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.
Placifier
Created by: jedijawa
Pronunciation: plah-sih-fie-er
Sentence: Tom told a placifier when he told his aging mother that he was dating again.
Etymology: placid + pacifier
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COMMENTS:
Congratulations on your overall weekly win last week! Some great words!! - Stevenson0, 2007-04-16: 12:53:00
missed this one the first time round - glad I still had a vote left - great word - Jabberwocky, 2007-04-18: 09:08:00
Thanks guys. I'm having hard time with the words this week but you guys are kicking butt! - jedijawa, 2007-04-20: 17:09:00
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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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Mythinformed
Created by: artr
Pronunciation: miθinfôrmd
Sentence: Sally spent most of her childhood mythinformed. The stork*s role in child delivery, the Tooth Fairy, the Easter Bunny, Santa, were just some of the tall tales her mother fed her. As she grew up and these fibs unraveled her mother replaced them with others, Trickle-Down Economics, Aunt Flo, **a good education will get you a good job**, Social Security and Reality TV to name a few. Now as an adult she she is more confused than ever, but that*s OK. She has 8,000 real friends and a farm and fish to take care of on Facebook.
Etymology: myth (a traditional story, esp. one concerning the early history of a people or explaining some natural or social phenomenon, and typically involving supernatural beings or events) misinformed (given false or inaccurate information)
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COMMENTS:
good word - splendiction, 2009-11-02: 23:12:00
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Benein
Created by: rebelvin
Pronunciation: BEnign+NEIN
Sentence: The fact that he had Alzheimer's disease justified the beneins we told him to keep him happy.
Etymology: BEnign+NEIN Benign - 1. Having little or no detrimental effect; harmless 2. Showing gentleness and mildness. Nein - GERMAN: no; a word used for denying, disagreeing, refusing etc.
Mindgrout
Created by: metrohumanx
Pronunciation: MIND-Grrr-OUT!
Sentence: Life is depressing- there can be no doubt . But a blow from a mallet won’t sort it all out. Truth can be awkward, And bullshit can calm… So break out the MINDGROUT It’s a pretty cheap balm!
Etymology: MIND:recollection, memory,the element or complex of elements in an individual that feels, perceives, thinks, wills, and especially reasons; Middle English, from Old English gemynd; akin to Old High German gimunt memory, Latin ment-, mens mind, monēre to remind, warn, Greek menos spirit, mnasthai, mimnēskesthai to remember....... GROUT: thin mortar used for filling spaces (as the joints in masonry), any of various other materials used for a similar purpose; Middle English, coarse meal, from Old English grūt; akin to Old English grēot grit 1638
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COMMENTS:
http://www.homestarrunner.com/sbemail.html
- metrohumanx, 2009-11-02: 01:49:00
Welcome back, metropoet! - Nosila, 2009-11-02: 09:30:00
Thanks, Wordforge! - metrohumanx, 2009-11-03: 02:16:00
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Liethium
Created by: rikboyee
Pronunciation: lie-thee-um
Sentence: She knew that after the day he'd had, the only thing that would calm him down was some liethium
Etymology: lie, lithium [used to treat depression and such]
Reablurrance
Created by: lumina
Pronunciation: re/a/blur/ance
Sentence: Her therapist knew she was too fragile for the truth on this night. It was obvious to him that her husband did not really have the ability to give himself a hickey near his belly button. Instead, he offered a little reablurrance hoping he could muster his best poker face.
Etymology: reassurance: the act of reassuring; restoring someone's confidence. blur: clouding, or fogging. reablurrance: the act of reassuring and blurring the facts a bit when the truth will hurt
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COMMENTS:
cute - Nosila, 2008-06-23: 22:01:00
Nice and comforting! - reverb, 2008-07-11: 12:28:00
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Psoothedology
Created by: Stevenson0
Pronunciation: sooth/dol/uh/gee
Sentence: In all shaky governments and dictatorships, one of the key posts in the government is the department of psoothedolgy which sends out the media messages to comfort the masses and promote stability.
Etymology: PSOOTHEDOLOGY - noun - from PSEUDOLOGY (lying considered as an art) + SOOTHE (to tranquilize, or calm a person, or their feelings)
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COMMENTS:
Interesting blend - OZZIEBOB, 2008-06-24: 08:13:00
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Patricoddle
Created by: Sed8ed
Pronunciation: pa-tree-cod-el
Sentence: Joe found it easier to patricoddle the man who accosted him daily from the alley asking for two bits, rather than being rude and scaring him away.
Etymology: patri from patronize + coddle (to pamper, or whatever you like) = patricoddle
Mercifiction
Created by: ErWenn
Pronunciation: /ˌmɚsəˈfɪkʃən/
Sentence: Most of the new security policy instituted by the TSA are at best mercifiction and at worst malignacity.
Etymology: From mercy + fiction (reminiscent of merciful)
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!