Vote for the best verboticism.
DEFINITION: n. A harmless untruth, intended to comfort simple souls. v. To use a little bit a fiction to smooth over the perplexities and complexities of life.
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.
Placeebull
Created by: Jabberwocky
Pronunciation: pla/see/bull
Sentence: 'Hard work always pays off' - a placeebull to keep workers motivated
Etymology: placebo + bull (as in bullshit) (had to put the second e in my word to emphasize sound)
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COMMENTS:
okayee - galwaywegian, 2007-04-16: 06:30:00
Ain't it the truth!?! - Sed8ed, 2007-04-16: 06:33:00
That example sounds like an alfalsism. Or a generaLIEzation. - petaj, 2007-04-16: 06:37:00
That's a great play on words! - jedijawa, 2007-04-16: 12:56:00
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Foma
Created by: vonnegut
Pronunciation: fo-ma
Sentence: Nothing in this book is true. "Live by the foma* that make you brave and kind and healthy and happy." The Books of Bokonon. I: 5
Etymology: Created by Kurt Vonnegut for Cat's Cradle, published in 1963.
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COMMENTS:
foma - accept no substitutes. - Alchemist, 2007-04-16: 06:51:00
we can't go through the whole week respelling Vonneguts words....or can we? - rikboyee, 2007-04-16: 09:24:00
It's the best way to win the prize.... :-) - jedijawa, 2007-04-16: 12:54:00
What's the singular? And should I have heard of Vonnegut? Has he been on TV? Recently? Bliss. - Bulletchewer, 2007-04-16: 15:11:00
The singular form is "fomum", like phenomena (plural) and phenomenum (signular). Comes from Latin. Did you study Latin in highschool? I did, and I'm still trying to get over it. - wordmeister, 2007-04-16: 15:22:00
It's all Greek to me! - Bulletchewer, 2007-04-16: 16:14:00
you can even go into the news/blog section and it will tell you which word this definition comes from.... i honestly feel that using Vonneguts word taints the wampeter of our humble karass - rikboyee, 2007-04-16: 17:44:00
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Luth
Created by: Guthlaf1
Pronunciation: LOOTH
Sentence: Yes, the government is always right, and that's the luth.
Etymology: A combination of 'truth' and 'lie', substituting "L" for "TR".
Fibonaughtchicanery
Created by: Jabberwocky
Pronunciation: fib/oh/not/chi/can/ury
Sentence: Those wonderful fairytales of childhood are really nothing but fibonaughtchicanery.
Etymology: fib + naught (nothing) + chicanery (deception) + fibonacci
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COMMENTS:
Looks it a tongue twister, but sounds good. - OZZIEBOB, 2008-06-24: 08:17:00
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Troose
Created by: reverb
Pronunciation: troos
Sentence: Some people thought CEO was stealing money from the shareholders, but troose was that he was just borrowing it.
Etymology: loose truth
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COMMENTS:
seems to fit - reverb, 2008-07-12: 15:40:00
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Lightwry
Created by: americanogig
Pronunciation: Light-wry.
Sentence: She asked me if the dress that was two sizes too small made her look fat. Considering my options, I figured it was time for a lightwry.
Etymology: A combination of the words light and wry, a variation on white lie.
Perjildance
Created by: mana1066
Pronunciation: per-jilled-ence
Sentence: granpa always had a perjildance for every question we asked as kids, but he still uses them even tough were in our late twenties
Etymology: perjury( of course, not in the court of law) + child (as in how you're spoken to when lied to in this sense)
Consolie
Created by: justinchau
Pronunciation: con-sol-lie
Sentence: I had to consolie my patient when he wanted assurance that x-rays had no radiation. I consolied the hypochondriac by assuring her the pill wasn't a placebo.
Etymology: console + lie
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COMMENTS:
Hmm, what about alieviate (alleviate + lie)? - justinchau, 2008-06-23: 05:55:00
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Salvoment
Created by: emmyb2
Pronunciation: sal-vo-mint
Sentence: I'm not feeling bad about that lie; it was just a small salvoment, meant to ease my mother's pain.
Etymology: salv-save ment-lie
Fibrication
Created by: artr
Pronunciation: fibrəkāshən
Sentence: Where did I come from? What happened to fluffy? Does this dress look good on me? What do you think of my artwork? Do you love me? Questions like these can spark fibrication.
Etymology: fib (a lie, typically an unimportant one) + fabrication (invent or concoct (something), typically with deceitful intent)
Comments:
ErWenn - 2007-04-16: 08:00:00
Best verbotoon ever. So it goes, buddy, so it goes.
ErWenn - 2007-04-16: 08:20:00
Just noticed what was written on the typewriter. Ha!
Today's definition was suggested by Kurt Vonnegut and first appeared in his novel Cat's Cradle.
Thank you Mr. Vonnegut! ~ James
RE: "Best Verbotoon Ever" Thanks ErWenn! However I must say it was all inspired by KV himself. So it goes... ~ James
See the top 4 words of the day at Yeah, I'm in heaven now ~ James
Today's definition was suggested by Kurt Vonnegut and first appeared in his novel Cat's Cradle.
Thank you Mr. Vonnegut! ~ James
wurdless - 2008-07-12: 15:23:00
Vonnegut is cool!
reverb - 2008-07-12: 15:31:00
cat's cradle rocks
Today's definition was suggested by vonnegut. Thank you vonnegut. ~ James
Live it or live WITH it!