Vote for the best verboticism.
DEFINITION: v. To remain calm, steadfast and ploddingly systematic in the midst of a huge freaking disaster. n. A person who systematizes everything from their morning routines to personal relationships.
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.
Tranquilamity
Created by: Nosila
Pronunciation: tran kwill am a tee
Sentence: His name was Placido The Gringo. He was a tech on 13th Floor who spoke the lingo. Besides his accessibility, he was blessed with sensibility and tranquilamity. When the alarms sounded flammibility in our facility, Placido shut down the systems auotmatically, with unflapability. While others did panic and behave manic, he was a stalwart systematic. Last to be rescued, he unfortunately miscued. It's a pity that the smoke affected his motility, so he'll now face permanent sterility. This will hurt him, no doubt, when his employer finds out. Because working for Xerox, Placido was in charge of reproductivity.
Etymology: Tranquility (a state of peace and quiet; a disposition free from stress or emotion)& Calamity (an event resulting in great loss and misfortune)
Shitcreeksurfing
Created by: katytee
Pronunciation:
Sentence: One good thing about an outbreak of the Ebola virus was that the queues at Tesco's customer service desk were always greatly reduced, thought John - who was one of life's natural shitcreeksurfers, and a bit of a pedantic git.
Etymology: To be 'up shit creek without a paddle' and take the opportunity for a spot of healthy exercise on your canoe.
Zencompetent
Created by: benjamin
Pronunciation: rhymes with "incompetent"
Sentence: Sarah zencompetantly rounded up the 73 monkeys that had escaped from their cages; not a single one was injured, and Sarah avoided all of the flug poop.
Etymology: zen (calm, state of peace) + competent (competent)
Panicstilled
Created by: Maureen
Pronunciation: pan-ic-stil-d
Sentence: "Darling come home quickly, the tree has fallen across the house, all the windows are broken and the dog is dead." Mark, ever the panicstiller, said "Don't worry sweeheart I'll pick up a spade on the way home so we can bury poor Charlie."
Etymology: Panic - a state of terror and Still - calm, tranquil.
Herosterics
Created by: janatic
Pronunciation:
Sentence: When the proverbial feces hits the fan, you can count on Stan to fall into herosterics.
Etymology: hero + hysterics
Spock
Created by: autophile
Pronunciation: SPOCK
Sentence: Ron's boss panicked because his boss's boss panicked, and on up the line because sh*t flows downhill, but Ron casually spocked the problem and there was panic no more.
Etymology: From Star Trek's unflappable rational scientist, Mr. Spock.
----------------------------
COMMENTS:
Gotta love Spock. In real life, he's a poet as well. I think he'd approve of Verbotomy. - purpleartichokes, 2007-05-10: 19:37:00
----------------------------
Ablomb
Created by: mplsbohemian
Pronunciation: uh-BLAHM
Sentence: Alex faced his simultaneous flu, audit, firing, and computer crash with ablomb.
Etymology: aplomb in the face of a bomb
----------------------------
COMMENTS:
great word - petaj, 2007-05-11: 02:12:00
----------------------------
Hystericool
Created by: Tigger
Pronunciation: /hi-STER-i-kool/
Sentence: The whole family was going on summer vacation again — to Disney World this year — with Jane, her husband, their five kids, her in-laws and two cousins. Every year, it was Jane's job to organize the family's packing and get everyone ready to rush to the airport as soon as Jack, her husband, got home from work; and Jack was always late. With screaming kids running all around her, Jane calmly walked through the house, grabbed Grandpa Joe's medicine, Jennie's retainer, James' Game-Boy and Jill's iPod, dropped them into the appropriate suitcases while snatching a flying T-shirt out of the air and packing that too. While chaos erupted around her, Jane remained hystericool. She didn't even sweat a drop when she and Jack rode the Space Mountain ride. As the ride stopped, Jack leaned over and gave 'his Coolamity Jane' a smile and a big kiss.
Etymology: Hysterical - behavior characterized by excessive or uncontrollable emotion, such as fear or panic (from Greek, hysterikos "of the womb, suffering in the womb") + Cool - not excited; calm, especially during times of stress (from Pre-Germanic, koluz "cold, to freeze")
----------------------------
COMMENTS:
HYSTERICOOL is beautiful- and obviously based on an all-too-real personal experience. Love it! - metrohumanx, 2008-07-10: 07:58:00
great word tigger - Jabberwocky, 2008-07-10: 09:33:00
Actually metro, I was thinking of the beginning of the movie 'Home Alone' and Catherine O'Hara's character when I wrote that. But anyone with that many kids to travel with ought to be a complete wreck, even if she does forget one... - Tigger, 2008-07-10: 10:54:00
I love it! And that "sentence!" We are all aspiring writers I think... :) Great read! - lumina, 2008-07-10: 18:43:00
Good one, Tigger...gives one hystericool laughter! - Nosila, 2008-07-10: 23:19:00
Another great word. - OZZIEBOB, 2008-07-11: 18:24:00
----------------------------
Analofile
Created by: ldikarev
Pronunciation: anal-O-file
Sentence: / We are expanding our local offices and looking for skilled, synergetic, analofiles. / Alternative spelling - analophile, analophil / Derivatives - analophilia
Etymology: anal(-retentive) + -phile (Greek - love, friendship)
Fiascool
Created by: pinwheel
Pronunciation: fee/as/cool
Sentence: The caterers were running late, the flowers were wilting, the groom was still running around naked after his stag night and I was struggling to get into my dress. It was all a horrible mess but throughout it all James, the best man, was totally fiascool.
Etymology: fiasco + cool
----------------------------
COMMENTS:
he probably went to fiaschool! - galwaywegian, 2007-05-10: 07:18:00
Maybe he had studied how to remain calm. He was a fiascholar. - petaj, 2007-05-11: 02:13:00
----------------------------
Comments:
Today's definition was inspired by Cory Doctorow's short story "When Sysadmins Ruled the Earth" which is published in Overclocked, and was suggested by autophile. Thank you Cory and autophile! ~ James
I'm still grinning at this one. Well done!
Today's definition was suggested by doctorow. Thank you doctorow. ~ James