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'It's time to find your inner cockroach'

DEFINITION: n. A person who succeeds not because of their talents, but because they just won't quit. v. To firmly believe in your talents and never give up on your goals, despite the huge obstacles, snide comments, and repeated setbacks.

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Verboticisms

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Obsesstinate

Created by: Stevenson0

Pronunciation: ob/sess/stuh/nit

Sentence: Karen's obsesstinate personality drove her supervisors and managers crazy and so she was promoted quickly up the company infrastructure to get rid of her, not because of her business sense, or corporate abilities.

Etymology: some one who is totally obsessed with being obstinate - obsess + obstinate (tenaciously unwilling to yield)

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COMMENTS:

Good one. - Mustang, 2008-05-01: 22:06:00

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Hambition

Created by: Nosila

Pronunciation: ham bish shun

Sentence: Liza was determined to be a great actress. She starred in school productions through high school and somehow made it into acting school. Her hambition was to get into a long-running soap, but she was rejected because her acting skills were too over the top. She finally got a bit part in a movie, "Joe's Apartment", but only because she was the only actor who allowed them to put a cockroach on her nose...

Etymology: Ham (unskilled actor who overacts) & Ambition (strong drive for success)

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Persistrance

mrskellyscl

Created by: mrskellyscl

Pronunciation: per-sis-trance

Sentence: Norma's persistrance helped her win Employee of the Year at work. Unfortunately, she was so focused on her job that she failed to notice that Robert had moved out 2 months ago.

Etymology: persistance: tenacity, strength, purpose + trance: detatchment from one's physical surroundings

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Littlengina

Created by: verbherder

Pronunciation: lit-l-en-jahy-nuh

Sentence: The blue-haired woman ringing up Slurpees for the past 38 years at the Gas 'N Sip turned out to be a littlengina. Some publisher bought the novel she was always jawing about, and now it's a best seller in several regions of Portugal.

Etymology: The little engine that could

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Hacklentless

artr

Created by: artr

Pronunciation: hak-lent-lis

Sentence: Sally is now in charge of the department, not because of any outstanding talent or even a clear understanding of what the job entails. Anybody with an ounce of skill or ambition has moved on to bigger and better things long ago. Her plodding, hacklentless approach to her work and mediocre results keeps her so far under the radar of scrutiny that she has no enemies. In fact, most people don't even know who she is after 20 years with the company. Sometimes people walk into her because they just don't notice she is there.

Etymology: Hack (a person, as an artist or writer, who exploits, for money, his or her creative ability or training in the production of dull, unimaginative, and trite work) + relentless (unyieldingly severe, strict, or harsh)

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Talentenacious

artr

Created by: artr

Pronunciation: talətənāshəs

Sentence: It’s not that Jim is the best or brightest in his field. His skill is being tanentenacious. The fact that he can’t carry a tune with a flat-bed truck doesn\'t stop him from becoming a country/western singing sensation. His rugged good looks, back-up singers and technology by the truckload has gotten him far. There was that little setback last week when somebody called ASPCA to report an animal being tortured when Jim was singing in the shower, but he’ll get past that.

Etymology: talent (natural aptitude or skill) + tenacious (not readily letting go of, giving up, or separated from an object that one holds, a position, or a principle)

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Shambition

artr

Created by: artr

Pronunciation: shambishən

Sentence: After years of being passed over for advancement, Harry's time finally came. He was promoted to Division Director. Unfortunately the budget cuts and ensuing layoffs left him as the lone worker. In a case of shambition Harry hadn’t even applied for the position when it was vacated by his former boss.

Etymology: sham (a thing that is not what it is purported to be) + ambition (a strong desire to do or to achieve something, typically requiring determination and hard work)

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Sisyfittite

metrohumanx

Created by: metrohumanx

Pronunciation: SISSY-fit-ite

Sentence: She was as dumb as a bag of old hammers- But got a degree and then conquered her stammer. Entomological studies at night… Brought her success as a SISYFITTITE

Etymology: SISYphus+FIT+hitTITE=SISYFITTITE.....SISYPHUS: Sisyphus was compelled to roll a huge rock up a steep hill, but before he could reach the top of the hill, the rock would always roll back down , forcing him to begin again. The maddening nature of the punishment was reserved for Sisyphus due to his belief that his cleverness surpassed that of Zeus. He later took a correspondance course to better himself, but wound up working in a gas station......FIT: to be seemly or proper for, to be suitable for or to harmonize with; Middle English fitten to marshal troops, from or akin to Middle Dutch vitten to be suitable.....HITTITE: a member of a conquering people in Asia Minor and Syria with an empire in the second millennium b.c. Based upon excavated pottery shards, they seemed to have been preoccupied with insects and cartoon beagles, although this is often disputed.

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COMMENTS:

metrohumanx The Wayback machine originally referred to a fictional machine from an ongoing feature of the cartoon The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show used to transport the characters Mr. Peabody and Sherman back in time. It is also used as the name for part of the Internet Archive's site. - metrohumanx, 2009-06-11: 11:43:00

DrWebsterIII I love the thorough etymology - DrWebsterIII, 2009-06-11: 14:15:00

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Purseverance

Created by: Nosila

Pronunciation: poor sev eer ans

Sentence: When jockey/owner Cher Bett entered her horse, Mane Chance, in the biggest cup competition of the racing season, she had to overcome a lot of obstacles. Being a woman owner/jockey was a major issue in the male dominated sport. Getting backers, paying trainers, vets and stable staff were major financial considerations for the not-rich Cher. But after all her purseverance, she not only ran in the race, but won it at 20-to-1 odds. She won so much, she can afford to hire jockeys now and has become a legend in race circles!

Etymology: Purse (a sum of money offered as a prize) & Perseverance (persistance; tenacity)

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Reluctascious

Created by: daniellegeorge

Pronunciation: Re-luk-tay-shus

Sentence: "Dwayne, it's a square peg." "YES! The corners have worn off! It fits now, in this round hole!"

Etymology: reluctant and tenacious

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COMMENTS:

nice blend - Jabberwocky, 2008-05-01: 11:53:00

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Comments:

Verbotomy Verbotomy - 2008-05-01: 00:01:00
Today's definition is inspired by Johnny Bunko's Career Lesson # 4: "Persistence trumps talent". See: "The Adventures of Johnny Bunko" by Dan Pink. Thanks Dan! ~ James

Verbotomy Verbotomy - 2009-06-11: 00:01:00
Today's definition is inspired by Johnny Bunko's Career Lesson # 4: "Persistence trumps talent". See: "The Adventures of Johnny Bunko" by Dan Pink. Thanks Dan! ~ James

Verbotomy Verbotomy - 2010-07-05: 00:05:00
Today's definition was suggested by johnnybunko. Thank you johnnybunko. ~ James