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'Honey, are you awake?'

DEFINITION: n. An idea that pops into your head just before you fall asleep, which is so big and brilliant, or else so dark and scary, that it keeps you awake all night long. v. To lie awake in bed with a head full of big dreams.

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Verboticisms

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Premonstermare

Created by: Bulletchewer

Pronunciation: pre-mun-stir-mayr

Sentence: Dennis Skinner's premonstermare of a plot to quietly poison and thus kill the terrifying legacy of his beloved Mrs Thatcher caused the beast to stir more than a junkie's coffee.

Etymology: From "pre-" meaning "before", "premonition" meaning "inappropriate and patronizing", "monster" meaning "Mrs Thatcher" and "mare" meaning "Mrs Thatcher/old, barely-female horse".

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COMMENTS:

petaj Huh? premonition - inappropriate and patronizing. Some subtlety there I just can't see - maybe a Dennis Skinner quote? - petaj, 2007-04-09: 07:18:00

A dream that occurs right before PMS. - purpleartichokes, 2007-04-09: 14:50:00

Premonition doesn't fit here, hence inappropriate. The fact I explain "pre-" is patronizing. Contrived as ever. No Skinner quote, just nods at "the Beast of Bolsover", as he is affectionately known. But if you're looking for references, did you get all/any of the Zeppelin refs for my word "gallowsbeaver"? - Bulletchewer, 2007-04-09: 15:44:00

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Insomnicept

Created by: iceninexp

Pronunciation:

Sentence:

Etymology:

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Pillowned

Created by: Erikv

Pronunciation: Pill loaned

Sentence: With baggy eyes and a tired mind he knew effects from being pillowned last night would beer with him for the rest of the day.

Etymology: Pillow plus owned

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Entreprenopeneyed

Created by: galwaywegian

Pronunciation: on te pren owe pen eyed

Sentence: he lay entreprenopeneyed, replaying marketing pitches for his ear divot pillows.

Etymology: entrepreneur, open eyed.

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Drainstorm

Created by: Mustang

Pronunciation: DRANE-storm

Sentence: Once again Filbert arose from his bed in the morning thoroughly exhausted from another long bout with a monstrous drainstorm....a flood of ideas that kept him awake and left him drained.

Etymology: Blend of the words 'drain' and 'storm' and a play on the word 'brainstorm.

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Dormiphany

Created by: dengkeeevvin

Pronunciation: door-mif-uh-nee

Sentence: I had a horrble night of sleep. I had no problem falling asleep but then I had a dormiphany of what to do about my situation at work. That kept me up all night!

Etymology:

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Nightware

Created by: Alchemist

Pronunciation: NITE-ware

Sentence: I was up all last night with the the craziest nightware...what if there was some kind of global supercomputer where anyone could look up any kind of knowledge?

Etymology: nightmare, aware

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Insomnobsession

Created by: Mustang

Pronunciation: in - som - nob - SESH - uhn

Sentence: Dewayne was experiencing yet another of his frequent bouts of insomnobsession, a plight that often befell him when his fertile imagination would trigger images of either exciting events or impending doom just at bedtime, and he knew it would be dawn before he fell asleep, if he slept at all.

Etymology: Blend of insomnia and obsession.

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Insomniaha

Created by: Nosila

Pronunciation: in som nee a ha

Sentence: It's like Wayne's brain was frozen all day, but when he did get brilliant ideas, it was just before he was getting ready to sleep. Then he would get his insomniaha moment. He finally learned to write these brain revolutions down, as inevitably he would be so tired the next day that he would forget his inspirations. That's when he would get amnesiaohnooooo!

Etymology: Insomnia (an inability to sleep) & Aha (expression used to describe triumph, surprise or "I get it!")

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Awakenspiration

Created by: Nosila

Pronunciation: away ken spir ay shun

Sentence: Not again, Joe moaned. He had nary a new thought all day long, but instead got one as he started to try and sleep. His awakenspiration not only kept him alert all night, but also his wife. "I'm going to have to get on the night shift at work", he thought...

Etymology: Awake (not asleep) & Inspiration (Idea;a product of your creative thinking)

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Comments:

Verbotomy Verbotomy - 2007-04-09: 00:03:00
Thank you to Dan Pink for sponsoring this week's Right-Brain Verbotomy Contest and creativity prize. ~ James

Verbotomy Verbotomy - 2007-04-09: 11:29:00
What happened last week? Read Verbotoweek! A look back at last week's wickedest words and funniest comments... Edited by "Weeklink", one of our top players who from some reason, perhaps self-preservation, prefers to remain anonymous! See: Verbotoweek in the Verbotomy Blog.

Bulletchewer - 2007-04-09: 15:52:00
Wonder if this happened to Thomas Edison. Oh, and in a related piece of propaganda, vote for Wordmeister's "Nightbulb"! PS Great (if slightly embarrassing) blog!

wordmeister - 2007-04-09: 18:04:00
Hey Bulletchewer, Thanks for the vote of support! I guess I managed to skip through my own premonstermare without getting trampled...

Bulletchewer - 2007-04-09: 18:37:00
Just wondering if anyone else is ineligible for this week's contest. Who's up for a Sir Geoffrey?

toadstool57 - 2007-04-09: 21:34:00
James - cool that you spotlighted CFLs.

Verbotomy Verbotomy - 2007-04-10: 00:07:00
Thanks toadstool57. We're just trying to create some environmentally friendly ideas. ~ James

OZZIEBOB - 2008-06-21: 19:35:00
Excellent.

Verbotomy Verbotomy - 2009-10-26: 02:14:00
Today's definition was suggested by wordmeister. Thank you wordmeister. ~ James