Vote for the best verboticism.
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.
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.
Rationalbatross
Created by: Nosila
Pronunciation: ra shun al bit ross
Sentence: When Penelope asked her father, Gordie, for a computer (or anything that cost money), he had his usual rationalbatross excuse ready. On this occasion it was about the fact that when he was young, computers were a science fiction story, not reality. So he had to develop his super brainpower to get through all eight of his years of school. Of course, he then went into his old "I walked through five feet of snow for eight miles without boots or a winter coat, carrying a raw potato for my lunch at school, after I had milked the cows, fed the pigs and chickens and brought in a bucket of snow to melt for water" schtick.
Etymology: Rational (logical) & Albatross (figurative) something that hinders or handicaps)
Theartfuldredger
Created by: bookowl
Pronunciation: the/artful/dred/jur
Sentence: Theartfuldredger is the most unpopular guest at a party.
Etymology: the artful dodger + dredge (as in up from the past)
Negatiate
Created by: suzanne
Pronunciation: negg-ate-ee-ate
Sentence: Mary wanted to study German but her father negatieted by saying how he had lived his whole life speaking only English and he had never been arrested.
Etymology: neg- from nagative atiate - derivative from negotiate.
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COMMENTS:
probably should be negatiator, but the sentence alone is worth a vote - galwaywegian, 2007-04-18: 05:22:00
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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.
Focalrecoiliot
Created by: Bulletchewer
Pronunciation: fo-cull-re-coyl-ee-utt
Sentence: Tony was a focalrecoiliot, citing his days in "Ugly Rumours" as the definitive evidence that we ought to go to war with Iraq (I mean, with America, against Iraq)instead of investing in our hospitals and schools.
Etymology: From that film (sorry, movie) Total Recall, "focal" meaning "nothing", "recoil" meaning "backward jerk of a gun" and "idiot" meaning "Governator". Who else wants some acid?
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COMMENTS:
don't atke this the wrong way Bulletchewer but I think focalrecoil might have worked better because it's the same number of syllables as total recall - Jabberwocky, 2007-04-18: 13:28:00
I meant don't take but you probably figured that out - Jabberwocky, 2007-04-18: 13:30:00
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Antidoter
Created by: Stevenson0
Pronunciation: anti/dote/er
Sentence: Joe was an antidoter who always had an antidote from his wonderful past for his young nieces and nephews as to why they should not to do anything. Because Joe was an antidoter, his family called him Uncle Don't.
Etymology: ANTIDOTER - noun - from ANTI (a person who is opposed to a particular practice, or action) + ANECDOTE (a short account of a particular incident, or event of an interesting, or amusing nature, often biographical)
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COMMENTS:
Good word, his wife must be an Auntidoter! - Nosila, 2008-06-25: 21:49:00
Great word. - OZZIEBOB, 2008-06-26: 07:01:00
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Abswervist
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
Manicdotal
Created by: rikboyee
Pronunciation: man-ik-doe-tul
Sentence: In order to get the upperhand in this argument he was going to need to provide some pretty persuasive manicdotal evidence
Etymology: manic, anecdote
Anecdoltal
Created by: artr
Pronunciation: anikdōltl
Sentence: He is known for his rambling anecdoltal stories. He doesn*t exactly win arguments, he just wears out people with exuberant drivel.
Etymology: anecdotal (not necessarily true or reliable, because based on personal accounts rather than facts or research) + dolt (a stupid person)
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COMMENTS:
terrific! - mrskellyscl, 2009-11-04: 05:25:00
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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
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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Comments:
Today's definition was suggested by Kurt Vonnegut and first appeared in his novel Cat's Cradle.
Thank you Mr. Vonnegut! ~ James
Today's definition was suggested by Kurt Vonnegut and first appeared in his novel Cat's Cradle.
Thank you Mr. Vonnegut! ~ James
Today's definition was suggested by vonnegut. Thank you vonnegut. ~ James