Vote for the best verboticism.

'I wish this tree was dead.'

DEFINITION: v. To ignore anything positive and focus your energy on problems, disasters, and whatever bad news you find. n. A person who searches for, and feeds on, other people's weaknesses, failures and mistakes.

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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.

Focuss

Created by: galwaywegian

Pronunciation: ffff oh kuss

Sentence: her focuss had everyone cussing before long

Etymology: focus cuss

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Negactivity

Created by: EpicButCrazy

Pronunciation: Neg-ack-tiv-it-ee

Sentence: He's so full of negactivity, even when he won the huge competition all he could think about was that they misspelled his name on the trophy!

Etymology: negativity + activity = to be quite actively negative

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Attackonist

Created by: Nosila

Pronunciation: at tak on ist

Sentence: She just could not help herself. Dee Strucktiff was an attackonist. Nothing pleased her and she was not shy in expressing her negative viewpoint to anyone. The staff in shops and restaurants dreaded her patronage. She was not shy about expressing her dismay at the high prices, inferior quality of goods and poor, careless service. Things were always better in the old days. She was so beligerent, she even drove away her only daughter, Joy, into the arms of a man she thought unworthy of her, just to escape her ranting mother. Joy's husband, Howie Hertz, was a gentle, kindly man who took pity on poor Joy. Dee did not even realize there was no Joy in her life anymore until it was too late and the pair had eloped. Dee fed off bad news like a vulture on carrion. Her family motto was: "She who thinks the worst is never disappointed!"

Etymology: Attack (an offensive move in a sport or game ;strong criticism; attack someone physically or emotionally) & Antagonist (indicating opposition or resistance;incapable of harmonious association;arousing animosity or hostility;opposing or neutralizing or mitigating an effect by contrary action)

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COMMENTS:

Attackonists are people we avoid like the plague. How well you portrayed them in your sentence and last line! - silveryaspen, 2009-04-21: 09:31:00

Nosila, Howie Hertz was powerless to help Joy from Dee Strucktiff's Attackonist attitude~ You are so very creative :) I ALWAYS enjoy reading your sentences!!!! Great job! - abrakadeborah, 2009-04-22: 05:43:00

Cheers, silvery & deb...love your contributions as well...may the creative force always be with you both! - Nosila, 2009-04-25: 22:07:00

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Bleakbeaker

Created by: abrakadeborah

Pronunciation: bleak-beak-er

Sentence: Cardinella was such a sad old fella he would bleak around to bring everybody down. To him there was never a sunny or happy day...he managed to find always a spot of gray...as he would "bleakbeaker" to make everyone weaker! Draining out any happiness... trying to make others feel like a mell of a hess.

Etymology: Bleak:Providing no encouragement; depressing,gloomy and somber. Beak:Slang a person's nose or the projecting structure forming the mandibles of a bird, especially one that is strong, sharp, and useful in striking and tearing. Bleaker:Slang for a negative person that noses into peoples lives with a striking negativity to tear down their happy moods.

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COMMENTS:

luv your spoonerism! - silveryaspen, 2009-04-22: 22:26:00

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Maggoteer

Created by: readerwriter

Pronunciation: meh-gah-teer

Sentence: If only Dart could find two more people to join him in his cause of whining, grumbling and complaining about every rotten thing then they could call themselves The Three Maggoteers.

Etymology: Using MAGGOT, a larvae that feeds on diseased or dead cells + a play on "The Three Muskateers," a French novel about a young hero named d'Artangan by Alexandre Dumas, pere

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COMMENTS:

I would hate to run into three Maggoteers types at one time! I really enjoy everyone's words and what they come up with in sentences! Very creative :) - abrakadeborah, 2009-04-22: 06:41:00

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Pessimonger

artr

Created by: artr

Pronunciation: pes-uh-muhng-ger

Sentence: Elliot is such a pessimonger that if you were to give him a winning lottery ticket, he would complain that too much paper is wasted producing the tickets.

Etymology: pessimist (person who expects bad outcome) + monger (dealer in goods)

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Pessimisappropriator

petaj

Created by: petaj

Pronunciation: pez-i-miss-a-pro-pree-ater

Sentence: Never content with her own minor troubles, Marlene thrived by pessimisappropriating everyone else's catastrophes. She retold their stories as her own so frequently that even the victims started to believe it had happened to Marlene instead of themselves.

Etymology: pessimist (someone who focuses on the negatives) + misappropriate (to wrongly take over something)

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COMMENTS:

Like the aspect and approach you presented and the neat alliteration in your word. Both are another of today's Great Creates! - silveryaspen, 2009-04-21: 09:52:00

pessimisappropos! - Nosila, 2009-04-21: 22:25:00

Props! to your Pessimisappropriator! Very good word! :) - abrakadeborah, 2009-04-22: 05:52:00

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Sinnic

Created by: Nosila

Pronunciation: sin nik

Sentence: Woody was a sinnic in the worst sense of the word. If your actions did not benefit him directly, he thought you had no business being on the planet!

Etymology: Sin (commit a faux pas or a fault or make a serious mistake) & Cynic (someone who is critical of the motives of others)

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Lugubriate

Created by: Mustang

Pronunciation: loo-GOO-bree-ayt

Sentence: Even on the sunniest days and rosiest occasions Bertha could be counted upon to lugubriate, searching through all the days events and news for the downbeat and negative offerings.

Etymology: 'Lugubrious' (mournful, dismal, or gloomy, esp. in an affected, exaggerated, or unrelieved manner) with suffix '-ate' (As the ending of a verb, it means to make, to cause, to act, etc.; as, to propitiate (to make propitious); to animate (to give life to)

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COMMENTS:

Saying lugubriate has harsh sounds just like these hard people! Easy to remember, spot on the definition ... another Exceptional Great Create! - silveryaspen, 2009-04-21: 09:47:00

like the GOO-d word play in your pronunciation, too! - silveryaspen, 2009-04-22: 22:16:00

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Fixhate

Created by: Biscotti

Pronunciation: f-icks-h-ayt

Sentence: Joey was such a fixhate, always making those around him feel miserable. Even in public, he would be told "Have a nice day" and promptly responded, "Why should I?". He went so far as to paint his cubicle at work all black, just so his co-workers would feel gloomy too.

Etymology: Fixate (focus or obsess on something) + hate (anger or disdain for something)

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COMMENTS:

Very Strong and Powerful Word! - silveryaspen, 2009-04-21: 09:40:00

Biscotti,what a great word! I'm visualizing that black cublicle...lol :) - abrakadeborah, 2009-04-22: 05:55:00

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Show All or More...

 

Comments:

Verbotomy Verbotomy - 2009-04-21: 00:01:01
Today's definition was inspired by one of my favorite university professors who would respond to complainers with what he said was an old Japanese proverb -- "In among the cherry blossoms, the woodpecker hunts for a dead tree." ~ James

silveryaspen - 2009-04-21: 01:43:00
Like today's definition and cartoon, that Japanese proverb, provides plenty of food for thought .... naughty knotty thoughts ... until I want to thought naught about it any more!

silveryaspen - 2009-04-21: 09:56:00
This thought provoking definition and cartoon certainly inspired every one today! Kudos to the professor and James and all the verbotomists who played today. All are terrific sentences and verbotomies, today.

readerwriter - 2009-04-21: 10:33:00
Do I live in the wrong hemisphere or does my day begin too late???? Either that, or you all are up past midnight EST! Fun word today to play with. How you do it, James, I will never know...you are an artiste!

Verbotomy Verbotomy - 2009-04-21: 13:27:00
Thank you silvery and readerwriter. Fortunately, there not a lot of woodpeckers among us, but apparently there are a lot of night owls. ~ James

abrakadeborah - 2009-04-22: 06:03:00
This word and cartoon today was very descriptive! I LOVE the old Japanese proverb you added "In among the cherry blossoms, the woodpecker hunts for a dead tree." :) I have known a FEW toxic people like this in my life~