Vote for the best verboticism.
DEFINITION: v., To search for and find a pen to write down an important note, only to discover that the pen does not work. n., A moment in time when the only pens you can find, are pens that do not work.
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.
Penundrum
Created by: OZZIEBOB
Pronunciation: pen-NUHN-druhm
Sentence: Bob faced a penundrum when his biro pendripulated as he tried to write down the address of his new girlfriend - Woodraliggunie st, Gutchboordankendockenarup, Western Australia. Despite his dyspengraphic pleadings, she remained unsympathetic presenting him with a penultimatum: get one that writes or get lost!
Etymology: Blend of pen & conundrum: a puzzling question or problem.
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COMMENTS:
I think Bob should buy some pencils - Jabberwocky, 2007-11-06: 13:51:00
I guess Bob will never get to go to Camp Comeoniwannalaya with his new-found girlfriend. (great word ozzie!) - purpleartichokes, 2007-11-06: 19:58:00
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Inkompentense
Created by: Nosila
Pronunciation: ink kom pen tens
Sentence: Inkredibly inkonvenient is what he thought. Here he was trying to find a pen that worked to write down the number given him on the phone message he had just accidentally erased from his answering machine...while that number was still in his head. His inklination was to give up, but it would be inkonsiderate to not call back and arrange that interview. Heaven knows his inkome relied upon his getting hired for this great job. At this moment, without a functioning pen, he was in a state of inkompentense. Luckily, he found his cell phone and managed to get the number inkarcerated into it, before it was lost in the fog of poor memory. Hopefully he would not sound inkoherent at his interview...
Etymology: Incompetence (inability of a part or organ to function properly) & Ink (a liquid used for printing or writing or drawing) & Pen (writing implement) & Tense (make tense and uneasy or nervous or anxious;a grammatical category of verbs used to express distinctions of time)
Ballpointless
Created by: artr
Pronunciation: bôlˌpoint lis
Sentence: Rusty had a wonderful idea. This happened so infrequently that it seemed imperative to write it down. He reached for a ballpointless pen and proceeded to do little more than tear a hole in a piece of paper. This whole exercise was ballpointless. He then had to try his entire collection of paper scratchers. As he looked at the advertising message on a pen and wondered where he had pilfered each one, the original thought he wanted to save for humanity slowly faded away, never to return.
Etymology: ballpoint (a pen with a tiny ball as its writing point) + pointless (having little or no sense, use, or purpose)
Inkubaiter
Created by: lumina
Pronunciation: eenk/u/bate/r
Sentence: Ralph could not sleep again. As usual he found himself up at 3:30 a.m. in front of the TV. Nothing but infomercials and shopping channels. Suddenly to his delight, there was a "Call in the next 15 minutes and get the entire set for just $199.99" announcement. He didn't really need anymore Star Trek paraphernalia, but who needs any in the first place, right? He got up off the couch and ran to the kitchen junk drawer for a pen, only to find when he got on the couch that he had grabbed nothing but an inkubaiter. As he ran back to the junk drawer for another writing instrument, he heard, "And that about does it. Our time is up. Live long and prosper!"
Etymology: *ink* bait:To entice, especially by trickery or strategy. (spinning of incubator)
Bicketline
Created by: libertybelle
Pronunciation: bick-et-line
Sentence: Darryl went through all of his pens to write down Miranda's phone number to no avail; he formed a bicketline with all of the pens that refused to work.
Etymology: bic - popular brand of pen + picket line. A bicstrike.
Bictimized
Created by: bookowl
Pronunciation: bik/tim/ized
Sentence: There were two signatories and two pens to choose from, one that had a grey cover and one that was clear with a reservior of blue ink showing through. He chose the clear pen and realized when he put the pen to paper with no result he'd been bictimized again.
Etymology: bic + victimized
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COMMENTS:
If you have been a bictim, raise your hand. - zxvasdf, 2008-10-03: 13:41:00
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Frupenstration
Created by: remistram
Pronunciation: fruh-pen-strey-shun
Sentence: By digging a small grave for all his old pens helped his frupenstration anxiety, but he did keep his favorite purple pen under his pillow - in case the pen fairy happened to come around.
Etymology: frustration + pen
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COMMENTS:
has a great sound to it - would be very satisfying to mutter when searching for a pen - Jabberwocky, 2007-11-06: 14:03:00
thanks! I was going to go with fruspentration, but it sounded odd...! - remistram, 2007-11-06: 16:20:00
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Peninkless
Created by: Mustang
Pronunciation: PEN-ink-less
Sentence: As was so often the case when he needed a pen in an important moment the only one Germain could find was completely dry and leaving him peninkless once again.
Etymology: Blend of pen and ink with the suffix 'less', (without)
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COMMENTS:
poor Germain - Jabberwocky, 2008-10-03: 09:45:00
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Pendaver
Created by: Stevenson0
Pronunciation: pen/daver
Sentence: It's another of Murphy's Laws that writing utensils turn into pendavers when an important message needs to be scribbled.
Etymology: PENDAVER noun - from PEN (instrument for writing) + CADAVER (a dead body)
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COMMENTS:
I bet Dexter has several pendavers - Jabberwocky, 2008-10-03: 09:47:00
Good word - OZZIEBOB, 2008-10-05: 17:35:00
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Leftwritewrong
Created by: serickson
Pronunciation: left rite rong
Sentence: Mary, where is the pen I put here yesterday? What do you mean I didn't put it ther; of course I did. Here it is, what did I tell you! (Oh, shucks, I am definitely not telling Mary I'm having another leftwritewrong. It did too work when I put it there, and I do not have Alzheimer's!)
Etymology: leave-left-had left..to put something somewhere and let it stay there; write-right-rite..mantra spoken when looking for a pen; wrong..both you and the pen
Comments:
Today's definition was suggested by vixphilia. Thank you vixphilia! ~ James'
OZZIEBOB - 2007-11-06: 16:53:00
Good word!
Today's definition was suggested by vixphilia. Thank you vixphilia. ~ James
Petrikreink - 2020-03-03: 05:14:00