Verboticism: Trashcombobulation

'You can't put paper towels in the paper recycling!!'

DEFINITION: n. Anxiety created by an inability to understand or follow the regulations for recycling, composting and garbage collection. v. To feel confused and conflicted because you produce too much garbage and don't know how to get rid of it.

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Trashcombobulation

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Garbanguish

artr

Created by: artr

Pronunciation: gahr-ang-gwish

Sentence: It's Wednesday night again and you know what that means, garbanguish. Phil and Marcia have done their usual lousy job of sorting their trash for recycling. Now they are sure to be humiliated if the neighbors see their trashcan overflowing with garbage. So, to show how environmentally-conscious they are, Phil prepares a tiny trashcan to put out on the curb and stuffs a huge contractor-weight lawn bag with the rest, secrets it into the trunk of his car and flings it into the dumpster at the back of the parking lot at work the next morning.

Etymology: garbage (discarded animal and vegetable matter, as from a kitchen; refuse) + anguish (excruciating or acute distress, suffering, or pain)

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Recyclophobia

Created by: Mustang

Pronunciation: re-cyc-lah-FOE-bya

Sentence: Wilbur had a bad case of recyclophobia when it came time to separate recyclables for collection each Thursday, as he could not grasp the concept of separating those materials from ordinary refuse and he always wound up leaving the job to his wife, Clara.

Etymology: blend of 'recycle' (to treat or process (used or waste materials so as to make suitable for reuse) and 'phobia' (unreasonable fear of something)

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Recyclebabble

artr

Created by: artr

Pronunciation: rēsīkləbabəl

Sentence: Sally is confused by recyclebabble. One day she hears that you can recycle some items, the next day no. One week everything needs to be separated, the next week no. Just last week somebody told her that many cities put recyclables into landfills. As she finishes a carton of eggs, she shutters at the thought of what to do with it.

Etymology: recycle (convert (waste) into reusable material) + babble (talk rapidly and continuously in a foolish manner)

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Strashed

Created by: readerwriter

Pronunciation: st-rah-sh-t

Sentence: One Tuesday morning, after hauling her final recycling bin to the curb, Camilla felt so strashed by the process of sorting through what was to go where, she fell in front of the large garbage truck as it barrelled towards the curb. Her dying thoughts were wondering what bin they would put her in.

Etymology: A verb. A combination of STRESSED and TRASHED

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COMMENTS:

Perfect word! - silveryaspen, 2009-01-15: 12:30:00

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Greenucify

kashman

Created by: kashman

Pronunciation: green-oo-see-fyee

Sentence: Moving from Indiana to Oregon, Kathy felt being grenucified by her new eco-friendly friends.

Etymology: Green + Crucify (to torment)

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Ecodisorderaphobia

Created by: Nosila

Pronunciation: eko dis ord era fob eeya

Sentence: Eric was new to the whole recycling thing. He had thought recycling was when they made the Tour de France be run again. He & Kate spent hours trying to sort all their household waste into suitable categories. You could say they suffered from ecodisorderafobia, because they were always afraid they were sorting their trash improperly. Would the Garbage Police shut them down once and for all for failing to conform? For months they lived with this fear. Finally Eric got brave one morning and approached the garbageman (okay Waste Disposal Technician) as he came down their alley. Biting the bullet he bravely asked the civic employee how they were doing in their sorting efforts. The garbageman winked and chuckled and told him not to worry. When Eric pressed him why he should not worry, he was told that all the stuff was just going to be dumped into the landfill anyway! All these months they had been sorting their trash for the seagulls. It was then that Eric & Kate vowed to become ecowarriors and run for city council.

Etymology: ecology (the environment as it relates to living organisms) & disorder (a condition in which things are not in their expected places or disturb in mind or make uneasy or cause to be worried or alarmed) & phobia ( an anxiety disorder characterized by extre

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COMMENTS:

Your sentence and word do a great job of presenting this part of the issue. Excellent! - silveryaspen, 2008-03-25: 12:48:00

I agree. Your sentence hits on the topic of the economics of recycling, and how recycling programs are only successful when it's economically feasible to recycle (i.e. if it costs more to recycle something, then the program must either be subsidized or abandoned). Very thought provoking. - Tigger, 2008-03-25: 22:58:00

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Whosawmabinladen

Created by: galwaywegian

Pronunciation: hoo saw ma bin lay den

Sentence: her whosawmabinladen complex was so strong thatshe used to buy organic vegetables just to put in the composting bin.

Etymology: who saw my bin laden, Osama....

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COMMENTS:

Bwaaaah hahahahaha. Love it. Thanks! - Jamagra, 2008-03-25: 08:01:00

Double meaning full! Ingenious! - silveryaspen, 2008-03-25: 11:06:00

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Greenatoryangst

Created by: arrrteest

Pronunciation: green-a-tor-ee-angst

Sentence: It was Brother Chad's turn to take out the recycling. It was a chore that he tried to get done before Brother Conrad came back from his evening prayers because he knew that there would be no refuge for improperly sorting the refuse. It was Conrad's contention that Chad refused to refer to the reference chart he put up on the refectory refrigerator on how to properly identify and sort the ungodly amount of consumer waste generated at the monastary. Brother Raphael often had to referee and run interference for poor Brother Chad becuase he recognized his constant confusion and greenatoryangst when it came to sorting the recycling.

Etymology: green (environmental)+atory (from obligatory) + angst (anxiety, fear)

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COMMENTS:

Really resourceful recounting of rather raunchy recycling rituals! Raves! - spotthecat1, 2008-03-25: 04:37:00

Very nicely done alliteration! Your etymology has originality and is meaning full. Great creates! - silveryaspen, 2008-03-25: 13:44:00

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Recyclophobia

Created by: Mustang

Pronunciation: Re - syke - luh - foe - bya

Sentence: Eugenia's recyclophobia was so severe that she would become nearly hysterical in her efforts to sort the materials into the proper bins.

Etymology: Recycle and phobia

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COMMENTS:

GMTA ... good minds think alike ... it was the first verboticism that came to my mind. This seems to happen a bit among ALL the verbotomists. There's a delightful meeting of the minds on verbotomy in so many ways. Excellent verboticism! - silveryaspen, 2008-03-25: 13:33:00

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Conrefusion

Created by: Biscotti

Pronunciation: kon-ref-ew-zhun

Sentence: Jack was in conrefusion when the city made a new ordinance that paper could not be put out to the street in a paper bag; instead it had to be put in a city approved styrofoam bin. The bins always ended up breaking about once a month; causing great conrefusion and suffering for the citizens of the city.

Etymology: Confusion (not understanding) + Refuse (garbage or trash)

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COMMENTS:

Great ending twist in your last sentence that gives your verboticism the double meaning beyond the two meaninngs of both words in your etymology. Very clever! - silveryaspen, 2008-03-25: 13:03:00

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