Vote for the best verboticism.

'Eat! Or you'll turn into a boneless chicken.'

DEFINITION: n., Cautionary advice provided by parents to their children, often makes no logical sense but carries enough emotional weight to affect the child's behavior. v. To warn of danger through the judicious use of exaggeration.

Create | Read

Verboticisms

Click on each verboticism to read the sentences created by the Verbotomy writers, and to see your voting options...

You have two votes. Click on the words to read the details, then vote your favorite.

Mythconduct

Created by: Tigger

Pronunciation: /mith-kon-dukt/

Sentence: Donna stared wistfully at her friends splashing in the pool, and glanced up at the clock again — it'd been only 53 minutes since she'd eaten that banana — seven more minutes before she could go back in the pool. Her mother had warned her many times that going into the water less than an hour after eating would inevitably cause cramps, which were somehow always fatal. 'Would she die from drowning or from the cramps themselves?' she wondered. What if she just dangled her legs in the water? No, it was just too risky. She couldn't overcome the mythconduct her mother had instilled into her. Six minutes and forty five seconds to go...

Etymology: Myth - any invented story, idea, or concept (from Greek, mythos "speech, story") + Conduct - personal behavior; way of acting (from Latin, conductus "to lead or bring together")

----------------------------
COMMENTS:

metrohumanx I always doubted this prohibition. I even sent it in to "Mythbusters"....to no avail. - metrohumanx, 2008-08-29: 06:00:00

Well, Mythbusters did prove that you shouldn't spin around in a makeshift wirlpool too soon after eating pizza. Funny episode. But I'm convinced that the 1-hour 'no swimming' rule is nonsense. But I knew kids whose mothers wouldn't even let them stand in the wading pool because of that rule. - Tigger, 2008-08-29: 10:12:00

Good word - TJayzz, 2008-08-29: 13:43:00

Welcome back, Tigger, we mythed you! - Nosila, 2008-08-29: 20:09:00

This one is my favorite, well done! - Rehlit, 2008-09-01: 00:50:00

Good word there Tigger, it has a nice ring to it! I like the way you think :) - abrakadeborah, 2009-03-14: 19:07:00

----------------------------

| Comments and Points

Mamalore

Created by: thebaron

Pronunciation: ma-ma-lore

Sentence: Whenever we ate oranges and swallowed the seeds, Aunt Janet would spurt out some mamalore, saying that oranges trees would grow in our stomachs.

Etymology: mama (mother) lore (length/myth)

| Comments and Points

Rightsense

badthing

Created by: badthing

Pronunciation:

Sentence:

Etymology:

| Comments and Points

Yarnstay

Created by: jimtastic

Pronunciation: Yarn (as in barn)...stay (as in may)

Sentence: The yarnstay of going blind from playing with one's own thingamabob or puffinstuff has been passed on from older generations to younger generations for centuries.

Etymology: yarn: a word only used by grandmothers relating a tale, esp. a long story of adventure or incredible happenings / stay: to suspend or delay (actions, proceedings, etc.).

----------------------------
COMMENTS:

Great blend of Old English words. - OZZIEBOB, 2007-09-30: 18:07:00

----------------------------

| Comments and Points

Animaliplify

Created by: Nosila

Pronunciation: an eemal plee fye

Sentence: Henrietta Capon had a lesson for her son, Alfonso, the heir to the Capon di Tutti Capon title. She tried to animalipify that if he made a wrong decision, without his consigliere, he would suffer the consequences. Without a peep or a chirp he would find himself the victim of fowl play. With his weapon cocked, he was a poultry excuse for his roost hero, Gary Cooper. Eggsistentialism eluded him, he became a Friar, gave and tried to pullet into a chickmonaskstery...without being hendered. The cluck stops here...

Etymology: Animal (creature;a living organism characterized by voluntary movement) ^ Amplify (exaggerate or make bigger; to enlarge beyond bounds or the truth)

| Comments and Points

Nitpeck

DrWebsterIII

Created by: DrWebsterIII

Pronunciation: nit - 'pek

Sentence: Henny Penny was always nitpecking her child repeatedly to the point of his premature hair loss!

Etymology: from nitpick (pedantic,scrupulous( but more annoying when pecked with a sharp beak or tongue)

----------------------------
COMMENTS:

Pullet-ically correct word! - Nosila, 2012-10-31: 01:56:00

----------------------------

| Comments and Points

Hyperpoultry

Created by: Nosila

Pronunciation: hi per pol tree

Sentence: "The sky is falling, the sky is falling!" is what young Eggbert had heard since he was hatched. This was an example of the hyperpoultry his parents used on him to control his natural curiousity. If he did not die from fowl play, he hoped instead to become a fryer in a monastery, if he could pullet it off!

Etymology: Hyperbole (extravagant exaggeration) & Poultry (fowl,a domesticated gallinaceous bird)

| Comments and Points

Embullshitishment

artr

Created by: artr

Pronunciation: emboŏlshitishmənt

Sentence: Billy grew in a world of embullshitishment. His parents would tell him **Step on a crack and you*ll break your mother*s back**. **Eat your vegetables or the dog will eat your foot**. The world can only wait to see how he will encourage his own children.

Etymology: embellishment (a decorative detail or feature added to something to make it more attractive) + bullshit (stupid or untrue talk or writing; nonsense)

----------------------------
COMMENTS:

mrskellyscl tee-hee! - mrskellyscl, 2010-01-20: 06:26:00

----------------------------

| Comments and Points

Imparable

Created by: porsche

Pronunciation: im/par/a/bul

Sentence: A typical imparable would be the story of the bogeyman

Etymology: impair (damage) + parable (short story used to teach a lesson)

| Comments and Points

Emochide

Created by: AlohaJo

Pronunciation: E-mo-ch-I-de

Sentence: The boy, after disobeying his father's warning, had to sit through a lengthy emochide.

Etymology: emotional+ chide

| Comments and Points

Show All or More...

 

Comments:

Verbotomy Verbotomy - 2007-09-28: 00:01:00
Today's definition was suggested by remistram. Thank you remistram! ~ James

Verbotomy Verbotomy - 2010-01-20: 00:25:00
Today's definition was suggested by remistram. Thank you remistram. ~ James