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.
Doohickey
Created by: colapop
Pronunciation: \ˈdü-ˌhi-kē\
Sentence: Alice flashed her doohickey at Todd and he was floored. 'Wow, what is that?' he exclaimed, itching to get his hands on the device. 'No no Mister, don't you dare touch my doohickey until you've read the manual' she cooed.
Etymology: 'Doohickey' first originated in 1914, but seems fit for a revival. It derives from the word 'doodad' (gadget) + 'hickey' (love mark)
Ifraud
Created by: lumina
Pronunciation: i/frod
Sentence: Jolene's excitement lasted about as long as it took for her to pick up Target's new item. Even though she liked to tell herself she shopped at "Tarjay," tonight she had to admit, their new $4.00 music player was nothing but an Ifraud.
Etymology: I-Usually manufactured by Apple but this time Crapple. Fraud: Something intended to deceive.
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COMMENTS:
bigblue lappy 486 or commodore 16 afficionado ? - metrohumanx, 2008-07-25: 02:17:00
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Whatchamacovet
Created by: mrskellyscl
Pronunciation: wha-tcha-ma-cov-it
Sentence: Jim watchamacoveted the new marvelous toy that his neighbor's son got for Christmas. "A wonder to behold, it was, with many colors bright. And the moment he laid eyes on it, it became his heart's delight. It went 'zip' when it moved and 'bop' when it stopped and 'whirr' when it stood still. He never knew just what it was, and I guess he never will".
Etymology: whatchamacallit: something whose name is unknown or forgotten; a widget, gadget, gizmo, doodad, thingamajig or doohickey + covet: blameworthy desire for another's stuff; wish for longingly. "The Marvelous Toy" (apologies to Tom Paxton)was a song sung by Peter, Paul and Mary (RIP) about a mystical toy, handed down from father to son, that had no name, no purpose, but seemed to have magical powers to amuse and delight the recipient.
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COMMENTS:
Good blend...I remember that old song! - Nosila, 2009-12-30: 01:53:00
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Whatchamashinything
Created by: artr
Pronunciation: wəchəməshīnēθing
Sentence: Ralph loves his gadgets. Though he hardly knows how to use them, he just has to have the newest whatchamashinything.
Etymology: whatchamacallit (used to refer to a person or thing whose name one cannot recall, does not know, or does not wish to specify) + shiny thing (used to express something that is distracting)
Gizmomitty
Created by: OZZIEBOB
Pronunciation: giz-moh-MIT-ee
Sentence: Bob spent most of his day, failing to understand how to operate and use even the latest, simple electronic gadgets. But, never mind, and despite the setbacks suffered, he set his gizmomitty steadfastly on the practical applications of the "inventions" of Heath Robinson, Rube Goldberg and the japanese chindoguists.
Etymology: GIZMO: A mechanical device or part whose name is forgotten or unknown; a gadget. & MITTY: "Walter Mitty" (by James Thurber): a meek, mild man with a vivid fantasy life imagining himself a wartime pilot, etc., The character's name has come into more general use to refer to an ineffectual dreamer.
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COMMENTS:
You had me with the 'gizmo' part. - Mustang, 2008-07-25: 07:06:00
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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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Beautronic
Created by: abrakadeborah
Pronunciation: Bew-tron-ik
Sentence: Al was in awe of Katie's shiny new beautronic device. To his dismay...it was not something he could compute.
Etymology: Taken in part of the word Beautiful: "Beau" - The concept of beauty. Taken in part of the word Electronic- "Tronic" - Of or pertaining to electronics or to devices, circuits, or systems developed through electronics
Technimpotence
Created by: evan
Pronunciation: [tek-nim-puh-tuhns]
Sentence: My father is so technimpotent, he spent over 900 dollars on a brand new DSLR camera, but doesn't know how to put the pictures on his computer!
Etymology: Technology + Impotence. Word 'impotence' chosen due to its lustful inference while properly demonstrating a lack of performance capability with regard to Technology.
Gizmofetish
Created by: Mustang
Pronunciation: GIZ - moe - fet - ish
Sentence: Being smitten with a very passionate gizmofetish, Warren could not pass up any opportunity to fiddle with technological toys or devices and often made a complete fool of himself with his absolute lack of understanding of how they work.
Etymology: Blend of 'gizmo' (A mechanical device or part whose name is forgotten or unknown; a gadget) and 'fetish' (any object, idea, etc., eliciting unquestioning reverence, respect, or devotion)
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COMMENTS:
It's terrible to suffer the stigma of a thingamajig hangup. Damn those deviant doohickeys! - metrohumanx, 2008-07-25: 01:15:00
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Elecon
Created by: duchessella
Pronunciation: E-le-con
Sentence: I know it is just an elecon, but I can't stop thinking of that newly released electronic can opener!
Etymology: From "electric gadgets" and "Lolicon" In Japanese pop culture, "-con" is a suffix for attraction, fantasy and/or obsession to a certain characteristic in a person, for example Lolicon means attraction to young girls (lolita). Alternative meaning is "elegant icon" - the sleek, beautiful, elegant fashion icon electronic gadgets are to us nowadays.
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