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.
Zingersatzpur
Created by: ohwtepph
Pronunciation: zih-nger-zatz-purr
Sentence: Berta fired zingersatzpurs out of his mouth at 200 zingersatzpurs per minute at her lover, just like any professional zingersatzpurs would. She ended her wild volley of insults with, "Keep on doing that and I will love you for the rest of my life."
Etymology: [German... LOL. i keed, i keed] (insult) zinger + ersatz (false) + spur (encourage)
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COMMENTS:
I am both frightened and elated by this word of yours. - Clayton, 2007-06-12: 10:03:00
Glad to know you're having mixed emotaunts! - ohwtepph, 2007-06-13: 08:48:00
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Vinspire
Created by: headlibrarian
Pronunciation: \vin-ˈspī(-ə)r\
Sentence: Coach Jensen, the high school tennis coach, would vinspire me with cheers of "With big-ass feet like yours, Haggerty, you're gonna foot-fault your way to a forfeit. You'll score more points by just standing still."
Etymology: Vindictive (intended to cause anguish or hurt) + Inspire (to spur on; motivate)
Pepsquawk
Created by: artr
Pronunciation: pepskwôk
Sentence: Week after week the manager would deliver a pepsqualk to her staff. Her crew’s response has been to adopt a hedgehog as a mascot. They told her that a hedgehog is an industrious critter that will ”dig in” and defend its home. The fact is that the picture they posted for motivation is actually a shrew.
Etymology: pep talk (a talk intended to make someone feel more courageous or enthusiastic) + squawk (make a loud, harsh noise)
Ensluragement
Created by: mrskellyscl
Pronunciation: en-slur-age-ment
Sentence: Margot was always ready to give ensluragement whenever someone got above their raisin by thinking they could do her job as well as she did. That way she could eliminate the competition and still sound like she was trying to help her underlings.
Etymology: encouragement: to inspire hope, courage or confidence + slur: to talk about disparagingly or insultingly; to cast a disparaging remark
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COMMENTS:
It takes slurrage to stand up to your subordinates. - artr, 2010-01-06: 09:20:00
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Cowhoperate
Created by: Mustang
Pronunciation: co - WHOP - ehr - ayt
Sentence: Hillary delighted in using her status as supervisor to cowhoperate with her subordinates, employing seemingly sweet outpourings of sympathy for their problems while delivering sarcastic and crude insults.
Etymology: Blend of cooperate and whop...( A sudden sharp, powerful stroke)..verbal in this case
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COMMENTS:
Ouch! Cuts me to the quick. - metrohumanx, 2008-08-05: 07:19:00
I read that as Cow + Operate which i think is a perfect word for such office bovines - pungineer, 2008-08-05: 10:56:00
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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.
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
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COMMENTS:
My morning chuckle. Thanks, artr. - mrskellyscl, 2010-01-06: 07:57:00
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Deniagrate
Created by: administraitor
Pronunciation: deny-a-grate
Sentence: Her manager's constant efforts to deniagrate her performance finally led Carol to implement her exit strategy.
Etymology: denial + denigrate
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COMMENTS:
your name, administraitor, would have worked well with this definition - Jabberwocky, 2007-06-12: 16:29:00
What a difference a vowel makes! - administraitor, 2007-06-12: 16:32:00
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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
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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
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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