Vote for the best verboticism.
DEFINITION: v. To obsess over, and fantasize about electronic gadgets even though you can never figure out how they actually work. n. A beautiful but useless gadget.
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.
Whatchamadooz
Created by: ErWenn
Pronunciation: /ˌʍʌtʃəməˈduz/
Sentence: My new vacuum cleaner comes with all sorts of whatchamadoozes and wherchamattachits, but the instruction manual only has very ambiguous pictures.
Etymology: From "What does it do?" in the same way that "whatchamacallit" comes from "What do you call it?"
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COMMENTS:
I think that the ambiguous, uncaptioned picture-instructions included with some whatchamadoozes would make a good verboticism. - ErWenn, 2007-06-04: 02:33:00
OK, just to be fair I'm waiting until later today to vote, but rest assured: you've got my vote. One of 'em, anyway. - Clayton, 2007-06-04: 06:27:00
Thanks both for voting and for waiting! - ErWenn, 2007-06-04: 12:08:00
I think they call those drawings Picasholes. I've used one to try to assemble what looked like a simple filing cabinet. Five months, and five friends later, it's almost together! - purpleartichokes, 2007-06-04: 15:29:00
Done and done. - Clayton, 2007-06-04: 21:41:00
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Gizmobsession
Created by: Nosila
Pronunciation: giz mob sess shun
Sentence: Brandy had a gizmobsession with her latest purchase. She showed it to all her friends who thought it was cool, but did not understand its function. Truth is, Brandy did not know what it was for either. Her friends were too embarrassed for her to point out that her latest download app was actually a letter opener/windshield scraper mounted on a fridge magnet...
Etymology: gizmo (a device that is very useful for a particular job; something whose name is either forgotten or not known) & Obsession (an unhealthy and compulsive preoccupation with something or someone)
Imacguffin
Created by: Osomatic
Pronunciation: i + mac + guff + in
Sentence: I don't know what this new iMacguffin is, but I MUST HAVE ONE.
Etymology: iPhone, iPod, etc... only applied to a Macguffin.
Gearoused
Created by: Katisms1
Pronunciation: geer-OWzed
Sentence: Despite her Luddite leanings, she became increasingly gearoused with every page turn of her Hammacher Schlemmer catalogue.
Etymology: gear + aroused
Technocrave
Created by: remistram
Pronunciation: tek-no-cray-v
Sentence: Jim technocraved every new gadget especially those that he saw Lydia using.
Etymology: technology + crave
Enigtronic
Created by: libertybelle
Pronunciation: en-ig-tron-nick
Sentence: Mabel spent 2 clueless hours fiddling with her new cell phone before she realized the enigtronic device had to slide open. That was after she broke the phone in two trying to flip in open.
Etymology: enigma + electronic
Attragitalessize
Created by: sjfrank
Pronunciation: atTRAGitalessize
Sentence: I always attragitalessize about new devices which I read about but don't know what they do.
Etymology: combination word attractive - beautiful; digital - electronic; less - useless; size - verb form; sizer- noun
Yabadabadoodad
Created by: Jabberwocky
Pronunciation: ya/ba/da/ba/do/dad
Sentence: Fred kept tripping over his big flat feet every time he encountered a new yabadabadoodad.
Etymology: doodad + yabadabadoo
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COMMENTS:
like the roombstodon, the self guided vacuum pachyderm? *wop wop* it's a livin'. - jadenguy, 2007-06-04: 12:36:00
I'd make a comment about Wilma's vibraptor, but that would be sacrilege. - purpleartichokes, 2007-06-04: 13:58:00
You rock. *cough* - Osomatic, 2007-06-04: 17:34:00
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Implemenigma
Created by: Clayton
Pronunciation: IM-pluh-muh-NIG-muh
Sentence: Julie must've tangled with the ecclesiastical implications of her newfound implemenigma for at least half an hour before realizing it was just a fancy-schmancy garage door opener.
Etymology: implement + enigma
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COMMENTS:
I don't think you have an appropriate appreciation for garage door openers. They are the first form of high penetration consumer electronic wireless door locking system. It's not often people trust their Buicks and belt-sanders to robots. Still, great word. - jadenguy, 2007-06-04: 11:01:00
This word makes me sound smart! - purpleartichokes, 2007-06-04: 13:29:00
Garage door openers are nature's woodchuck drawbridge mechanisms. - Clayton, 2007-06-04: 21:40:00
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Comments:
Today's definition was suggested by shutz. Thank you shutz! ~ James
Read about Jabberwocky's Garden of Verbal Delights in Verbotoweek.
pronunciation: uh-GOG-uh-tek........... sentence:Poor old Ira Gobler was AGOGATECH at his designer's latest device.He was so AGOGATECH that he let the factory's flaccid finances flow into a virtual vat of vapors while he thoughtfully tinkered and tweaked the tin toys and gamboled among the gizmoes generated just beyond the grounded iron gates of the fabrication facility...Someday...he would write an operator's manual...................... etymology: Agog+at+Technology=aGOGatech!
Sometimes my "comments" seem to appear in the wrong places....if only some clever soul would invent a GIZBO to prevent that.
....my brain hurts.....
Today's definition was suggested by shutz. Thank you shutz. ~ James