Vote for the best verboticism.
DEFINITION: v. To use animal training techniques to improve and direct the behavior of other people. n. A technique which uses the principles of animal training to solve a human behavioral riddle.
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.
Homesticate
Created by: Stevenson0
Pronunciation: hoh/mes/ti/kate
Sentence: In most relationships, the woman has to homesticate the male so he can function in modern society.
Etymology: homo sapiens (the modern species of humans) + domesticate (to tame an animal to live with humans); therefore, homesticate (to tame a human to live with humans)
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COMMENTS:
...but we can still 'devolve' during football games, can't we? Excellent word! - Tigger, 2008-05-19: 02:51:00
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Petiquette
Created by: mweinmann
Pronunciation: pet - eh - kit
Sentence: Marjorie used petiquette to train her husband to do household chores. If he put the toilet seat down, he got a cookie; when he mowed the lawn, he got some ice cream. Every task had a "payoff" of some type..... She figured that if this worked on the dog, it might work on Charles.
Etymology: pet, etiquette (rules governing socially acceptable behavior)
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COMMENTS:
They don't call it animal husbandry for nothing! Good Word. - Nosila, 2009-06-30: 01:23:00
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Psycholdoggy
Created by: petaj
Pronunciation: sigh-COL-dog-e
Sentence: Sue-Ellen soon wised up she could manage her children's own behaviour modification for the cost of an obedience training course for her pet. There was no reason to pay out megabucks on a professional, when she was an expert psycholdogist.
Etymology: psychology + dog
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COMMENTS:
nice and original - Jabberwocky, 2008-05-19: 14:19:00
I think that's happened to me. Good one! - Mustang, 2008-05-19: 23:52:00
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Perpeturate
Created by: Mustang
Pronunciation: per-PET-yur-ayt
Sentence: Using a system of punishments and rewards as she did with her doberman, Lucille attempted to perpeturate the same kinds of desired automatic responses from her boyfriend, Wilbur.
Etymology: Blend of 'pet' (a pampered and usually spoiled child) 'perpetuate' ( to make perpetual or cause to last indefinitely) and 'saturate' ( to treat, furnish, or charge with something to the point where no more can be absorbed, dissolved, or retained)
Pavlover
Created by: Nosila
Pronunciation: pav lov er
Sentence: In order to break her husband Ivan of his sock-dropping habits, Anna rewarded him with love in order to get him to respond. She was a pavlover and if he still didn't learn to pick up his socks, she had to become a pavtufflover. But enough about their socks life...
Etymology: Pavlov (Russian physiologist who observed conditioned salivary responses in dogs (1849-1936)) & Lover (a person who loves or is loved)
Circusitous
Created by: bookowl
Pronunciation: sir/cus/i/tus
Sentence: I used a circusitous route but the leash worked wonders for keeping the kids in check.
Etymology: circus + circuitous (devious)
Shamu
Created by: Verbotomy
Pronunciation: Sham-moo
Sentence: Shamu the proper noun has become the all-purpose verb in our house. It's shorthand for using the principles of animal training to solve a behavioral riddle. We shamu friends, family, and neighbors. We shamu each other. "Did you just shamu me?" we will ask the other.
Etymology: Shamu is the stage name for the star Orcas (killer whales) at SeaWorld, that inspired the title of Amy Sutherland's book, "What Shamu Taught Me".
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COMMENTS:
The sentence is direct quote from Amy's book where she explains how she has adopted the word. ~ James - Verbotomy, 2008-05-19: 00:15:00
When this happens to me, I feel so Shamused. - Tigger, 2008-05-19: 02:54:00
Very shamutable! - OZZIEBOB, 2008-05-19: 06:38:00
Yes, if we apply shamu to creativity we get a shamutation. ~ James - Verbotomy, 2008-05-19: 15:46:00
I think it's time for as a serious stuff, what about the science, theory or study of shamu: "Shamulogy" - OZZIEBOB, 2008-05-20: 22:26:00
Oops! I think it's time for the serious stuff, what about the science, theory or study of shamu: "Shamulogy" - OZZIEBOB, 2008-05-20: 22:29:00
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Reinforcemen
Created by: mrskellyscl
Pronunciation: re-in-force-men
Sentence: Paula used both positive and negative reinforcemen to get whatever she wanted. Her technique included the rewards of steaks, sports, beer, and the occasional night out with the boys; however, she discovered that sex could be used both positively as a reward and negatively by withdrawing the reward when appropriate.
Etymology: reinforcement: technic whereby the delivery of a stimulus, good or bad, after a response increases the likelihood of the behavior repeating. + men: creatures that have been test subjects for women since the dawn of civilization
Spousebreak
Created by: skeeterzirra
Pronunciation: rhymes with housebreak
Sentence: If all men are dogs, where's a man-whisperer to teach women how to spousebreak them?
Etymology: Housebreak
Shamuducate
Created by: rikboyee
Pronunciation: sham-oo-dyoo-kayt
Sentence: once she discovered how much he enjoyed being scratched on the back of the head, she found it simple enough to shamuducate her husband
Etymology: shamu, educate
Comments:
Today's definition is inspired by Amy Sutherland's new book "What Shamu Taught me About Life, Love and Marriage". where she reminds us that "People are animals too!", and that "Any interaction is training". Now Amy has invented her own word for this and it's "Shamu", so I have added it today's list of verboticisms! Thanks Amy! ~ James
Today's definition is inspired by Amy Sutherland's book "What Shamu Taught me About Life, Love and Marriage", where she reminds us that "People are animals too!", and that "Any interaction is training". Of course, Amy has invented her own word for this -- "Shamu". Let's see what we come up with now... Thanks Amy! ~ James
Today's definition was suggested by amysutherland. Thank you amysutherland. ~ James