Vote for the best verboticism.

'When I said that you're a loser, I meant it as a compliment.'

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.

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Verboticisms

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Galvannihilate

CharlieB

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)

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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

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Facadeist

Created by: Nosila

Pronunciation: fass add ist

Sentence: When Joan Collins played Alexis I-don't-Care-ington Coldby on "Dynasty" everyone thought she was a great actress, as well as an 80's clothes-horse supreme. She could work a room of naive men and fool millions of viewers. That is until those cat-fight scenes with her arch-rival, he ex Blake's new wife,Krystle (Linda Evans)...then they realized that those kissy, kissy, let's do lunch real soon, have your people call my people overtures were the mark of a real facadeist. Yes, they should have named the series after her, Die-Nasty!

Etymology: facade (a showy misrepresentation intended to conceal something unpleasant or being two-faced, not showing what you really feel) & sadist (someone who obtains pleasure from inflicting pain on others)

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COMMENTS:

metrohumanx Latent loathing lingers. - metrohumanx, 2008-08-05: 07:17:00

Spot On ! - Wordotwist, 2008-08-05: 09:34:00

Great word AND soap opera sniglet! - lumina, 2008-08-05: 12:26:00

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Pepsquawk

artr

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)

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Goaddigger

Created by: Jabberwocky

Pronunciation: gode/diggur

Sentence: Our new MD is such a goaddigger that he simultaneously hurls insults and backslaps with lightening speed, "Builds moral" he screams as he steps over a flattened colleague

Etymology: goad + digger (supervisor) + gold digger (bully, vixen, tease)

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COMMENTS:

very goad - galwaywegian, 2007-06-12: 06:22:00

petaj incellent in fact! - petaj, 2007-06-12: 08:06:00

Someone needs to inform Jim Goad. Very apropos. - Clayton, 2007-06-12: 08:52:00

hey Clayton - I didn't even know who Jim Goad was so I googled and guess what - today's his birthday! doo doo doo doo - Jabberwocky, 2007-06-12: 09:42:00

That's some really serious weirdness right there. - Clayton, 2007-06-12: 09:48:00

also creepy, appearantly he was a total jerkface. what a coincidence! - jadenguy, 2007-06-12: 10:09:00

An auth-hole? - purpleartichokes, 2007-06-12: 10:22:00

Depends on who you ask. That's the reason I said it was apropos, though... because Goad's writing is plenty insulting and misanthropic at times. But then again, so was Mark Twain's, Celine's, and Vonnegut's at times. If you ask me, Goad's material is terribly funny. - Clayton, 2007-06-12: 10:28:00

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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)

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Hellnotivate

Created by: Katisms1

Pronunciation: hell-NO!-tive-ate

Sentence: Maintaining his hard-won reputation as a total S.O.B., the department manager would sneeringly "hellnotivate" his sales team into action with an endless stream of backhanded compliments.

Etymology: "(Oh) hell, no!" [Indignant reaction to the realization that the compliment one thought one just received was actually an insult.] + motivate

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Slamaid

sanssouci

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.

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Goaddigger

Created by: Jabberwocky

Pronunciation: gode/dig/ur

Sentence: Our new MD is such a goaddigger that he simultaneously hurls insults and backslaps with lightening speed, "Builds moral" he screams as he steps over a flattened colleague

Etymology: goad + digger (supervisor) + gold digger (bully, vixen, tease)

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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)

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Comments:

Verbotomy Verbotomy - 2007-06-12: 01:52:00
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...)

Verbotomy Verbotomy - 2010-01-06: 00:05:00
Today's definition was suggested by ohwtepph. Thank you ohwtepph. ~ James