Vote for the best verboticism.
DEFINITION: n. The feeling of anxiety created by the realization that you've arrived at a social event "wearing the wrong thing". v. To arrive at a social function and suddenly realize that you are you are completely over-dressed or worse -- under-dressed!
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.
Apparalysed
Created by: emdeejay
Pronunciation: Apparel eyes'd
Sentence: Todd was a creative and exuberant fellow whose wardrobe was so extensive, it had been described by his friends as being "Bigger than Texas". Unfortunately, his addiction to fashion had grown to be a very expensive habit, and had begun to place a great strain on his relationship with Betsy, his far more conservative partner. In an attempt to spice things up, Todd raced home one evening and adorned himself with a rather fetching pair of magenta underpants. Just as he was about to wrap himself in his favourite leopardskin loincloth, Betsy burst in, aghast! Poor Todd. He was normally apparalysed after he'd arrived at the party, not before he'd finished getting dressed!
Etymology: Apparel: see clothing. Paralysed: see Todd.
----------------------------
COMMENTS:
Especially like the "eyes'd", as the magenta speedos have real impact on the vicariously apparelysed observer. - dochanne, 2008-12-08: 04:04:00
Captivating Create. Captures that feeling when everyone is staring, that makes us unable to move. - silveryaspen, 2008-12-08: 13:03:00
Magenta underwear-Bloody hell! Good word. - OZZIEBOB, 2008-12-13: 16:08:00
----------------------------
Cladaclysm
Created by: Tigger
Pronunciation: /klad-uh-kliz-um/
Sentence: Jason figured that the 'Save the Rainforest' fundraiser that Debbie had invited him to would be attended by a bunch of hippies and tree-huggers. When he showed up in a tie-dye tee shirt and Birkenstock sandals at the 'black tie' event, it was a total cladaclysm — Jason was terribly embarrassed, and Debbie was simply mortified.
Etymology: Clad - clothed or dressed; covered in material (Old English, clāthod "clothed") + Cataclysm - a disaster [natural or social] (from Greek, kataklysmós "flood")
----------------------------
COMMENTS:
Oh, Father, pray for our clothes now and at the time of our disdress! Leaving religion out of it, it's a spectacular creation! - silveryaspen, 2008-02-25: 12:54:00
Good word! - OZZIEBOB, 2008-02-25: 19:20:00
Man, I woulda done the same thing as Jason. Only I'd have worn a black tie to go with my tye dye shirt. - ErWenn, 2008-02-25: 19:59:00
----------------------------
Misthreaded
Created by: kimmarie
Pronunciation: miss-threh-did
Sentence: He could never seem to get it right. Either too much or too little - he constantly misthreaded when trying to hit the fashion mark.
Etymology: From miss and threaded as in threading a needle.
Cretincouture
Created by: XMbIPb
Pronunciation: /kre-tin-cu-tur/ alt. /kre-tin-cu-chur/
Sentence: “Not realizing that a clown outfit does not qualify for ‘casual Fridays’ at his new banking job, Kim abstained from any other forms of cretincouture like Hawaiian shirts, parrot-head hats, and bow-ties that squirt water.”
Etymology: -cretin – a medical condition formerly know as “dwarfed and deformed idiot” used to be common in Alpine communities due to lack of iodine, causing hypothyroid state (disease of the thyroid gland; goiter); modern meaning: just an average idiot without an underlying medical condition . -couture (Fr.,) n. – dressmaking, fashion design
Apparellynot
Created by: rombus
Pronunciation: a - pare - ah - lee - not
Sentence: Manny misunderstood Rose when she gave him the information for the Company Awards Banquet. He thought it was dress-casual but it turned out to be dress with tie. He realized that he was apparellynot dressed correctly and decided not to go home that night as Rose was receiving an award and would be embarrassed by him.
Etymology: Apparel (clothing, garments) + Not (not right, not much, not at all) Also a play on the phrase apparently not.
Tangsttop
Created by: TheStorialist
Pronunciation:
Sentence: After seeing her son's teacher's eyes perusing her cleavage during the conference, Jane realized she'd pulled a tangsttop by wearing such a revealing camisole.
Etymology: Tank top + angst
Garbsmacked
Created by: bookowl
Pronunciation: garb/smaked
Sentence: The guests were absolutely garbsmacked when I arrived at the black tie event wearing only a black tie.
Etymology: garb + gobsmacked
----------------------------
COMMENTS:
Being garbsmacked could make him want to get smackered! Perhaps one of the ladies will give him three smackers! Smacks of greatness to me! - silveryaspen, 2008-02-25: 13:35:00
GOOD WORD! - OZZIEBOB, 2008-02-25: 19:15:00
----------------------------
Fiasclothes
Created by: Stevenson0
Pronunciation: fee/as/klohz
Sentence: It was embarrassing and a total fiasclothes when I showed up to my boss' daughter's Baptism in shorts, T-shirt, bathing suit, towel and a case of beer. I didn't quite read the invitation past the address 2206 Sunnyside Beach. Unfortunately, it was Sunnyside Beach United Church.
Etymology: FIASCLOTHES - noun - from FIASCO (A complete, or ridiculous failure) + CLOTHES (garments for the body; wearing apparel)
----------------------------
COMMENTS:
Excellently crafted word, sentence and etymology. - silveryaspen, 2008-12-08: 12:39:00
This is a great word which totally hits the definition!! - mweinmann, 2008-12-09: 10:29:00
----------------------------
Briefgrief
Created by: mweinmann
Pronunciation: breef - greef
Sentence: Polly was not happy with Roger when he showed up to her art gallery opening wearing short shorts and a tee. Roger started to feel a bit of briefgrief as he realized that he should have donned a bit more formal apparel.....
Etymology: Brief - Close fitting, knitted undergarment with an elastic waistband, with or without an overlapping fly front, concise and succint + grief - mental suffering arising from any cause, as misfortune, loss of friends, misconduct of one's self or others, etc
Dressaster
Created by: OZZIEBOB
Pronunciation: Dres-ZAH-ster
Sentence: When Bob arrived late, dressed in drag, to Roxie company's pantological conference, she immediately knew it was the beginning of a janetic dressaster.
Etymology: DRESSASTER:Dress & disaster JANETIC: a la Janet Jackson's wardrobe malfunction at the Superbowl a couple of years ago.
----------------------------
COMMENTS:
Janetic is fantastic! I wish that a janet jackson might some day become an eponym like sad sack! - silveryaspen, 2008-02-25: 13:09:00
Excellent! - Mustang, 2008-02-25: 17:25:00
----------------------------
Comments:
Today's definition was suggested by remistram. Thank you remistram. ~ James
Today's definition was suggested by remistram. Thank you remistram. ~ James