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.
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)
Mockliment
Created by: ErWenn
Pronunciation: /ˈmɑkləˌmɛnt/
Sentence: It wasn't the fact that he mocklimented everyone that was so annoying; it was the fact that he seemed to think everyone was too stupid to notice.
Etymology: From compliment + mock
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COMMENTS:
good one ErWenn - Jabberwocky, 2007-06-12: 12:04:00
son does that to me all the time. At least now I've got a word for it! Thanx! - administraitor, 2007-06-12: 15:08:00
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Nailnice
Created by: remistram
Pronunciation: nayle-nyce
Sentence: Many nailnicers learn from the greats such as Joan Collins from Dynasty fame.
Etymology: nail (as in to be nailed or hit) + nice
Meanager
Created by: pungineer
Pronunciation: Meanie + ger
Sentence: Tarquin pondered whilst refrying the fries, he was on a fascinating 'Work your way round the Deep South' US gap year, the Himalayas had been fully booked, unfortunately... yes absolutely he though to himself, yes the OED have really missed a trick there, because, right, Bubba, is quite mean, I mean you could call him a meanie even, and he's my manager, well it says so on his badge so, right, well, actually he should be called a Meanager, because that's absolutely so what he is! Maybe i will study classics at Oxford next year, I've certainly got the language skills he ruminated further as he scrapped the grits off the gumbo....
Etymology: Just like Tarquin said in the story Mean or Meanie + Manager = Meanager
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COMMENTS:
When there was no crawdads, we ate dirt. - metrohumanx, 2008-08-06: 16:33:00
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Powerdissplay
Created by: guesser
Pronunciation: Power + dissplay
Sentence: To powerdissplay your employee in front of your customers is an awful thing to do.
Etymology: Power (of a boss)+ Diss (slang --> to put down + play (display)
Dumotivation
Created by: artr
Pronunciation: duhm-oh-tuh-vey-shuhn
Sentence: Lucy thought she could use dumotivation to get her staff going. If she acted like they were stupid, they would strive to prove her wrong. A good number of her employees showed just how smart they were by finding new jobs where they were treated with respect.
Etymology: dumb (lacking intelligence or good judgment; stupid; dull-witted) + motivation (inspiration, inducement)
Complesult
Created by: Rosshowey
Pronunciation: complesult
Sentence: She totally dissed me, but later she tried to play it all like a complesult!
Etymology:
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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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)
Preyse
Created by: Roubicek
Pronunciation:
Sentence: I receive nothing but preyse from my boss.
Etymology:
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