Vote for the best verboticism.

'It reminds me of when our kids were babies.'

DEFINITION: n. A wayward scent or aroma which invokes distant memories of one's childhood or younger days. v. To be suddenly catapulted into the past by a very strong odor.

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.

Smelementary

artr

Created by: artr

Pronunciation: smel-uh-men-tree

Sentence: When Larry watched his grandchildren for the weekend they had a great time doing an art project together. As he caught a whiff of crayons and white paste he had a true smelementary moment.

Etymology: smell (to perceive something by its odor or scent) + elementary (of or pertaining to an elementary school)

| Comments and Points

Historeek

Created by: galwaywegian

Pronunciation: hisss tor eeeek

Sentence: the historeek led to hystereeks

Etymology: historic reek

| Comments and Points

Rejujubevenated

Created by: Jabberwocky

Pronunciation: ree/ju/jub/ee/ven/ay/ted

Sentence: Walking through a candy store and smelling the fresh jujubes instantly rejujubevenated me. Unfortunately it also resulted in pulling out a filling which brought back other childhood memories, not so sweet, of sitting in a dentist's chair.

Etymology: rejeuvenated + jujube

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

I laughed out loud good one! I used to love those :) - abrakadeborah, 2009-03-23: 06:51:00

And the movies, a double feature, to go with them were about 25 cents! - readerwriter, 2009-03-23: 09:43:00

Captures the heart and sweetness of youth and childhood ... so very very good! - silveryaspen, 2009-03-23: 13:50:00

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

| Comments and Points

Yesterwhiff

Created by: remistram

Pronunciation: yess-ter-wiff

Sentence: Whenever she ate at the local diner the yesterwhiff of bacon & eggs aroma made her smile.

Etymology: yesterday + whiff

| Comments and Points

Smemories

artr

Created by: artr

Pronunciation: smem(ə)rēz

Sentence: While Bubba was touring the Everglades, somebody popped the top on a can of Red, White & Blue. Suddenly the smemmories flooded back. The combination of the fragrance of brackish water and cheap beer was almost too much for him. The mere thought of using kids as gator bait still makes him shudder. As bad as it is for him, it’s double for his buddy Lefty.

Etymology: smell (an odor or scent) + memories (something remembered from the past; a recollection)

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

mrskellyscl very funny - mrskellyscl, 2010-10-05: 06:18:00

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

| Comments and Points

Reminiscent

Created by: Negatrev

Pronunciation: rem-uh-nis-uhnt

Sentence: The bakery made bob reminiscent over his mothers baking as a child.

Etymology: reminiscent(awakening memories of something similar; suggestive (usually followed by of ): His style of writing is reminiscent of Melville's.) AND scent (to perceive or recognize by or as if by the sense of smell: to scent trouble.)

| Comments and Points

Olefactory

Created by: Banky

Pronunciation: /ohl-fak-torr-ee/

Sentence: Ron's nose smelled heated metal and stinging welled in his eyes. The punch had landed squarely on the bridge of his nose, and had trigged an olefactory reaction. He remembered the first time his stepdad had hit him. The terror as he grabbed him by the back of the shirt, the smell of red iron, a mouth full of blood, and his stepfather writhing and clawing at the side of his own head. He snapped out of the memory with a mouth full of salt and rubber, and there lay the mugger doubled much the way John was, years ago. He spat, and the ear landed askew on the ground, like a fallen leaf.

Etymology: ole - colloquial version of "old"; olfactory - relating to the sense of smell

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

pretty graphic but a terrific word - Jabberwocky, 2009-03-23: 12:28:00

Your sentence ranks right up there with the best of Steven King! - silveryaspen, 2009-03-23: 13:41:00

Really good word and terrific sentence. - kateinkorea, 2009-03-23: 23:29:00

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

| Comments and Points

Mnaromonic

Created by: kateinkorea

Pronunciation: NARE oh MON ic

Sentence: When Sally was a child she was locked in a room and nobody could find the key. She had knocked over a bottle of ammonia and the smell took over the room. She cried for hours until finally they were able to break down the door. To this day ammonia causes a mnaromonic reaction in her.

Etymology: MNEMONIC + AROMA MNEMONIC: a word, sentence, poem, etc. that helps you to remember something AROMA: a smell

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

using mnemonic to show that smells, like letters, can trigger memory was very clever! - silveryaspen, 2009-03-23: 13:34:00

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

| Comments and Points

Retrostench

mrskellyscl

Created by: mrskellyscl

Pronunciation: re-tro-stench

Sentence: Wandering through the empty bingo hall, Jean soon became aware of a retrostench that was clearly that of an old lady marinated in Lilly of the Valley toilet water perfume. "It couldn't be," she thought, "Grandma's been dead for 20 years."

Etymology: Retro--involving, relating to or reminicent of things past Stench--an offensive smell or odor

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

super word - Jabberwocky, 2009-03-23: 12:25:00

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

| Comments and Points

Scentiment

Created by: Nosila

Pronunciation: sent i ment

Sentence: When old John was lying in the hospital he kept smelling the aroma of roses. It raised in him the scentiment of his Mama and the perfume she wore when he was young. It was not until he recovered from his surgery that realized it was the smell from the soapy water they used to mop the floor with each day.

Etymology: Scent (aroma, smell) & Sentiment (tender or romantic feeling or emotion)

| Comments and Points

Show All or More...

 

Comments:

Verbotomy Verbotomy - 2009-03-23: 00:01:01
Today's definition was suggested by metrohumanx. Thank you metrohumanx. ~ James

silveryaspen - 2009-03-23: 14:34:00
The score details are a great enhancement and have helped me understand them. Thank you!

metrohumanx metrohumanx - 2009-03-24: 09:28:00
Wow! This phenomenon seems to be more widespread than i thought! Apparently it's one of our more primal instincts.

Verbotomy Verbotomy - 2009-03-24: 11:59:00
RE: Score Details. I am still looking for a bug where it fails to add some votes to our weekly totals. Hopefully the score details page will help us find it. ~ James

Verbotomy Verbotomy - 2010-10-05: 00:16:00
Today's definition was suggested by metrohumanx. Thank you metrohumanx. ~ James