Vote for the best verboticism.

'Who's the lucky lady?'

DEFINITION: v. To be unable to remember the name of a person you are speaking to, even though you've had a long-standing, and perhaps even an intimate relationship. n. An inability to remember a person's name.

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Verboticisms

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Palzheimers

Created by: OZZIEBOB

Pronunciation: palsz-HI-merz

Sentence: When Bob couldn't remember the names of his five former partners and his ten children, the judge wondered whether he was suffering from palzheimers, or that his namewashing was just a last-hitch attempt to avoid palimony.

Etymology: Blend of PAL: close friend, confidante etc & ALZHEIMERS: Used in the familiar and jocular sense for memory loss.

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COMMENTS:

Ach! You beat me to the Alzheimer's! (so to speak!)Well done, love your word. - Jamagra, 2008-03-04: 08:54:00

Good word. Kind of a sad idea, though. - ErWenn, 2008-03-04: 09:56:00

The opposite of palzheimers might be wisenheimers! Palzheimers might be a form of palsy of the brain! Your word is so evocative of so much! Stunningly great! - silveryaspen, 2008-03-04: 10:20:00

a classic!! - galwaywegian, 2008-03-04: 12:11:00

excellent Ozzie - Jabberwocky, 2008-03-04: 13:03:00

Sweet! - purpleartichokes, 2008-03-04: 18:16:00

Unforgettable word, Bob! - Tigger, 2008-03-04: 18:34:00

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Dejawho

Created by: leegro

Pronunciation: /dey-zhah-hoo/

Sentence: As she walked down the aisle of the airplane, Sarah had a sinking feeling of dejawho. Hadn't she once drunkely groped the sweaty man in the aisle seat across from her?

Etymology: From "deja vu," which is French for "I'm not forgetful, I'm just self-absorbed," and "who," which should feel like a familiar word to most of you.

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COMMENTS:

What a twist ... a woman groping a man! But the twists in your etymology are even better! Insightfully Clever! - silveryaspen, 2008-03-04: 17:14:00

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Oblivinom

freiflug

Created by: freiflug

Pronunciation: /ə'blɪvɪnom/

Sentence: "Oblivinom is known to men for decades: the inability to remember names of familiar individuals." "Oblivinom should not be confused with oblivinomnom, which expresses itself in not being able to remember what one has eaten for dinner, even though that was just half an hour ago."

Etymology: oblivion: the state of forgetfulness; nomus: Latin for name

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Routinenile

Created by: Banky

Pronunciation: roo-teen-niyl

Sentence: Maybe it was the hangover from the two bottles of cognac in the hot tub the night before. Perhaps it was the countless lines of cocaine in the men's room with various twenty-something boys that morning. It could be loss of blood from a very large, very angry, and very white tiger that was mauling him at the moment. Whatever the cause of the sudden onset of routinenility, Roy could not remember his partner's exotic foreign name to call out for help.

Etymology: routine - familiar + senile - exhibiting a loss of cognitive faculties

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COMMENTS:

Your sentence reporting this incident was better than any I read in the media! Innovative etymology. Exceptionally creative word! - silveryaspen, 2008-03-04: 09:54:00

Enjoyed the sentence; interesting word. - OZZIEBOB, 2008-03-04: 20:00:00

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Whodonym

Created by: Tigger

Pronunciation: /hoo-do-nim/

Sentence: Jason always called his fiancee by pet names, such as "Sweetheart" or "Honey," and although her name was actually 'Mary Louise' all her friends just called her "Lou". So when he introduced her to his cousin before the wedding, he got a case of 'brain lock' and all he could think of were whodonyms. Then, at the chapel, when the priest asked, "Do you take Mary Louise to be your lawfully wedded wife?" Jason's nervous first response was to ask, "Who?". It was beginning to look like the honeymoon wasn't going to be as pleasant and relaxing as he'd hoped.

Etymology: Who - what person? (from Old English, hwā "who") + pseudonym - a fictitious or pen name (from Greek, pseudonymos "having a false name")

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COMMENTS:

I'll be using "brain lock" ... great pairing! A Whodlum hopes everyone, especially the cops, have brain lock and whodonyms? Innovative! - silveryaspen, 2008-03-04: 19:11:00

Very creative: a real word! - OZZIEBOB, 2008-03-04: 20:01:00

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Dejawho

Created by: brasstax82

Pronunciation: day-ja-who

Sentence: With a complete feeling of dread, Shawn was sure he new the person hugging him, but was coming down with a case of Dejawho.

Etymology: deja-vu: Felling of experiencing a situation previously before. Who- Common phrase used when seeing to properly identify an individual

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Mementia

artr

Created by: artr

Pronunciation: mēmenshə

Sentence: When Mike was little, his brother shot him in the ear with a BB gun. The pellet lodged in his brain in the tiny spot that normally stores names. Dr. Whitecoat’s term for his condition is mementia. He calls his wife, Mimi honey, sweetie, even ”Hey, Lady”. The only name he seems to be able to remember is his son, Me2.

Etymology: me (the name I call myself) + dementia (a chronic or persistent disorder of the mental processes caused by brain disease or injury)

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COMMENTS:

Memerable word - Nosila, 2010-05-13: 10:09:00

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Misshandle

Created by: Stevenson0

Pronunciation: mis/han/dell

Sentence: It is terribly embarrassing to me and greatly insulting to someone when I misshandle who they are.

Etymology: MISSHANDLE - verb - from MISS (the loss, or absence of something) + HANDLE (Slang: a person's name, someone's given name)

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COMMENTS:

A ver handy dandy word. - silveryaspen, 2008-12-29: 23:47:00

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Skiptag

Created by: silveryaspen

Pronunciation: skip tag

Sentence: Skiptag is the game my brain plays on me when it hides a name so well, I can't find it. The worst skiptag experience I ever had was when I tried word association to remember the name Peter and called him Dick. Word association doesn't help skiptag! It only makes it more embarassing!

Etymology: Skipping - MISSING. Tag - NAME.

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COMMENTS:

been there - done that - Jabberwocky, 2008-12-29: 15:24:00

metrohumanx Ooooh- quite ultramodern. Good one! - metrohumanx, 2008-12-29: 19:15:00

hahahaha, how embarrasing!! - mweinmann, 2008-12-30: 08:59:00

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Nilrecall

Created by: Nosila

Pronunciation: nil re kawl

Sentence: Joey had nilrecall when it came to people's names. When he eventually married and had twins, the baby boys were known as Thing 1 & Thing 2 to him...

Etymology: Nil (nada, nothing) & Recall (remember)

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Comments:

Verbotomy Verbotomy - 2008-03-04: 00:01:00
Today's definition was suggested by silveryaspen. Thank you silveryaspen. ~ James

silveryaspen - 2008-03-04: 17:07:00
Your great word associations and creations made my day, everyone. It is a pleasure to have these mind associations with all of you every day! Isn't this website like sunshine for the mind? !!! Everyone contributes some rays! Everyone goes away warmed by some rays!

silveryaspen - 2008-03-04: 17:08:00
Good job with the defninition and cartoon. Thank you, James.

Verbotomy Verbotomy - 2008-03-04: 23:46:00
Thank you Silveryaspen for the inspiring words! ~ James

Verbotomy Verbotomy - 2010-05-13: 00:04:00
Today's definition was suggested by silveryaspen. Thank you silveryaspen. ~ James