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.
Mortfortify
Created by: porsche
Pronunciation: mort/fort/i/fye
Sentence: The sales manager managed to mortfortify his team on a daily basis. He told them they were all stars, outperforming last years numbers to such a degree that he would hire more staff and thus reduce their bonuses
Etymology: mortify + fortify
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
Lapsojudgement
Created by: kymar
Pronunciation: lapse - o - judgement
Sentence: I could tell by the look on my bosses face, that what she was about to say to me would be yet another example of her lapsojudgment.
Etymology: Momentary lapse in judgement
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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Galvannihilate
Created by: CharlieB
Pronunciation: gal-van-eye-a-late
Sentence: The staff were conflicted by their boss. "You fat &*!£s need to show me what ya got!" she would yell. After a team hug and a pep talk they'd rush back to their desks feeling excited. But there was also a lingering sense of humiliation. They'd been well and truly galvannihilated.
Etymology: galvanise (to stimulate or excite) + annihilate (to destroy)
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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Winsult
Created by: Nosila
Pronunciation: win sult
Sentence: When Alxis wanted to motivate her top sales people, she used reverse psychology on them. She'd treat them so badly and abased them, that they would prove her wrong by outdoing themselves. Their success was their best revenge on her. Her winsult approach opened up a whole new career for her on the self-help book and lecture circuit.
Etymology: Win (be successful, attain a goal) & Insult (treat, mention, or speak to rudely)
Obsucinsult
Created by: texmom
Pronunciation: Ob shew ur in sult
Sentence: After that obscurinsult she didn't know whether to thank her boss or cry
Etymology: obscure + insult Yes, I misspelled it and can't go back
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COMMENTS:
I meant it to be obscurinsult... but maybe... I should just leave it like it is. - texmom, 2007-06-12: 07:23:00
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Humiliaid
Created by: Stevenson0
Pronunciation: hyoo/mil/ee/eyd
Sentence: Rachel would humiliaid every salesman in the department. She ripped every salesman apart personally then pushed them to exceed last month's sales targets.
Etymology: humiliate + aid
Demeanager
Created by: rikboyee
Pronunciation: duh-meen-aj-err
Sentence: he liked his job but he couldn't stand his new demeanager
Etymology: demean, manager
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COMMENTS:
Was the demeanager a good derision-maker. - petaj, 2007-06-12: 08:00:00
Slurly you can't be supercilious. The demeanager was emcloyee of the smear. Don't friendsult his inelegance. - Clayton, 2007-06-12: 09:31:00
great word rikboyee - I'll definitely use this one - Jabberwocky, 2007-06-12: 10:57:00
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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