Vote for the best verboticism.
DEFINITION: n., Cautionary advice provided by parents to their children, often makes no logical sense but carries enough emotional weight to affect the child's behavior. v. To warn of danger through the judicious use of exaggeration.
Verboticisms
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Radmomition
Created by: Nosila
Pronunciation: rad MOM ish in
Sentence: Growing up in an Irish household,the 6 siblings were all raised on a solid diet of good old radmomition. This included an assorted mix of superstitions (spilling salt requires you to throw some over your left shoulder), Aesop's fables(remember that grasshopper and the ant?), lessons from the Bible(Thou shalt not lie about who ate the baking out of the freezer) and old wives' tales(if you tell a lie, your nose will grow), guaranteed to scare even the toughest know-it-all kid into submission. It was never really understood how putting a hat on the bed or opening an umbrella indoors would bring about bad luck; how stepping on a crack could break your mother's back or how licking a frosty metal fence would make your tongue stick to it. (Okay, that on was really true, as one brother found out the hard way)! Yet all these tools were used by their mother to great effectiveness. People marvelled at how well-behaved 6 kids could be out in public. But one look from their Mom's omnipresent eye could nail them to a couch for hours on end, quietly, without a hint of physical persuasion. Santa's elves were watching you just before Christmas time (I mean really, weren't they too busy making toys?); God would be mad to learn you did not put your coins on the offering plate in Church (like does he count it all?)If there was no known adage to affect a situation, she simply would make one up. It was not until they were into their teens that they discovered the Ice Cream Man going around the neighbourhood played his twinkly songs when he still had goodies left to sell. They had always been told that the music was a sign he was sold out. The irony was that all these siblings went through higher education, got responsible jobs and used exactly the same radmomition tactics on their own children and grandchildren...May you be half an hour in Heaven before the Devil knows you're dead!
Etymology: Radical (a person who has out there ideas or opinions;used of opinions and actions far beyond the norm) & Admonition (cautionary advice about something imminent;counsel in terms of someone's behavior;warn strongly; put on guard) & Mom (female parent)& Superstition (an irrational belief arising from ignorance or fear;folklore;omens of good and bad luck)
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COMMENTS:
Oh MAN!!!!...You mean the ice cream man WASN'T sold out? - metrohumanx, 2008-08-29: 05:56:00
"Mom's omnipresent eye"....great turn of a phrase, Nosette. :) - metrohumanx, 2008-08-29: 08:11:00
Actual advice from an Alaskan native: Do NOT try to lick the glaciers. - Tigger, 2008-08-29: 10:34:00
Great "sentence!" :) - lumina, 2008-08-29: 15:46:00
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Adlies
Created by: simoneshin
Pronunciation: ad - lise
Sentence: true story. while in kindergarten my teacher gave and my best some adlies; stop talking or your tongue will wear off. I stopped speaking for 2 weeks en now 20 years later I can still talk. So it probably was some good adlies.
Etymology: advice + lies
Whopperstopper
Created by: kerryb
Pronunciation: wopur stopur
Sentence: My parents never failed to verbalize any number of whopperstoppers in order to curb my ongoing misbehavior.
Etymology: whopper: A ridiculous and ostentatiously bodacious lie or misnomer that would violate the bounds of belief beyond any child older than 5! stopper: A metaphorical line in the sand that is designed to cease unwanted action or behavior.
Poultrygeist
Created by: Nosila
Pronunciation: pol tree guyst
Sentence: Chickenita Bantama had a hard time persuading her youngest chick,Henny Youngman, to eat his feed. She finally had to resort to scare tactics and told him the tale of the poultrygeist. It was a scary ghost chicken that came after little chicks that did not eat up their supper. It worked for her, even if some thought it was fowl play...Happy Halloween!
Etymology: Poultry (a domesticated gallinaceous bird) & Poltergeist (a ghost that announces its presence with rapping and the creation of disorder)
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COMMENTS:
LOVING YOUR STORIES - DrWebsterIII, 2012-10-31: 11:24:00
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Exaggerary
Created by: abrakadeborah
Pronunciation: ex-aj-er-rare-e
Sentence: Red was such an exaggerary clucker when it came to dealing with his baby chicks.
Etymology: Exagger- Taken in part from the word >Exaggeration-The act of exaggerating or overstating. Ary- A suffix occurring originally in loanwords. Also taken in part for the word cautionary.
Propagationganda
Created by: MrDave2176
Pronunciation: prop-uh-GEY-shuhn-gan-da
Sentence: Despite all of my mother's propagationganda my eyes never did "stick that way".
Etymology: Propagation:to breed + (propa)ganda : to disseminate information (or rumors)
Awedition
Created by: Stevenson0
Pronunciation: aw/dish/un
Sentence: Parents awedition their children because it is a fast, easy way to get the behaviour they expect. Unfortunately, when children are put through too many aweditions and are older, they do not trust anything their parents tell them.
Etymology: awe (apprehension, dread, fear, fright, horror, shock, stupefaction, terror) + condition
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COMMENTS:
awedsome! - Nosila, 2010-01-20: 19:21:00
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Imparable
Created by: porsche
Pronunciation: im/par/a/bul
Sentence: A typical imparable would be the story of the bogeyman
Etymology: impair (damage) + parable (short story used to teach a lesson)
Paranting
Created by: hooterbug
Pronunciation: pâr'ran-ting
Sentence: Due to my childhood and unique blend of "Paranting" from my mom and pops, I will be appearing on the Jerry Springer show one day soon.
Etymology: Blend of "Parent" (One who begets, gives birth to) and "ranting" (to scold vehemently)
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COMMENTS:
I think I will be on the same show. :) - lumina, 2008-08-29: 15:28:00
So many great words today! - Nosila, 2008-08-29: 20:11:00
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Causham
Created by: Rehlit
Pronunciation: kaw-sham
Sentence: Many parents use an insidious causham to frighten their naughty children. Such as "If you eat watermelon seeds, a watermelon will grow in your stomach!"
Etymology: Caution(a warning against danger or evil; anything serving as a warning) + sham (something that is not what it purports to be; a spurious imitation; fraud or hoax; pretended; counterfeit; feigned:)
Comments:
Today's definition was suggested by remistram. Thank you remistram! ~ James
Today's definition was suggested by remistram. Thank you remistram. ~ James