Verboticism: Skimprovise

'My nose hairs are scary!'

DEFINITION: n. A tool which has been re-purposed and is now being used (perhaps unsafely) to perform a completely different function. v. To use a tool for a different purpose than for which it was originally designed.

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Skimprovise

Created by: Mustang

Pronunciation: SKIM-pro-vyz

Sentence: Even at risk of life and limb in using tools and devices dangerously to save a few pennies, Marlene would often skimprovise, sometimes even endangering those around her.

Etymology: Blend of 'skimp' (To provide for or supply inadequately; be stingy with) and 'improvise' (to make, provide, or arrange from whatever materials are readily available)

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COMMENTS:

You captured exactly why we do this! Your word for this definition is perfect! - silveryaspen, 2009-03-09: 11:09:00

Good word. - kateinkorea, 2009-03-09: 18:39:00

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Conglomergreats

Created by: silveryaspen

Pronunciation: cun glom er grates

Sentence: Alan Rench was out camping. He liked to rough it in the mountains. His sawtoothed blade doubled as his comb. His screw driver stirred his beans in the tin bucket, simmering over the campfire, as it hung by the tire iron, held aloft by his jack. His plate was one of his hubcaps. His pocket knife did triple duty, for he used it as his spoon and fork, too. He sang the old saw "I eat my beans with honey. I done it all my life. It makes 'em taste quite funny, but it keeps 'em on my knife." He also used his pocket knife to scrape his hubcap plate clean. Alan's multi-duty use of all his tools made them his conglomergreats!

Etymology: CONGLOMERATE - mix of many things. GREAT - large in number. So tools that be used for a mix of many things in a large number of ways are conglomergreats.

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COMMENTS:

It's a bit of a tongue twister, but if you can eat your beans off your knife, your tongue won't trip over it! - silveryaspen, 2009-03-09: 01:11:00

metrohumanx I'd LOVE to camp out with you! - metrohumanx, 2009-03-09: 01:13:00

metrohumanx Did you know you can cook flounder on your engine's manifold? It's VERY eco-efficient ! - metrohumanx, 2009-03-09: 02:18:00

I'd only cook a fish on the manifold for the halibut! And ps, silvery, they should be called BEEns! - Nosila, 2009-03-09: 22:53:00

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Electrocutilize

karenanne

Created by: karenanne

Pronunciation: ee lek tro CYU til ize

Sentence: Stumpy likes to electrocutilize power tools for more mundane purposes. Last year, he electrocutilized his belt sander to polish his shoes - while he was still wearing them. That's why his nickname is Stumpy.

Etymology: electrocute + utilize

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Toolfoolery

Created by: mweinmann

Pronunciation: tool + fool +uree

Sentence: It is toolfoolery to think that you can use a rezorblade as a screwdriver, a wrench as a hammer or a chainsaw as a scissors. Injury can often occur and body parts can be broken, mangled or lost.

Etymology: Tool + Fool + Tomfoolery >> Tool (A device or process that is used to do some kind of work) Fool (a person who lacks good judgment) Tomfoolery (folly: foolish or senseless behavior)

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COMMENTS:

Love the way it captures the way we go toolin' around. Excellent creation! - silveryaspen, 2009-03-09: 11:11:00

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Tual

Created by: kateinkorea

Pronunciation: TYOO eul

Sentence: Many months after her boyfriend had run out on her, Sally realized that she had to clean out the basement of Dick’s tools. As she piled them by the garbage she suddenly started to see another picture. These tools might have other uses. It began with duct tape. She discovered that everything in her kitchen could be fixed, held together, or constructed with the help of duct tape. Soon she was cutting garlic with a utility knife; marinating meat in a paint tray; using crescent wrenches or hammers to tenderize meat; and a drill with a twirly contraption on the end as a mixer. All of these tools had dual functions. This huge tual box had proven its worthiness and found a place in her new kitchen-workshop.

Etymology: TOOL: DUAL:

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COMMENTS:

Sounds like the perfect word for Alton Brown (from the show 'Good Eats' - not sure if you've seen it, but he's always using items from the hardware store in the kitchen). - Tigger, 2009-03-09: 11:09:00

Smile-icious! - silveryaspen, 2009-03-09: 11:13:00

super - Jabberwocky, 2009-03-09: 13:54:00

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Machamorphosis

Created by: TJayzz

Pronunciation: Mak-a-mor-foe-sis

Sentence: Budding inventor Ivor Patent-Pending, cleverly adapted his ceiling fan every winter by machamorphosis so that it blew out hot air, thus being able to dry his clothes when the weather was bad.

Etymology: Blend of Machine(an apparatus using mechanical power) and Metamorphosis(alter, to change completely)

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COMMENTS:

metrohumanx RIGHT-O TJ!...and with a string attached, it makes an EXCELLENT cat toy! - metrohumanx, 2009-03-09: 02:20:00

metrohumanx Machamorphosis....like a luvely flutterby! - metrohumanx, 2009-03-09: 02:25:00

good one - galwaywegian, 2009-03-09: 14:27:00

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Overtool

artr

Created by: artr

Pronunciation: ōvərtoōl

Sentence: Hal likes to overtool every thing he does. He shaves in the morning with a machete that he sharpens and hones for 20 minutes. He mows his half-acre lawn with a combine after mixing cocktails in a Hobart 20-quart commercial mixer. He doesn’t see his numerous trips to the ER as an indication that he should change, just as a source of stories to share at the local hardware store.

Etymology: overkill (the amount by which destruction or the capacity for destruction exceeds what is necessary) + tool (a device or implement, esp. one held in the hand, used to carry out a particular function)

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COMMENTS:

RightOnTheWin Really neat concept ! - RightOnTheWin, 2010-09-21: 09:33:00

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Pimplement

Created by: Nosila

Pronunciation: pimp le ment

Sentence: Janice had finally hit on the next great thing. She modified her belt sander to plane off the zits and blackheads on her T-Zone. She called it a pimplement. It seemed like a great idea at the time, but was never picked up by any of those companies who mass market new inventions. It seems their doctors and lawyers took exception to removing a layer of dermis in a painful manner with a rusty tool from the garage. Go figure!

Etymology: Pimple (zit;acne) & Implement (tool,instrument)

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Flybomb

Created by: QuantumMechanic

Pronunciation: FLY bom

Sentence: He could not get the school kids to stay off his lawn, so he pulled a flybomb and mowed his yard every morning at 8am, throwing grass clippings at them.

Etymology: From setting off a bomb to kill a fly, destroying the whole room in the process.

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Adapdeadly

Created by: galwaywegian

Pronunciation: ad ap ded lee

Sentence: Her array of adapdeadly tools included the cheesecuttercontraceptivewire, which took all risk of pregnancy and enjoyment out of the proceedings

Etymology: adapted, deadly

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