Verboticism: Motifate

'Honey, you just ran a red light!'

DEFINITION: v. To unintentionally encourage bad behavior by responding to it in a manner that incites even worse behavior. n. A response designed to stop bad behavior, which paradoxically produces more of it.

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Motifate

Created by: Nosila

Pronunciation: moe tiff ate

Sentence: Carla was determined to make her twin, Carl, pass his driver's license. While he depended on her for transport, she would never have freedom. With his own license, she would no longer have him accompanying her everywhere. She tried to motifate him and inspire him by coaching him: "Turn left, Carl; Watch that car ahead of you, Carl; turn on your signal light, Carl and slow down, Carl". When Carl heard her suggestions, it made him rebel and say things out loud to annoy her, like: "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Car, How I wish I was a Star". Yes, unfortunately Carla's words intended to motifate Carl, made him go from Bad to Verse...

Etymology: motivate (incite, inspire,educate) & motif (a unifying idea that is a recurrent element in a literary or artistic work) & fate (an event (or a course of events) that will inevitably happen in the future;your overall circumstances or condition in life (including everything that happens to you.

Points: 899