Vote for the best verboticism.
DEFINITION: n. A harmless untruth, intended to comfort simple souls. v. To use a little bit a fiction to smooth over the perplexities and complexities of life.
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.
Placeebull
Created by: Jabberwocky
Pronunciation: pla/see/bull
Sentence: 'Hard work always pays off' - a placeebull to keep workers motivated
Etymology: placebo + bull (as in bullshit) (had to put the second e in my word to emphasize sound)
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COMMENTS:
okayee - galwaywegian, 2007-04-16: 06:30:00
Ain't it the truth!?! - Sed8ed, 2007-04-16: 06:33:00
That example sounds like an alfalsism. Or a generaLIEzation. - petaj, 2007-04-16: 06:37:00
That's a great play on words! - jedijawa, 2007-04-16: 12:56:00
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Lieability
Created by: Nosila
Pronunciation: lye abil itee
Sentence: When it came time to complete his staff's evaluations, Kurt had to use his lieability skills to soften the blows. He'd say things like "Joe is a very reliable worker, when he is here." or "Mary Jane is flexible...she is equally ill at ease with large groups or a single person." or "Fred's long, liquid lunches make the afternoons go quickly and he creates a party mood among his peers for the last hour each workday." or "Roxanne can light up a room, just by leaving it."
Etymology: Lie (a statement that deviates from or perverts the truth) & Ability (skill;able to achieve something)and Wordplay on Liability (the quality of being something that holds you back)
Benefib
Created by: Stevenson0
Pronunciation: ben/uh/fib
Sentence: To keep their spirits up and help them through the day to complete their tasks, the boss would often encourage his staff with a benefib or two.
Etymology: benefit + fib
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COMMENTS:
Dude, you come up with the best words without making them long and cumbersome. - jedijawa, 2007-04-16: 12:55:00
And people love voting for the obvious ones! ;) - Bulletchewer, 2007-04-16: 15:13:00
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Benein
Created by: rebelvin
Pronunciation: BEnign+NEIN
Sentence: The fact that he had Alzheimer's disease justified the beneins we told him to keep him happy.
Etymology: BEnign+NEIN Benign - 1. Having little or no detrimental effect; harmless 2. Showing gentleness and mildness. Nein - GERMAN: no; a word used for denying, disagreeing, refusing etc.
Frib
Created by: Mustang
Pronunciation: fribb
Sentence: As was his nature, Alexander once again passed along a frib when asked a hard question with a potentially embarrasing answer, a tiny untruth that was told to spare the feelings of his friend.
Etymology: Blend of the words 'fib' (small lie) and 'rib'...to poke fun or make light of.
Wightlie
Created by: petaj
Pronunciation: white - lie
Sentence: "Ah'll be alwight nah fanks" he said, after the good samaritan told him a wightlie.
Etymology: white lie + right
Blancamuse
Created by: theDoad
Pronunciation: blank-ah-mewze
Sentence: "I'm sorry, what did you say? I'm afraid I was blancamusing the whole scenario!"
Etymology:
Jesusporky
Created by: Bulletchewer
Pronunciation: geez-uss-pore-key
Sentence: "I tell you the truth; it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than it is for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven," said the false prophet, knowing full well it was a Jesusporky, a PR statement aimed at the poor folk of 1st-century Judea.
Etymology: From "Jesus" meaning "person/deity invented to comfort simple souls" and "porky" from the Cocky (sic) rhyming slang (pork pie=lie).
Liethium
Created by: rikboyee
Pronunciation: lie-thee-um
Sentence: She knew that after the day he'd had, the only thing that would calm him down was some liethium
Etymology: lie, lithium [used to treat depression and such]
Foma
Created by: vonnegut
Pronunciation: fo-ma
Sentence: Nothing in this book is true. "Live by the foma* that make you brave and kind and healthy and happy." The Books of Bokonon. I: 5
Etymology: Created by Kurt Vonnegut for Cat's Cradle, published in 1963.
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COMMENTS:
foma - accept no substitutes. - Alchemist, 2007-04-16: 06:51:00
we can't go through the whole week respelling Vonneguts words....or can we? - rikboyee, 2007-04-16: 09:24:00
It's the best way to win the prize.... :-) - jedijawa, 2007-04-16: 12:54:00
What's the singular? And should I have heard of Vonnegut? Has he been on TV? Recently? Bliss. - Bulletchewer, 2007-04-16: 15:11:00
The singular form is "fomum", like phenomena (plural) and phenomenum (signular). Comes from Latin. Did you study Latin in highschool? I did, and I'm still trying to get over it. - wordmeister, 2007-04-16: 15:22:00
It's all Greek to me! - Bulletchewer, 2007-04-16: 16:14:00
you can even go into the news/blog section and it will tell you which word this definition comes from.... i honestly feel that using Vonneguts word taints the wampeter of our humble karass - rikboyee, 2007-04-16: 17:44:00
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Comments:
ErWenn - 2007-04-16: 08:00:00
Best verbotoon ever. So it goes, buddy, so it goes.
ErWenn - 2007-04-16: 08:20:00
Just noticed what was written on the typewriter. Ha!
Today's definition was suggested by Kurt Vonnegut and first appeared in his novel Cat's Cradle.
Thank you Mr. Vonnegut! ~ James
RE: "Best Verbotoon Ever" Thanks ErWenn! However I must say it was all inspired by KV himself. So it goes... ~ James
See the top 4 words of the day at Yeah, I'm in heaven now ~ James
Today's definition was suggested by Kurt Vonnegut and first appeared in his novel Cat's Cradle.
Thank you Mr. Vonnegut! ~ James
wurdless - 2008-07-12: 15:23:00
Vonnegut is cool!
reverb - 2008-07-12: 15:31:00
cat's cradle rocks
Today's definition was suggested by vonnegut. Thank you vonnegut. ~ James
Live it or live WITH it!