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'All I had was a wooden brain...'

DEFINITION: n. A person who, using an example from their own life, steers people away from a line of speculation by reducing it to an absurdity. v. To dismantle a logical argument with piles of passionate incoherence.

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Verboticisms

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Wrang-wrang

Created by: vonnegut

Pronunciation: rang-rang

Sentence: There was a sign around my dead cat's neck. It said, "Meow." I have not seen Krebbs since. Nonetheless, I sense that he was my karass. If he was, he served it as a wrang-wrang.

Etymology: Created by Kurt Vonnegut Jr., for Cat's Cradle, published in 1963.

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Disingenue

Created by: Koekbroer

Pronunciation: dis-in-jen-oo

Sentence: Doug really believes that by being a disingenue he can make people change their viewpoints.

Etymology: a contraction of "disingenuous" (not candid or sincere, typically by pretending that one knows less about something than one really does) and "ingenue" - a harmless, naive character

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Tangenter

Created by: Silent0

Pronunciation:

Sentence:

Etymology:

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Reminisnosense

Created by: TJayzz

Pronunciation: Remin-iss-no-senz

Sentence: When Laura asked her Father for a new pair of trainers he automatically started to reminisnosense about when he, as a young lad had to have his brothers hand-me-downs and that there was still plenty of wear in her older sisters tatty old trainers that in Laura's mind were only fit for the bin.

Etymology: Reminisce(to think fondly of days gone by) + nonsense(Rubbish, to make no sense) = Reminisnosense

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Abswervist

petaj

Created by: petaj

Pronunciation: ab-swerve-ist

Sentence: The repertory group had come to be known as the Theatre of the Abswerve. Since Eugene, a playwright, kept banging on about his past productions, they could not settle on a script.

Etymology: absurd, swerve

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Lamentor

Created by: purpleartichokes

Pronunciation: lah-men-tor

Sentence: My lamentor warned me that if I didn't stop indulging my dark chocolate passion, I would end up as he used to be - a depraved chocoholic, selling my plasma and collecting discarded aluminum cans in order to get my next "fix".

Etymology: lament, mentor

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COMMENTS:

you lead a very colourful life purple - I always get a chuckle out of your sentences - Jabberwocky, 2007-04-18: 13:33:00

Oh dear. There goes the last vestige of normalcy I was clinging on to. By the way, don't bother searching Ebay for cow manure to feed your purple artichokes - apparently, cows don't poop anymore because there are no listings. - purpleartichokes, 2007-04-18: 15:10:00

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Philosophistry

CharlieB

Created by: CharlieB

Pronunciation: fill-oh-sof-is-tree

Sentence: George Osbourne's sense of his place in the world was completely dement-Id. 'The bankers' failure should be rewarded with more perks, because they're from Eton and will do the right thing,' he rationa-lies-ed to the country.

Etymology: philsophy (system of personal beliefs) + sophistry (a false argument)

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Wrang-wrang

Created by: vonnegut

Pronunciation: rang-rang

Sentence: There was a sign around my dead cat's neck. It said, "Meow." I have not seen Krebbs since. Nonetheless, I sense that he was my karass. If he was, he served it as a wrang-wrang.

Etymology: Created by Kurt Vonnegut Jr., for Cat's Cradle, published in 1963.

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Tangentvangelist

Created by: porsche

Pronunciation: tan/jent/van/jel/ist

Sentence: My sixth grade teacher was a tangentvangelist who answered every question with a reference to the black plague

Etymology: tangent + evangelist

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COMMENTS:

Probably the best use of "evangelist" outside occult circles (or should that be pentagrams?). - Bulletchewer, 2007-04-18: 12:14:00

playdohheart Good word. Also made me think of that SNL sketch, "In a vannn down by the rivvver". That guy was a tangentvangelist if anyone ever was. - playdohheart, 2007-04-18: 15:09:00

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Idiotom

Created by: mplsbohemian

Pronunciation: ID-ee-uht-uhm

Sentence: Alex unwittingly became an idiotom as he trailed off on a tangent of how he was submerged in spaghetti at camp back in the day.

Etymology: idio- (individual) + idiot (a boor) + idiom (peculiar speech)

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Comments:

Verbotomy Verbotomy - 2007-04-18: 02:13:00
Today's definition was suggested by Kurt Vonnegut and first appeared in his novel Cat's Cradle.
Thank you Mr. Vonnegut! ~ James

Verbotomy Verbotomy - 2008-06-25: 00:01:00
Today's definition was suggested by Kurt Vonnegut and first appeared in his novel Cat's Cradle.
Thank you Mr. Vonnegut! ~ James

Verbotomy Verbotomy - 2009-11-04: 00:33:00
Today's definition was suggested by vonnegut. Thank you vonnegut. ~ James