insults in the same sentence, her staff could actually see right through her and knew all along that she was using the snideypraise method.
Etymology: Snidey(derogatory or mocking in an indirect way) + Praise(to express warm approval of) ORIGIN preiser Old French to prize, from Latin pretium 'price' = Snideypraise
Supersnide
Created by: kendriveset
Pronunciation: su-per-snide
Sentence: Joseph thought that he was doing a great job, until the supersnide Nancy congratulated him with verbal punishment.
Etymology: super + snide
----------------------------
COMMENTS:
supersniderrific! - Nosila, 2010-01-07: 01:01:00
----------------------------
Demeanipulash
Created by: metrohumanx
Pronunciation: DEE-meen-NIP-yoo-lash
Sentence: I watched with sadness as my co-workers shuffled meekly to the multipurpose chamber for yet another meaningless motivational meeting with the horrid hag. This would be the last time she would DEMEANIPULASH the library staff. Today, her snidespotism would end. Her cretin-nice remarks and jocular jibes had had crushed the spirit of too many good trenchmates. Now she would pay. As the belittlement began, I silently switched on the timer that would detonate the briefcase full of gelegnite after we left for our coffee break..............SIC SEMPER TYRANNIS !
Etymology: DEMEAn+maNIPULate+lASH=DEMEANIPULASH___ Demean:to debase or degrade; Middle English demenen, from Anglo-French demener to conduct, from de- + mener to lead, from Latin minare to drive, from minari to threaten___ Manipulate: to control or play upon by artful, unfair, or insidious means especially to one's own advantage___ Lash: to punish with a whip; a cutting remark
----------------------------
COMMENTS:
http://drminz.com/DR._MINZ_EYES_AND_EARS_INC/THE_BEARS.html - metrohumanx, 2008-08-05: 07:05:00
disregard previous link-it's incomplete. - metrohumanx, 2008-08-05: 07:27:00
Try this one instead:
http://www.npr.org/programs/atc/features/2002/aug/firesign/ - metrohumanx, 2008-08-05: 07:32:00
----------------------------
Slamaid
Created by: sanssouci
Pronunciation: Slam ayd
Sentence: "The best way to get the most out of your new employees is to slamaid them right from the start, if they are strong minded and determined then they will make it to the end of their training without running a mile."
Etymology: Slam - to criticize harshly; attack verbally: He slammed my taste mercilessly. Aid - to offer encouragment and motivation.
Insultivate
Created by: Nosila
Pronunciation: in sul tiv ayt
Sentence: When Joan Collins played Alexis Carrington on "Dynasty", she regularly would insultivate the other actors. They were sure that the vixenish Joan was using reverse psychology on them to improve their performances and make their reactions to her onscreen more lifelike. They never did realize that Joan relished abusing them, thanks mainly to another Collins always in her dressing room...frequent stiffeners of Tom Collins.
Etymology: Insult (to treat, mention, or speak to rudely) & Motivate (to give an incentive for action)
Leaderhosin
Created by: artr
Pronunciation: lēdərhōzən
Sentence: Whenever folks get too uppity the boss administers a good leaderhosin.
Etymology: leader (the person who leads or commands a group, organization, or country) + hose (metaphorical term for screwing someone) a play on Lederhosen
----------------------------
COMMENTS:
My morning chuckle. Thanks, artr. - mrskellyscl, 2010-01-06: 07:57:00
----------------------------
Mastard
Created by: Clayton
Pronunciation: MAS-terd
Sentence: H. Clancy Pettigrew was a mastard of insultimate penuriousadism. His misanthrapaciousness was rivaled only by his truculentertaining friendishness.
Etymology: master + bastard
----------------------------
COMMENTS:
Interestingly, there is a rhetorical term for the art of insulting people without them knowing it: Charientism. Traditionally it means "the act of stating something objectionable in an agreeable manner." - Clayton, 2007-06-12: 08:25:00
I love this sentence. It's a cornucopious assemblerection of tonguetwisting verbsmithery. - petaj, 2007-06-12: 08:41:00
I get it from years of reading Sir Thomas Urquhart of Cromarty. Please don't tell anyone! - Clayton, 2007-06-12: 08:48:00
you're secret's safe with me. - jadenguy, 2007-06-12: 10:01:00
Nooooo! The only way three people can keep a secret is if two of me are already dead! Now I'll have to start reading other lunatics with undying affinities for pointless displays of frantic hippopotomonstrosesquipedalianism. - Clayton, 2007-06-12: 10:11:00
Wow! love the sentence - Jabberwocky, 2007-06-12: 15:00:00
----------------------------
Comments:
The second step in Timothy Johnson's GUST process is Understanding. And apparently, based on the number of definitions we received on this topic, everybody understands what it is like to have a bad boss. Today's definition was suggested by ohwtepph , suzanne, and remistram. Thank you ohwtepph, suzanne, remistram, and Timothy! ~ James
lumina - 2008-08-07: 13:49:00
Wow! So fun and an honor to have come up with the "winning" word. "I'd like to thank the Academy, my parents and of course Jesus." ha Thanks to the voters! (she says as the music starts playing and the tap dancing man with the hook from the gong show comes into view...)
Today's definition was suggested by ohwtepph. Thank you ohwtepph. ~ James