Vote for the best verboticism.
DEFINITION: v. To simplify, dramatize and fictionalize scientific knowledge so that it appeals to a general audience. n. A scientific fact, which has been exaggerated and dumbed-down to make it more "interesting".
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.
Dimmunology
Created by: Nosila
Pronunciation: dim mewn ol o jee
Sentence: Explaining how the body contracts diseases to his pretty but ditzy girlfriend, Dody, was a lesson in dimmunology for Professor Speigel.
Etymology: Dim (slow to learn or understand; lacking intellectual acuity) & Immunology (the branch of medical science that studies the body's immune system)
Defactoid
Created by: mrskellyscl
Pronunciation: de-fac-toid
Sentence: Due to the success of his book, "K-9 ET" (Extra-terrestrial Doggies), Fred became the defactoid authority on canine aliens. He was a popular guest on the talk show circut and, after appearances on Larry King and The Tonight Show, landed his own cable television show, called "Is Your Dog an Alien?"
Etymology: de:remove from + fact: truth -- defacto: dominant standard or law that exists because of common acceptance rather than authority + factoid: a "fact" that exists to create or manipulate public opinion - often applied to newsmedia accused of publishing untrue or unverified articles for the purpose of sensationalism.
Xcisefiles
Created by: Stevenson0
Pronunciation: X/cise/Files
Sentence: Be sure to watch PBS's latest and greatest scientific adventure yet, in the show all the scientific world is buzzing about 'The XciseFiles' starring David Duchonvy as Fox Mulder and Gillian Anderson as Dana Scully. In this week's nail biter, with a surprising and shocking ending, the two stars take you on a long, scary and sometimes dangerous journey on how water boils at 100 degrees celcius, turns to steam, then condenses and turns back to rain, or water. Don't miss this week's shocking, suspenseful premier called 'The Water Cycle'.
Etymology: XciseFiles - noun - from EXCISE (to remove, or cut out) + X-FILES (former popular TV show above strange and possible scientific facts and recent movie 'X-Files - I Want to Believe'
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COMMENTS:
terrific sentence - you must be a science teacher - Jabberwocky, 2009-01-30: 11:18:00
I smell an Emmy...good word! - Nosila, 2009-01-30: 17:56:00
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Adfactation
Created by: petaj
Pronunciation: ad-fact-ay-shun
Sentence: Interest in climate change has produced a slew of adfactations about greenhouse gases, electric cars and energy conservation.
Etymology: adaptation (biological - feature or behaviour of animal that suits it's habitat) (artistic - the making of a movie from a literary piece often making it more commercial for a larger audience) + fact
Desciencetize
Created by: Mustang
Pronunciation: de-SCI-ehns-eh-tize
Sentence: Henry was a bit of a dunce where science is concerned but he had a gift for gab so by using a smattering of actual knowledge, sprinkling in an abundance of gibberish and doubletalk he could desciencetize just about any kind of medical or scientific information.
Etymology: A play on the word 'desensitize'
Cybertific
Created by: Nosila
Pronunciation: sy ber tif fik
Sentence: With the advent of the computer age, no stone is left unturned in the quest for knowledge. To make scientific information digestible to the great masses, many sites have become cybertific. This means that domains of eminent scientists and years of research and investigation have been simplified so that anyone who can turn on a computer, can cut and paste deep information. Such data is then used by these sci-pirates on facebook and twitter to submit as their own assignments for school. Thank you Wikipedia.
Etymology: Cyber (relating to or characteristic of the culture of computers, information technology, and virtual reality) & Scientific (conforming with the principles or methods used in science)
Simplescieman
Created by: mweinmann
Pronunciation: simpel - sii - man
Sentence: Rufus just published a new book about Brain Surgery. It looks like the simplescieman version with lots of colored pictures, new "easy" words for the anatomy and loads of symbols (arrows, charts and little brains). He is hoping that it will be more understandable and, therefore, appeal to a wider audience. Unfortunately, it is about as educational as a quick game of Operation.
Etymology: Simple Simon + Science >> Simple Simon (a foolish fellow, a simpleton) Science ( the state of knowing : knowledge as distinguished from ignorance or misunderstanding, knowledge or a system of knowledge covering general truths or the operation of general laws)
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COMMENTS:
Simplescieman appeals to my "inner child"...I am a passionate practitioner of DIY surgery. - metrohumanx, 2009-01-30: 01:17:00
Perfect! - kateinkorea, 2009-01-30: 07:11:00
wonderful - Jabberwocky, 2009-01-30: 11:18:00
Easy to say and remember, right on the definition, pun fun humorous, with readily apparent meaning! Simplescieman has it all! Super Duper! - silveryaspen, 2009-01-30: 15:48:00
Said Simplescieman to the Pi(π)man, let me taste your wares, Said the Pieman to Simplescieman, my Pi's aren't round, they're squared! Must be a good word if it is stuck in my head now! - Nosila, 2009-01-30: 17:54:00
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Tryptostretch
Created by: jajsr
Pronunciation: Trip-toe-str-etch
Sentence: After Thanksgiving dinner, Shawn sat down on the couch and started to doze off. When his nephew, John, asked him why he was so sleepy, Shawn said it was because of the tryptophan in the turkey. Little to Shawn's knowledge, John had just finished watching a special about the "tryptophan myth", and realized Shawn just delievered a classic tryptostretch.
Etymology: Combination of "Trypto" from tryptophan - amino acid in turkey that's 'supposed' to make you sleepy; and "stretch" - an exercise of something beyond ordinary or normal limits - exaggeration.
Desciencetize
Created by: Mustang
Pronunciation: de-SCI-ehns-eh-tize
Sentence: Albert was a bit of a dunce where science is concerned but he had a gift for gab so by using a smattering of actual knowledge, sprinkling in an abundance of gibberish and doubletalk he could desciencetize just about any kind of medical or scientific information.
Etymology: A play on the word 'desensitize'
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COMMENTS:
BRAVO! Down with pseudoscience! - metrohumanx, 2009-01-30: 00:33:00
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Comments:
Today's definition was suggested by metrohumanx. Thank you metrohumanx. ~ James
Well put.
...and thank you for letting me "vent".
Thank you for venting! Obviously you are very gnawledgeable. ~ James
Today's definition was suggested by metrohumanx. Thank you metrohumanx. ~ James