Vote for the best verboticism.

'What's with this stupid pen?'

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.

Create | Read

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.

Inkvain

petaj

Created by: petaj

Pronunciation: ink-vain

Sentence: It was all inkvain. Scrabbling through the bureau drawer in search of a writing implement while the gormless game-show host rabbited on about numbers to call had proven fruitless, and Sally was left despondent that she had not been able to write down the SMS number to win $5000 on Who wants to be a Millionaire.

Etymology: in vain (to no purpose) + ink (what the pens are missing)

| Comments and Points

Peninsulate

Created by: QuantumMechanic

Pronunciation: pen en suh late

Sentence: I knew the answer, but I didn't couldn't call in to win, because I was peninsulated -- all of the pens I found were dead.

Etymology: pen (ink writing instrument) + insulate (isolate), parallel to peninsula (an isolated spit of land)

| Comments and Points

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 and Points

Impentent

zxvasdf

Created by: zxvasdf

Pronunciation: Im pen tent

Sentence: He scrambled for a pen as soon as a Pulitzer winning idea took shape in his brain, but as many have before and many will afterwards,encountered impentency. The idea faded, leaving him to angrily mutter at the pen, "Impertinent impentent pen!"

Etymology: Impotent (sterile) & Pen (writing instrument)

----------------------------
COMMENTS:

He needds some Viagra in his ink! - Nosila, 2008-10-03: 20:18:00

zxvasdf I've seen Viagra on pens, but I would be extremely concerned if I found some in my pen. - zxvasdf, 2008-10-03: 23:11:00

----------------------------

| Comments and Points

Thenotwritestuff

Created by: Nosila

Pronunciation: The not rite stuff

Sentence: When the first astronauts went up in space, they had thenotwritestuff for report writing, because the lack of gravity prevented the ink from flowing down the shaft and appearing on official NASA notepaper. This where the famous line, "Houston, we have a problem" was born. After the Astronaut Pen was invented, where you could write upside down or at any angle, proper records could be documented. This was long before any computers were available (except HAL) to enter data. Imagine then how many alien encounters were missed or not reported because the crews had thenotwritestuff! Have you any ink-ling? The biro-ny...they can get a man on the moon, but they cannot invent a pen that does not dry up!

Etymology: The Not (negative) Write Stuff (play on Right Stuff(Essential abilities or qualities;dependability,etc.necessary for success...also name for a Hollywood Movie about astronauts chosen for the space program)

----------------------------
COMMENTS:

zxvasdf Good sentence. Funny, cud have just splurged a buck for a dozen of pencils instead. - zxvasdf, 2008-10-03: 13:39:00

Then they would have had to get the lead out! Cheers! - Nosila, 2008-10-04: 23:08:00

----------------------------

| Comments and Points

Quilliterate

Created by: porsche

Pronunciation: kwill/it/ur/at

Sentence: Without his ink source Dave was quilliterate.

Etymology: quill + illiterate

| Comments and Points

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)

| Comments and Points

Stupenaled

Created by: looseball

Pronunciation: stew pen awld

Sentence: Look at him that pen has never worked I just lay it down and stupenal him every time.

Etymology:

| Comments and Points

Plastick

artr

Created by: artr

Pronunciation: plastik

Sentence: Tommy thought he had a drawer full of pens. When he went to use them he found one plastick after another. He might as well have a fistful of tongue depressors.

Etymology: plastic (a synthetic material made from a wide range of organic polymers such as polyethylene, PVC, nylon, etc) + stick (a thin piece of wood that has been trimmed for a particular purpose)

| Comments and Points

Forsakepen

MrDave2176

Created by: MrDave2176

Pronunciation: for-SAYK-pen / KWILL-kwest

Sentence: Joel was feeling foresakepen. His quillquest netted him a handful of nibarren plastic rods useful for little more than stirring coffee. Nibarren = empty nib (the thing that dispenses the ink)

Etymology: foresa(ken) + pen / quill (a quill is always useless without ink) + quest

----------------------------
COMMENTS:

very good - lots of great words in your sentence - Jabberwocky, 2007-11-06: 11:40:00

----------------------------

| Comments and Points

Show All or More...

 

Comments:

Verbotomy Verbotomy - 2007-11-06: 00:01:00
Today's definition was suggested by vixphilia. Thank you vixphilia! ~ James'

OZZIEBOB - 2007-11-06: 16:53:00
Good word!

Verbotomy Verbotomy - 2010-03-03: 00:16:00
Today's definition was suggested by vixphilia. Thank you vixphilia. ~ James

Petrikreink - 2020-03-03: 05:14:00