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
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.
Guidunce
Created by: remistram
Pronunciation: ghy-duhns
Sentence: "Do as I say, not as I do" was the most important guidunce her Mum ever gave her.
Etymology: guidance + dunce
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COMMENTS:
great word - Jabberwocky, 2007-09-28: 12:06:00
Great Word! Accurate sentence in a lot of cases! - Scrumpy, 2007-09-28: 13:22:00
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Yarnstay
Created by: jimtastic
Pronunciation: Yarn (as in barn)...stay (as in may)
Sentence: The yarnstay of going blind from playing with one's own thingamabob or puffinstuff has been passed on from older generations to younger generations for centuries.
Etymology: yarn: a word only used by grandmothers relating a tale, esp. a long story of adventure or incredible happenings / stay: to suspend or delay (actions, proceedings, etc.).
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COMMENTS:
Great blend of Old English words. - OZZIEBOB, 2007-09-30: 18:07:00
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Scarefication
Created by: artr
Pronunciation: skair-uh-fi-key-shuhn
Sentence: Mother hen believes in the use of scarefication to keep her chicks in line. A little lie here, an exaggeration there, all pecked into their little psyches until they are afraid to do anything wrong.
Etymology: scare (to fill, especially suddenly, with fear or terror; frighten; alarm) Scarification (scratching, etching, burning/branding, or superficially cutting designs, pictures, or words into the skin as a permanent body modification)
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:)
Badmonition
Created by: Mustang
Pronunciation: bad-mo-ni-shun
Sentence: Know for her dark predictions, Grandma offered another of her badmonitions when she told us that eating too much candy would stunt our growth.
Etymology: bad + admonition
Dominprations
Created by: readerwriter
Pronunciation: DOM-in-pray-shuns
Sentence: Mother Hen, like most parental units, was given to dominprations whenever she got the chance, so worried was she that Little Clucky wouldn't make it to 12 weeks, his age of personal acountability. But, what did L.C. know--he was an adolescent and a major risk taker.
Etymology: From dominate, Latin domis, to exert supreme control + prate, idle chatter
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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Lieperbole
Created by: artr
Pronunciation: līpərbəlē
Sentence: ”If you make a face, it could get stuck that way”, ”Behave because Santa is watching”, ”This is for your own good”. Many parents use lieperbole to keep their children in line.
Etymology: lie (an intentionally false statement) + hyperbole (exaggerated statements or claims not meant to be taken literally)
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COMMENTS:
Very nice. For the win, in my opinion. - mchristof, 2011-06-12: 23:50:00
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Chickshtick
Created by: mweinmann
Pronunciation: chik - shtik
Sentence: Samancluck warned her little one to not peep too loud or her eyes would bug out.... It was just more of her chickshtick, designed to get her little one to behave.
Etymology: Chick (baby chicken) + Schtick (gimmick)
Mytherhood
Created by: Scrumpy
Pronunciation: mith-er-hood
Sentence: Little Timmy believed the mytherhoods that his parents told him. He was completely suprised when he grew up and wasn't blind.
Etymology: myth + motherhood/fatherhood
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COMMENTS:
Hehe!! Great word too! - purpleartichokes, 2007-09-28: 13:12:00
Great word! :) - vixphilia, 2007-09-28: 16:53:00
Funny sentence, excellent word. Your "suburban legend" comment- also hysterical. - ScrabbledEgg, 2007-09-28: 18:02:00
Great word: bonza of a blend! - OZZIEBOB, 2007-09-30: 18:03:00
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Comments:
Today's definition was suggested by remistram. Thank you remistram! ~ James
Today's definition was suggested by remistram. Thank you remistram. ~ James