Vote for the best verboticism.
DEFINITION: v. To arrive at a meeting completely unprepared and then work diligently and obviously to distract yourself from the proceedings. n. A person who attends a meeting but does not believe that they are paid enough to actually pay attention.
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.
Rotwhiler
Created by: silveryaspen
Pronunciation: rot while er
Sentence: Not one to bring a thing to the table, nor one to go and fetch, he never worked like a dog. He would sit for hours. He idled away the weeks, like they were all, dog days of summer. He was not a springer into action, and certainly not a pointer of the way. To meetings, he would go, but he was just a setter. He was a rotwhiler! Dog gone him!
Etymology: ROT, WHILE AWAY. Rot - to spoil; as in to spoil the meeting or the day. While away - to pass time idly.
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COMMENTS:
at least he went to meetings - our IT guys are all laptop dogs - Jabberwocky, 2009-01-14: 13:41:00
I had a dog just like that, but he was a pit poodle. - Mustang, 2009-01-14: 17:56:00
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Innattention
Created by: Nosila
Pronunciation: In at ten shun
Sentence: Oliver worked for Hilton Hotel Chain as it's IT Chief. He never felt he had to be part of the boring day-to-day matters. Holding them hostage with his superior electronic intelligence, he attended the meetings he was summoned to and ignored everyone and everything. He was guilty of innattention. In fact he had a history of it...when he worked for the sanitation department, he was guilty of binattention. When he worked for the Symphony, it was violinattention; for Lufthansa, it was berlinattention. And when he worked for Tanqueray, he was guilty of ginattention; for the bank, pinattention and for the Las Vegas Tourist Board, it was sinattention. Do you think this is maybe why he'd been fired so often?
Etymology: Inn (hotel) & Inattention (lack of attention)
Spectraitor
Created by: Jabberwocky
Pronunciation: spec/tray/tur
Sentence: John attended the morning meeting merely as a spectraitor. He successfully sabotaged establishing the agenda for the day.
Etymology: spectator (onlooker) + traitor (subversive element)
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COMMENTS:
Excellent! - silveryaspen, 2009-01-14: 12:03:00
great word - TJayzz, 2009-01-14: 15:29:00
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Narblivious
Created by: Niktionary
Pronunciation: nar-bli-vee-us
Sentence: Since she was the CEO's daughter, the new "Vice President of Positivity" was completely narblivious after finding out she had to fire the entire department.
Etymology: narscisistic+oblivious
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COMMENTS:
Never thought about this aspect! Potent sentence and etymology with an even more powerful verboticism. Powerful creation! - silveryaspen, 2008-03-24: 10:50:00
I like the sound of it. - purpleartichokes, 2008-03-24: 14:07:00
Nice word. - OZZIEBOB, 2008-03-24: 19:48:00
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Convennui
Created by: stache
Pronunciation: kən-vēn'-wē'
Sentence: Having finished the crossword, sudoku and cryptoquote, Mervin was left to endure the remainder of the meeting in a tortured state of convennui.....OK, fine, this is a noun, not a verb. Take this: There was a young lawyer named Bree, Who practiced up in Kankakee. In the docket meeting, her interest was fleeting: She had a case of convennui. Whatever, dude.
Etymology: convene,to meet, Middle English convenen, from Old French convenir, from Latin convenīre, + ennui, boredom, from Old French enui, from ennuyer, to annoy, bore
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COMMENTS:
hehe! - purpleartichokes, 2008-03-24: 10:46:00
Fine job on the pronunciation. Your sentence is a double dose of hitting the definition, once in prose and once in rhyme ... you really fit everything in this time! Love the French flair in your etymology and verboticism. So well put together. Excellent! - silveryaspen, 2008-03-24: 10:46:00
Enui-ne-scrumptious, as usual, stache. - doseydotes, 2008-03-24: 17:21:00
Mervin sounds like a real Convennuinie (pron. con-ven-wee'-nee). - Tigger, 2008-03-24: 21:05:00
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Agendabender
Created by: Nosila
Pronunciation: ah jenda ben der
Sentence: Todd was a first class Agendabender. He hated meetings with a passion and felt they were a waste of time. Sometimes they had meetings just to decide when the next meeting would be! He was considered a renegade for not wanting to attend the meetings, he felt it cut into his time at work. Iromically, those persons who convened meetings ad nauseum, just want to hear their own voices and ideas and apparently did not have enough real work to do, nor deadlines to meet. Todd analyzed what these meetings comprised: "Minutes" of the meetings should actually be called "Hours"; The "Board Room" should have been renamed The "Bored Room"; the "Chair Person" should be called the "Stare Person"...'cause they always managed to spear the attendees with their eyes; and Preparation for a meeting?...the only one anyone really needed was "Preparation H" for the long periods of time spent sitting on the hard wooden chairs! Yes, it was obvious to Todd that some people in his firm got their MBA's specializing in congregation and mind-numbing rhetoric. Unbeknownst to the other attendees, Todd's days attending these mindless marathons were soon to be ended. He had just inherited the company from his uncle and his first order of business would be to agendabender the hell out of these pointless meetings!
Etymology: agenda { a list of matters to be taken up (as at a meeting)} & bender (someone who modifies the rules to suit themselves) & genderbender (for rhyming purposes, not that there's anything wrong with that!)
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COMMENTS:
I admire your witty word plays in quotes, and your story, for they very humorously and successfully convey the feeling of frustration. Perhaps before his agendabender to ease his frustration, he went on another kind of bender! - silveryaspen, 2008-03-24: 01:35:00
Perhaps Todd is a "Boy George" fan? Clever word; luv the sentence! - OZZIEBOB, 2008-03-24: 02:26:00
Workershirker? Congrats! - readerwriter, 2009-01-14: 09:30:00
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Disenwage
Created by: OZZIEBOB
Pronunciation: dis-en-WEYJ
Sentence: When Bob's eyes looked upon the bonuslessness of his salary cheque, he knew that tomorrow's monthly, marathon meeting would be a day full of disenwagement.
Etymology: With "disengagement" in mind, a blend of DIS+EN: to free oneself from & WAGE: Venturing, undertaking participating and WAGE: salary, reward, payment. COGNATES:DISENWAGEMENT, DISENWAGING, DISENWAGEE.
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COMMENTS:
Bob was completely disincentivized and unmotiveized - petaj, 2008-03-24: 06:35:00
Short sentence but the powerful words and verboticims are put together so well it is very potent in conveying that feeling of being unappreciated being the reason for disenwaging. Great angle on this topic. Great word! - silveryaspen, 2008-03-24: 10:11:00
Versatile word — could also be used to describe what people do when they go gambling in 'Lost Wages', Nevada, US (nickname for Las Vegas). - Tigger, 2008-03-24: 20:24:00
missed this yesterday - very apt - Jabberwocky, 2008-03-25: 12:19:00
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Recalcityroaf
Created by: metrohumanx
Pronunciation: ree-cal-sit-TIE-roaf (recalcityroafette)
Sentence: The Library Dominatrix had forced Jeff to abandon his personal feifdom and attend a typically bogus meeting at the Megastructure. Unkemp and unconcerned, Jeff was only a RECALCI-TYROAF compared to the rest of us who had suffered through endless vapid meetings totally devoid of meaning or productivity. Jeff's casual insolence marked him for what he was...a mere amateur at the subtle art of boss-baiting. His five-minute Pornopoint Presentation only brought him a week in the cooler. Years of administrative harassment had converted our workplace into an academic version of a prisoner of war camp, and our subtle sarcasm, subliminal suggestions and underground campaign of disinformation had led to the total breakdown of more than one camp administrator. Totally lacking subtlety, Jeff's blatant insolence and goon-baiting drew the Commandant's attention while we discreetly falsified memos, released budgies, and planted several alarm clocks timed to disrupt our annual Staff Appreciation Day. So even a RECALCI-TYROAF has a place in the great SCHEME of things. They never DID discover the tunnel.
Etymology: RECALCItrant+TYRo+OAF=RECALCITYROAF....RECALCITRANT:: obstinately defiant of authority or restraint,difficult to manage or train,not responsive to treatment; Late Latin recalcitrant-, recalcitrans, present participle of recalcitrare to be stubbornly disobedient, from Latin, to kick back, from re- + calcitrare to kick, from calc-, calx heel.....TYRO:a beginner in learning,one inept at insubordination;Medieval Latin, from Latin tiro young soldier, tyro.....OAF:a stupid person, a boob,a big clumsy slow-witted person; alteration of auf, alfe goblin's child, probably from Middle English alven, elven elf, fairy, from Old English elfen nymphs; akin to Old English ælf elf.
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COMMENTS:
Rats! The word "city" seems too pronounced- I wanted more emphasis on "tyro". I'll try to do better, gang. - metrohumanx, 2009-01-14: 01:21:00
Free online books here:
http://www.gutenberg.org/catalog/ - metrohumanx, 2009-01-14: 02:05:00
I tried to say that three times and broke my tongue....but I still like it. - Mustang, 2009-01-14: 17:57:00
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Insubordinut
Created by: Mustang
Pronunciation: In - suh - BORD - uh - nut
Sentence: Lyle disliked taking orders from a woman and would, at every opportunity, show his disdain by acting the obnoxious insubordinut.
Etymology: Blend of insubordinate and nut
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COMMENTS:
Lyle and his boss might not be a very good fit together, but your word sure is fitted together very well, and fits them! - silveryaspen, 2008-03-24: 02:04:00
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Comments:
Today's definition was suggested by remistram. Thank you remistram. ~ James
arrrteest - 2008-03-24: 07:46:00
This is a poem I actually wrote in a meeting:
Meeting Hell
By David E. Selvin
As I sit here in this meeting,
My mind's attention span is fleeting,
I contemplate actually retreating,
From this place in meeting hell.
But from the clock, it's click and clocking,
My state of mind, it keeps on mocking,
My inner scream, to me, is shocking,
As I hallucinate the ending bell.
Still, I came with no allusion,
Complicit in my blind collusion,
For my schedule’s planned intrusion,
That I’ve come to accept, but dread.
I arrive and check the seating,
Politely smile and say a greeting,
Knowing sanity will take a beating,
Within the confines of my weary head.
Still, although, I'm stuck here sitting,
My stomach lining must be pitting,
A straight jacket soon just might be fitting,
And only time will surely tell.
I hope a response is not required,
They might notice sanity expired,
And ability to reason duly mired,
My interest level a labored sell.
I awake: Is it a nightmare?
I catch myself with an insipid blank stare,
Hearing talking though the stale air,
Not all sure where it’s coming from.
Try to focus. What is the topic?
The planner’s plans were quite myopic,
My mind is on an island tropic,
My body sits here limp and numb.
I hope I don’t get called to answer,
My pulse would rise as if a dancer,
My body pained as if full with cancer,
Reacting like a hammered thumb.
A sympathetic nod of head,
Seems to follow just what is said,
But an EEG would read out "dead,"
An indication not all is well.
I'm not sure what I gain from training,
For what topic that it's pertaining,
The whole experience is very draining,
My angst is what I need to quell.
My angst is what I need to quell.
Excellent poem arrrteest! It insubordinuttily captures the disenwaged spirit of a slacktendant agendabender. ~ James
Jamagra - 2008-03-24: 09:19:00
Quoth the employee, "Nevermore!"
silveryaspen - 2008-03-24: 11:07:00
Remistram and James, your definition and cartoon are a big hit! They not only inspired great verboticisms (not a bad one in the bunch again) but even poetry! Laughter, too! Great job!
silveryaspen - 2008-03-24: 11:10:00
Did you write your poem in a meeting hell, arrrteest? It is a wonderfully well done rhyme and adds much to our time here today! I'm so glad you shared it with us.
arrrteest - 2008-03-24: 13:36:00
Write it in meeting hell? Yes, I did! It was a mind numbing, pointless, poorly thought out, going through the motions, no followthrough afterwards, dead in the water, series of meetings/"trainings" that is enherent within large organizations. It was complete with "activators," "capture sheets" and "group participation." Aaaah phoey. You bet. Am I sarred for life? Well let's just say the poem saved me from $$$$ of therapy. If you want to be productive and positive in a meeting, don't sit next to me. LOL!
purpleartichokes - 2008-03-24: 16:00:00
Great poem arrrteest! I think I was at that meeting.
Jamagra - 2008-03-24: 16:41:00
Wow Arteest! Glad you have writing as an outlet from meeting hell! I really do NOT miss those days!
arrrteest - 2008-03-24: 17:22:00
"inherent"-ah an errant moment
wayoffcenter - 2009-01-14: 04:40:00
but your word is not in your sentence...
wayoffcenter - 2009-01-14: 04:46:00
Sorry, comment in wrong spot (and I used to laugh at people who made this mistake) Comment was meant for Illoiterite.
Today's definition was suggested by remistram. Thank you remistram. ~ James