Verboticism: Mitleidfreude
Photo: iwona kellie and stringbot
DEFINITION: v. tr. To seek appreciation, support, and/or love by trying to get people to feel sorry for you. n. Someone who believes that if you don't feel sorry for them, you do not love them.
Mitleidfreude
Created by: ErWenn
Pronunciation: /ˈmɪtlaɪdˌfrɔɪd/ /MITT-lahyd-Froyd/
Sentence: Mitleidfreude is somehow more socially acceptable than its nastier cousins schadenfreude, neidfreude, and dummheitfreude.
Etymology: from Ger., lit. "pity-joy," from mitleid "pity" + freude "happy"
Points: 1007
Comments: Mitleidfreude
silveryaspen - 2008-02-20: 02:35:00
Surprising etymology! Now I know that mit came from mitleid ... but I thought leid was a play on layed ... and freude was a play on fraud and Freud! Didn't know what to make of the cousins! (chuckling) Kudos for your ingenuity!
OZZIEBOB - 2008-02-20: 16:41:00
Wunderbar! Great approach to create your verboticism. Makes me think of german words with a "toe-hold" in English, such as: "weltschmer" & "sprachgeful".