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

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.

Disencourage

Created by: rephil

Pronunciation: dis-en-CUR-adj

Sentence: Martha made it a point to disencourage everyone in her office before noon every day.

Etymology: dis -- not; encourage -- to support

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Philantriolic

Created by: OZZIEBOB

Pronunciation: f'-lan-TREE-uhl-ik

Sentence: Although seemed always seeming warm and friendly, it was not her mellow mien, but her canditoxic philantriolic tongue that told the true tale of her feelings.

Etymology: Blend of PHILANTHROPY: Love of humankind in general. Something, such as an activity, intended to promote human welfare; thoughtfulness; benvolent. & VITRIOLIC: Biting, bitter or caustic; having or expressing strong and unpleasantly negative feelings; -- of speech or feelings.

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COMMENTS:

metrohumanx Yikes! Bad Candy kills. - metrohumanx, 2008-08-05: 07:14:00

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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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Egostrictpep

Created by: LindsayStar

Pronunciation: E-go-strick-pep

Sentence:

Etymology:

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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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Insultivate

Created by: Nosila

Pronunciation: in sul tiv ayt

Sentence: When Joan Collins played Alexis Carrington on "Dynasty", she regularly would insultivate the other actors. They were sure that the vixenish Joan was using reverse psychology on them to improve their performances and make their reactions to her onscreen more lifelike. They never did realize that Joan relished abusing them, thanks mainly to another Collins always in her dressing room...frequent stiffeners of Tom Collins.

Etymology: Insult (to treat, mention, or speak to rudely) & Motivate (to give an incentive for action)

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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

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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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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

petaj 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:

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