Vote for the best verboticism.

'Nothing clever to say?'

DEFINITION: n. A clever remark, especially a "comeback line" to an insult, which does not come to mind until it is too late to be delivered; often leads to the gnashing of teeth. v. To think of something clever after it's too late.

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.

Communiclation

Created by: pauliewog

Pronunciation: cuh-mune-i-clay-shun

Sentence:

Etymology:

| Comments and Points

Hatelooks

Created by: josje

Pronunciation: hate looks

Sentence: i cant answere you but i can give you my hate looks.

Etymology: hate and looks.

| Comments and Points

Retart

Created by: Nosila

Pronunciation: re tart

Sentence: When the Drag Queen sauntered past Drew and asked him what he was looking at, he was dumbstruck. Of course, once he/she was long gone, his retart finally kicked in and he said, "You've got big hands!". He Drew his own conclusions...

Etymology: Retard ( be delayed;slow to develop)& Retort (a quick reply to a question or remark (especially a witty or critical one)

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

Kind of demeaning to use the R-word. - Koekbroer, 2012-08-02: 00:03:00

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

| Comments and Points

Triptung

Created by: ebehler

Pronunciation:

Sentence:

Etymology:

| Comments and Points

Tardytort

Created by: PythianHabenero

Pronunciation: tar-dee-tort

Sentence: A half hour after being wittily insulted, Andrew came up with the best tardytort he'd ever heard.

Etymology: "tardy" as in late and "retort" as in comeback.

| Comments and Points

Wittischism

Created by: pinwheel

Pronunciation: wit/i/skiz/um

Sentence: John's wittischism was particularly acute as he replayed the argument in his mind three hours after the event.

Etymology: witticism (a clever remark) + schism (a division or break - in this case the break between the desire to retort and the actual thinking of the retort.

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

a clever cut... - ajcor, 2007-04-03: 18:00:00

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

| Comments and Points

Unaquipvent

Created by: suzanne

Pronunciation:

Sentence:

Etymology:

| Comments and Points

Latealine

Created by: Dolraith

Pronunciation: Late-a-line

Sentence: The next day I had a latealine to her remark...

Etymology:

| Comments and Points

Dissafter

Created by: Bulletchewer

Pronunciation: diss-aff-ter

Sentence: Dolly had already left the room before Molly had thought of the perfect dissafter; that she was like so whatever...

Etymology: From "diss" meaning "disrespect", "after" and "disaster".

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

petaj nice word - petaj, 2007-04-03: 03:48:00

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

| Comments and Points

Retorture

Created by: Nosila

Pronunciation: ree tort chur

Sentence: Drew always became tongue-tied after the tart-tongued Ramona passed him by at school and made one of her blistering comments to him. It was only after she departed that he would think of something clever in return. This retorture replayed like a video in his head all night. He was so busy trying to be the witty racontuer that he failed to realize that she only did this to get his attention because she liked him.

Etymology: Retort (a quick reply to a question or remark (especially a witty or critical one)& Torture (torment emotionally or mentally;the act of distorting something so it seems to mean something it was not intended to mean)

| Comments and Points

Show All or More...

 

Comments:

Verbotomy Verbotomy - 2007-04-03: 00:01:00
Today's definition was suggested by mplsbohemian.
Thank you mplsbohemian! ~ James

mplsbohemian - 2007-04-03: 11:13:00
Thanks for using the definition! I specifically chose it because the French expression for this is notoriously difficult to succinctly translate into English. Perhaps you guys can help! Peace Clint

Verbotomy Verbotomy - 2007-04-03: 11:45:00
Ah oui, "l'ésprit de l'escalier"... Merci pour la suggestion, mplsbohemian ~ James

Verbotomy Verbotomy - 2009-10-20: 03:48:00
Today's definition was suggested by mplsbohemian. Thank you mplsbohemian. ~ James