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.
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)
Scofficer
Created by: petaj
Pronunciation: SCOFF-i-sir
Sentence: MEMO To: All Staff From: Scofficer Martin %%%%%%%% It is with great pleasure that I can tell you all about Mary Jane's excellent performance. Due to her repulsive smell brought on by inadequate personal hygiene, she has single handedly reduced the number of complaints submitted at the customer service desk to zero. Congratulations Mary Jane.
Etymology: scoff + officer + sir
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COMMENTS:
HA! - purpleartichokes, 2007-06-12: 07:51:00
This one's excellent, too. So many good words today. - Clayton, 2007-06-12: 08:31:00
that mary jane must have nulfactory senses! - jadenguy, 2007-06-12: 10:02:00
Great sentence! - mplsbohemian, 2007-06-12: 14:00:00
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Irgonogatism
Created by: Zer22
Pronunciation: Ir-Go-Nog-A-Tism
Sentence: The irgonogatism tone in her voice made me feel unworthy.
Etymology:
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COMMENTS:
Etymology = Ignorance + Noggin(Head) + Tism. - Zer22, 2007-06-12: 14:35:00
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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
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COMMENTS:
supersniderrific! - Nosila, 2010-01-07: 01:01:00
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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)
Condemnagog
Created by: purpleartichokes
Pronunciation: kun-dem-ah-gog
Sentence: At the meeting, we counted six insults proffered by Frank, the condemnagog, including one subtle double-slam on the presenter's mentor.
Etymology: condemn, demagog
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COMMENTS:
How appropriate. This actually happened yesterday. - purpleartichokes, 2007-06-12: 05:20:00
wasn't magog a god of war as well? Even moooore appropriate. - galwaywegian, 2007-06-12: 06:24:00
He went presentimental over the attack on his advisor. - petaj, 2007-06-12: 07:54:00
Love it! Really splendid. - Clayton, 2007-06-12: 08:30:00
Excellent! - ErWenn, 2007-06-13: 00:35:00
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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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Slurport
Created by: bigdog
Pronunciation:
Sentence: My team lead always makes me look like an idiot during meeting when he sandbags me with a public show of slurport for my work.
Etymology: slur - impugn one's character or ability + support - to encourage
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COMMENTS:
Good one. - petaj, 2007-06-12: 07:51:00
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Trollmodel
Created by: Nosila
Pronunciation: trole model
Sentence: Alexis was the ultimate trollmodel. She thought if you stimulated people by making them angry, intimidated and resentful that she could manoeuver them to her whims. She apparently had never heard the adage, "Do unto others..."
Etymology: Troll (Scandinavian creature, human-like, lives under bridges or in caves...can be nice outwardly, but can be deceptive, thieving and untrustable) & Model (someone worthy of imitation) & WordPlayon Role Model (someone to set good example; to be copied)
Unspiratarian
Created by: jadenguy
Pronunciation: un spire a terian
Sentence: On the high seas, it was often that Horatio asked himself what his greater destiny was, his raison d’etre. The captain always told him that he wasn't as dumb as he looked, that the only good decision he'd ever made was to find himself a place onboard because the real world would eat him alive, that keeping storage room clean was one thing even he couldn't screw up, that at least he had more facial hair than his wife, but not much. This unspiritarian had all but destroyed the ferocity of crew, but Horatio continued to believe that this was where he needed to be, that great things were going to happen. Few and far between have there been greater moments of forsight.
Etymology: un + inspire + totalitarian
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COMMENTS:
wow, that was a long'un. - jadenguy, 2007-06-12: 09:57:00
perhaps he should have become a unspirational unmotivational speaker - Jabberwocky, 2007-06-12: 12:01:00
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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