Category: Verboticisms

To naggravate is so unshamu

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.

Honey, you just ran a red light!

VERBOTICISMS: (Invented words created by the Verbotomy Writers)

Naggravate: /-NAG-ruh-veyt-/ Matt was normally an aggressive driver — he practiced ‘offensive driving’ rather than ‘defensive driving’ — and when his passengers complained it would only naggravate the situation. Unfortunately, Matt’s girlfriend, Mona, still hadn’t learned this, and their roadtrips would turn into white-knuckled rollercoaster rides of reckless driving and near accidents, which only grew worse as Mona’s screams intensified. Etymology: Nag – to annoy by persistent faultfinding, complaints, or demands (from Old Norse, gnaga “to complain”) + Aggravate – to make worse or more severe; intensify; irritate (from Latin, aggravāre “to burden”) Created by: Tigger.

Comments on Naggravate:

TJayzz, 2008-05-20: 11:28:00
Good word!!

galwaywegian, 2008-05-20: 10:28:00
good word. love Mona.

Nosila, 2008-05-20: 22:40:00
Was her name Mona Lott? Good Word

Tigger, 2008-05-21: 00:30:00
Yes, it was! Do you know her too?

OZZIEBOB, 2008-05-22: 01:20:00
Good word

Wrecktify: /rek tifff eye/ Herhigh pitched complaints only managed to wrectify the situation, as she put her foot on the imaginery brake. Etymology: rectify wreck.
Created by: galwaywegian.

Comments on Wrecktify:

Nosila, 2008-05-20: 22:37:00
wreckscellent word!

OZZIEBOB, 2008-05-22: 01:21:00
Nice word.

Misscipline: /miss-i-plin/ Missipline is the result of misplaced discipline. Etymology: discipline + miss Created by: bookowl.

Dissuascalation: /dis-sway-sca-lay-shun/ Bobby, just ignore your brother. You know that when you tell him not to swear he just tells you to f&*$ #$%&&% )!!@^&$$. I know you mean well, but it’s just a dissuascalation. Etymology: dissuasion (discouragement) + escalation (increase, especially in the case of military escalation where every action is responded to with greater force) Created by: petaj.

To see more verboticisms for this definition go to:

https://www.verbotomy.com/verboticisms.php?jid=alpha

Be Creative,

James

www.verbotomy.com
the create-a-word game

Definition Comments:

Verbotomy – 2008-05-20: 00:00:01

Today’s definition is inspired by Amy Sutherland’s observation that if we are going to use “progressive animal training techniques” on humans, that we simply need to reward behavior we want and ignore behavior we don’t. Of course this is easier said than done, and requires a great deal of self-awareness and self-discipline. In fact, Amy calls it the “Zen of Animal Training”. See: “What Shamu Taught me About Life, Love and Marriage”. Thanks Amy! ~ James

Shamu’s petagogy produces a pavlovian outburst of creativity

DEFINITION: v. To use animal training techniques to improve and direct the behavior of other people n. A technique which uses the principles of animal training to solve a human behavioral riddle.

Now be a good boy, and pick up your socks

VERBOTICISMS: (Invented words created by the Verbotomy Writers)

Petagogy: /PET+pedAGOGY/ I know she is training me like a pet, but I just fall for her petagogy every time. Etymology: PET+pedAGOGY Created by: rebelvin.

Comments on Petagogy:

petaj, 2008-05-19: 05:43:00
love it

pieceof314, 2008-05-19: 08:26:00
That’s it!

galwaywegian, 2008-05-19: 14:01:00
excellent

Psycholdoggy: /sigh-COL-dog-e/ Sue-Ellen soon wised up she could manage her children’s own behaviour modification for the cost of an obedience training course for her pet. There was no reason to pay out megabucks on a professional, when she was an expert psycholdogist. Etymology: psychology + dog Created by: petaj.

Comments on Psycholdoggy:

Jabberwocky, 2008-05-19: 14:19:00
nice and original

Mustang, 2008-05-19: 23:52:00
I think that’s happened to me. Good one!

Pavlove: /pāv’lÅ­v’/ Janelle would pavlove Bart every night when he came home without the smell of cigarettes and beer about him; eventually, Bart stopped going to Moe’s for drinks after work. Etymology: Pavlov, Ivan, Russian physiologist who is best known for discovering the conditioned response; love, to have or express affection for another; also, sexual passion or desire. Created by: stache.

Comments on Pavlove:

galwaywegian, 2008-05-19: 14:06:00
nice!

Mustang, 2008-05-19: 14:36:00
Excellent word. Makes me salivate. lol

Homesticate: /hoh-mes-ti-kate/ In most relationships, the woman has to homesticate the male so he can function in modern society. Etymology: homo sapiens (the modern species of humans) + domesticate (to tame an animal to live with humans); therefore, homesticate (to tame a human to live with humans) Created by: Stevenson0.

Comments on Homesticate:

Tigger, 2008-05-19: 02:51:00
…but we can still ‘devolve’ during football games, can’t we? Excellent word!

To see more verboticisms for this definition go to:

https://www.verbotomy.com/verboticisms.php?jid=shamu

Be Creative,

James

www.verbotomy.com
the create-a-word game

Definition Comments:

Verbotomy – 2008-05-19: 00:01:00

Today’s definition is inspired by Amy Sutherland’s new book “What Shamu Taught me About Life, Love and Marriage”. where she reminds us that “People are animals too!”, and that “Any interaction is training”. Now Amy has invented her own word for this and it’s “Shamu”, so I have added it today’s list of verboticisms! Thanks Amy! ~ James

Brooding coppoutcino does nothing but complain about bitter coffee

DEFINITION: n. A person who regularly sulks inside cafes and coffeehouses all day, contributing nothing more to their world than a pout. v. To glower angrily at the state of world affairs while remaining inactive and unemployed.

I'm not pouting because the world sucks

VERBOTICISMS: (Invented words created by the Verbotomy Writers)

Coppoutcino: /cop-out-cheeno/ Sally believed in the philosophy of coppoutchino and regularly drowned her sorrows in a big cup of freshly brood coffee. Etymology: cop out + pout + cappucino Created by: Jabberwocky.

Comments on Coppoutcino:

TJayzz, 2008-05-16: 11:52:00
Like it, funny!

petaj, 2008-05-17: 05:15:00
rolls off the tongue

Tigger, 2008-05-17: 14:55:00
Nice blend!

Javapathy: /-JA-vap-uh-thee-/ Veronica hated going to the coffee shop next to the building where she worked because it seemed to always be filled with fateful, indifferent, Generation-Y’ers who were filled with javapathy, and acted world-weary and jaded beyond their years. They usually appeared to be alert and perceptive young adults, although that may have just been from all the caffeine. So, why didn’t these people have jobs? Who was supporting these flocks of coffee house beatniks, sitting around scowling at the rest of the world, and sipping expensive café mocha lattes? Etymology: Java – brewed coffee; coffee from the island of Java (Slang, from Java, an island in Indonesia where coffee is grown) + Apathy – lacking enthusiasm for or interest in things in general; indifference (from Greek, apathes “without emotion”) Created by: Tigger.

Comments on Javapathy:

stache, 2008-05-16: 08:41:00
nice one.

OZZIEBOB, 2008-05-18: 18:27:00
Add in tidapthy – nice word

Isolatte: /AHY-suh-lah-tey/ Roxie was an isolatte, an aloofee, with a flat, black mindset. Etymology: ISOLATTE: blend of isolate
and latte. ALOOFEE: aloof and coffee Created by: OZZIEBOB.

Comments on Isolatte:

Jabberwocky, 2008-05-16: 10:10:00
fantastic!!

Tigger, 2008-05-17: 15:05:00
She should really stop brewding. Great word!

Lattetude: /lat-ay-tude/ Naomi thought it very fashionable and cool to adopt lattetude. So after her community service in the sanitation department she took to hanging around cafés adopting poses and pouts to convey her disinterest in everything, while spending a fortune on café lattés. Etymology: latté (milky coffee) + lassitude (lack of emotion or interest) + attitude (posture of the body) Created by: petaj.

Comments on Lattetude:

Rutilus, 2008-05-16: 11:12:00
Absolutely splendid

Nosila, 2008-05-16: 08:37:00
Like it a latte!

stache, 2008-05-16: 08:59:00
let me espresso my agreement (ouch)

Jabberwocky, 2008-05-16: 10:11:00
very nice

To see more verboticisms for this definition go to:

https://www.verbotomy.com/verboticisms.php?jid=pout

Be Creative,

James

www.verbotomy.com
the create-a-word game

Definition Comments:

Verbotomy – 2008-05-16: 00:00:01

Today’s definition was suggested by scissorlips. Thank you scissorlips. ~ James

Jabberwocky’s faltercation sets the standard for bad improvements

DEFINITION: v. To make something worse while attempting to make it better. n. A bad improvement.

Omigod! What happened to your nose?

VERBOTICISMS: (Invented words created by the Verbotomy Writers)

Faltercation: /fal-tur-cay-shun/ The alteration quickly became a faltercation once the bandages came off in the doctor’s office. Etymology: alter + falter + the ensuing altercation Created by: Jabberwocky.

Comments on Faltercation:

Mustang, 2008-05-15: 21:46:00
Sounds like some of my home improvement projects. lol

Tigger, 2008-05-15: 23:31:00
Excellent blend!

Grimprovement: /Grimm-proov-mant/ Since taking the home improvement course at her local college, Jenny couldn’t wait to try out her new found skills in her own home, but when her husband saw the new lime green paint job in the lounge he thought it was more like a grimprovement. Etymology: Grim(depressing, unappealing) + Improvement(The action of improving or improved, to make something better than it was) =Grimprovement Created by: TJayzz.

Comments on Grimprovement:

Nosila, 2008-05-15: 01:54:00
good word..grimpressive

Fortifry: /for-ti-fry/ Dave thought that adding wires to his breaker panel would fortify his electricity. Little did he know he would fortifry it. Etymology: fortify + fry Created by: Stevenson0.

Comments on Fortifry:

Jabberwocky, 2008-05-15: 11:41:00
“smokin”

Badderment: /bad-er-ment/ The government’s social engineering activities were well intentioned but ended up for the badderment of all. It was really more like woeful engineering. Etymology: bad + betterment Created by: petaj.

Comments on Badderment:

Mustang, 2008-05-15: 21:47:00
Good one!

Tigger, 2008-05-15: 23:33:00
Oh, this word works nicely! Good job.

To see more verboticisms for this definition go to:

https://www.verbotomy.com/verboticisms.php?jid=improve

Be Creative,

James

www.verbotomy.com
the create-a-word game

Definition Comments:

Verbotomy – 2008-05-15: 00:01:00

Today’s definition is inspired by author and philosopher, Mark Kingwell who I saw last night speaking about “Social Change”. He reminded us that not all change is good change. And noted that in German they have word to describe such bad improvements — Schlimmbesserung — which we don’t have in English. And so it’s today’s challenge. Thanks Mark! ~ James

Technillogicrats rule the world without debugging their own thinking

DEFINITION: n. A computer programmer who corrects software problems by bugging the users, rather than debugging the software. v. To pinpoint the blame for any defects in a product, especially a software product which you have created, on “illogical” end-users.

Computer programmers do not make mistakes.

VERBOTICISMS: (Invented words created by the Verbotomy Writers)

Technillogicrat: /tech – nil – LODJ – uh – crat/ Having an overblown ego and chutzpah to match, Cranston was a technillogicrat in the extreme who would never admit ignorance but would always blame everyone and everything else for things he could not remedy. Etymology: Blend of technical and illogic with suffix -crat…member of a dominant class Created by: Mustang.

Comments on Technillogicrat:

Jabberwocky, 2008-05-14: 14:05:00
great blend

Nosila, 2008-05-15: 01:53:00
There’s a theme here, apparently we have all worked with these types…

Progcastigator: /prog-cass-ti-gay-tor/ Many software developers are progcastigators who put off reworking their programs and instead berate users. Etymology: programmer + castigate (reprimand, berate) + procrastinator Created by: Jabberwocky.

Nincomputable: /nin-com-pute-abul/ Our IT department always makes me feel like a nincomputable. Etymology: nincompoop + computable Created by: Stevenson0.

Softwarrior: /-sawft-WOR-ee-er-/ Bert, the department’s IT Specialist, was a fanatical softwarrior, who would attack any of the mere users who dared to question the quality of their software. He fancied himself a sort of cyber-paladin, defender of the virtuous programmers who constructed such intricate code. Of course, Bert was sure that he could have joined their ranks, and that the brotherhood of programmers would welcome him with open arms, but he believed that his calling was here, at the front lines, keeping the unappreciative and discontented mobs of peasants… er, users, at bay. Etymology: Software – the programs used to direct the operation of a computer (back-formation from the word ‘hardware’ as applied to computer equipment) + Warrior – one who is engaged aggressively or energetically in an activity, cause, or conflict (from Old North French, werreieur “one who wages war”) Created by: Tigger.

To see more verboticisms for this definition go to:

https://www.verbotomy.com/verboticisms.php?jid=egg

Be Creative,

James

www.verbotomy.com

the create-a-word game

Definition Comments:

Verbotomy – 2008-05-14: 00:03:02

Today’s definition was suggested by purpleartichokes. Thank you purpleartichokes. ~ James