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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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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)

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Egodote

Created by: Ellemorpheus

Pronunciation: E-go-dough-t

Sentence: For fear of his horrible stories,the youth of the family stayed away from their egodote, great-grandfather.

Etymology: Ego-self dote, from anecdote.

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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)

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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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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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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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Reminanity

mrskellyscl

Created by: mrskellyscl

Pronunciation: rem-i-nan-i-ty

Sentence: Her dad's constant reminanity drove her to the brink of insanity. She couldn't wait to graduate from school to get away from it. Then one day after she was grown and he was gone, she realized to her horror that she was beginning to do the same thing to her kids. "The bunk stops here!" she thought, and immediately stopped talking.

Etymology: reminisce: to recollect and tell of past experiences or events + inanity: something empty of meaning or sense; lack of intelligence or imagination

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Reminosence

Created by: Jabberwocky

Pronunciation: re/mi/no/sens

Sentence: Whenever she tried to have a meaningful chat with her boyfriend about where their relationship was headed he would veer off topic with crazy reminosenses.

Etymology: reminiscence + no sense

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COMMENTS:

Very good word. - OZZIEBOB, 2008-06-25: 09:37:00

Why is it that the road to ruin is the future part of the stroll down memory lane? - Nosila, 2008-06-25: 21:55:00

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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.

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Anecdadalist

playdohheart

Created by: playdohheart

Pronunciation: an-ec-da-da-list

Sentence: "When I was younger I only had one pair of pants. They were purple plaid flares and all the other kids made fun of me. And when you bring up the subject of pants, I think of that and then I get all worried that I'm still just the kid with the proverbial purple plaid flares and you're such an angel of miraculous beauty. I'm going to go lay down now because I'm upset. I don't think I can go out to dinner tonight until I feel validated as a man again... you know... sexually." She sighed, realizing she should have known better than to ask Jim, the master anecdadalist, if she looked fat in these pants.

Etymology: anecdotalist + Dada (an art movement that used nonsense to challenge ideas and concepts)

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COMMENTS:

Fantastic sentence! Can't wait til the book comes out! - purpleartichokes, 2007-04-18: 06:00:00

you get my vote for a great story - Jabberwocky, 2007-04-18: 08:54:00

Just realised that your name could've worked for yesterday's definition. I've seen murderers with shorter sentences, mind. - Bulletchewer, 2007-04-18: 13:03:00

Be careful with your acid-ic comments Bulletchewer. Keep in mind Playdoheart's heart is made of playdoh - Jabberwocky, 2007-04-18: 13:17:00

playdohheart Ha, you're right about the name relating to yesterday! But I think a playdohheart would be the one having his or her life molded by someone like a domimator. I did get a bit carried away by the novel-ty of my sentence(/paragraph), but it appears I'll do anything to make the punchline work... the best jokes are dangerous. - playdohheart, 2007-04-18: 14:52:00

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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