Vote for the best verboticism.
DEFINITION: v. To unconsciously adopt the vocal mannerisms and linguistic stylings of the people with whom you are speaking. n. A speaker who adopts the vocal mannerisms of their audience.
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.
Apeoplexy
Created by: porsche
Pronunciation: ape/oh/plexi
Sentence: The teacher was felled by a sudden attack of apeoplexy
Etymology: ape (mimic) + apoplexy (sudden loss or impairment)
Scameleon
Created by: artr
Pronunciation: skamēlyən
Sentence: A big part of the politician’s popularity is because he is a scameleon. Whatever group he is talking to is the group he is part of. If speaking to blue-collar workers, the sleeves are rolled up and the language a bit rough. A chat with business leaders prompts the three-piece suit and corresponding jargon. When pressed, followers can’t even specify what party he belongs to. He could be a liberal Republican or a moderate Democrat.
Etymology: scam (a dishonest scheme; a fraud) + chameleon (a small slow-moving Old World lizard with a prehensile tail, long extensible tongue, protruding eyes that rotate independently, and a highly developed ability to change color)
Copychat
Created by: artr
Pronunciation: kop-ee-chat
Sentence: I don't want to say that Tom is feeble-minded but whenever he talks to anybody for more than a few minutes he ends up sounding just like them. This can be embarrassing when he talks to someone with a distinctive voice who thinks they are being mocked. Last week a woman with a pronounced stutter slapped him.
Etymology: copycat (a person or thing that copies, imitates, mimics, or follows the lead of another) + chat (to converse in a familiar or informal manner)
Accentefugue
Created by: Alchemist
Pronunciation: ak-SENT-eh-fyoog
Sentence: Whenever Josh is around Brits, he turns into a helpless accentefugue, peppering his sentences with "luv" "guv" and "quid". Strange, as he has lived his whole life in Brooklyn.
Etymology: accent (pronunciation common to a certain group of people) + fugue (A pathological amnesiac condition during which one is apparently conscious of one's actions but has no recollection of them), with a nod towards accent aigue
Verbotomime
Created by: jedijawa
Pronunciation: ver-boto-mime
Sentence: Jedijawa tends to unconsciously verbotomime the dialect and accent of people who he talks to for more than 5 minutes unless he tries very hard not to do so.
Etymology: verbotomy (pandering to the board on this one) + mime (to imitate)
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COMMENTS:
Verbotomimicry is the sincerest form of flattery. Thank you! - Verbotomy, 2007-03-20: 10:27:00
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Chameleunaware
Created by: rikboyee
Pronunciation: cuh-meal-ee-un-ah-wear
Sentence: everyone at the old folks home found it amusing when the young janitor started saying things like 'whippersnapper' and 'in my day'... but even more amusing was that he was totally chameleunaware
Etymology: chameleon, unaware
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COMMENTS:
Nice switcheroo on the typical linguistic ageism. - wordmeister, 2007-03-20: 10:19:00
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Peerbonics
Created by: toadstool57
Pronunciation: pEEr-bon-ics
Sentence: David aquired a severe case of peerbonics, taking on the speaking mannerisms he picked up in his group of friends.
Etymology: peer, as in friends/ebonics, black english
Lingle
Created by: ErWenn
Pronunciation: /ˈlɪŋɡl/
Sentence: George had never heard a true French accent before, so when he started lingling on his visit to Paris, he sounded like Pepé Le Pew and got the snot beaten out of him at a café.
Etymology: From lingo + mingle
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COMMENTS:
nice word - wordmeister, 2007-03-20: 23:21:00
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Copychat
Created by: libertybelle
Pronunciation: cop-ee-chat
Sentence: When I first met Floyd, I thought he was mocking my Jersey accent but I soon realized he was just a copychat when he picked up a Brogue when we visited Dublin.
Etymology: copy + chat and a play on the word copycat
Reverblicate
Created by: buck180
Pronunciation: re 'verb' li kate
Sentence: When on vacation John unwittingly reverblicates the speech of the local people much to their dismay.
Etymology: From reverberate: to echo a sound. And from duplicate: to copy exactly.
Comments:
Today's definition was suggested by Osomatic.
Thank you Osomatic! ~ James
Today's definition was suggested by Osomatic. Thank you Osomatic. ~ James