Vote for the best verboticism.

'Eat! Or you'll turn into a boneless chicken.'

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.

Create | Read

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.

Wisdumb

Created by: scola

Pronunciation:

Sentence:

Etymology:

----------------------------
COMMENTS:

vixphilia Loved it! - vixphilia, 2007-09-28: 16:55:00

I love it,too! Potential to fill a whole library section. For starters. what about "The Wisdumb of Pol Pot" or "The Wisdumb Of Jim Jones" & the plethora of political leaders, preachers and philosophers! - OZZIEBOB, 2007-09-30: 18:14:00

----------------------------

| Comments and Points

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)

----------------------------
COMMENTS:

metrohumanx Oh MAN!!!!...You mean the ice cream man WASN'T sold out? - metrohumanx, 2008-08-29: 05:56:00

metrohumanx "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

----------------------------

| Comments and Points

Rightsense

badthing

Created by: badthing

Pronunciation:

Sentence:

Etymology:

| Comments and Points

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 (fear)+ condition

----------------------------
COMMENTS:

sounds like something a teacher might do - Jabberwocky, 2007-09-28: 11:59:00

----------------------------

| Comments and Points

Yolklaw

Created by: wordslikevenom

Pronunciation: Yolk-law

Sentence: "Cluck, cluck, cluck", mother was laying down the yolklaw yet again.

Etymology: Yolk - middle part of an egg. Law - a rule or the whole system of such rules.

| Comments and Points

Lieperbole

artr

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)

----------------------------
COMMENTS:

Very nice. For the win, in my opinion. - mchristof, 2011-06-12: 23:50:00

----------------------------

| Comments and Points

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

| Comments and Points

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

| Comments and Points

Dadvice

Created by: dwight

Pronunciation: dad-vice

Sentence: "The dadvice was smokin' yesterday when he found out I had unprotected sex with my English teacher."

Etymology: Dad and advice

----------------------------
COMMENTS:

vixphilia Oooh, catchy! Very good! - vixphilia, 2007-09-28: 16:56:00

----------------------------

| Comments and Points

Rugrant

Created by: purpleartichokes

Pronunciation: rug-rant

Sentence: To be an effective scarent, one must concoct enough plausible rugrants to guide the child safely to adolescence, such as the once popular "if you don't eat your crusts, you won't grow hair on your chest."

Etymology: rug rat, rant

----------------------------
COMMENTS:

Fortunately I ate my crusts. Great word! - Scrumpy, 2007-09-28: 07:46:00

scarent's a good word too - Jabberwocky, 2007-09-28: 15:16:00

Great word. - OZZIEBOB, 2007-09-30: 18:04:00

----------------------------

| Comments and Points

Show All or More...

 

Comments:

Verbotomy Verbotomy - 2007-09-28: 00:01:00
Today's definition was suggested by remistram. Thank you remistram! ~ James

Verbotomy Verbotomy - 2010-01-20: 00:25:00
Today's definition was suggested by remistram. Thank you remistram. ~ James