Vote for the best verboticism.

'Let me hold the door for you...'

DEFINITION: n., A gallant gesture which does not produce the desired effect because of poor execution. v., To offer a small gesture of assistance, which backfires as you trip over your own kind intentions.

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Verboticisms

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Urbean

Created by: Stevenson0

Pronunciation: ur/bean

Sentence: John's attempt to be urbane, chivalrous, courteous, polite and just plain well-mannered became urbean when his head got jammed in the doorway helping a damsel in distress.

Etymology: urbane + Mr. Bean

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COMMENTS:

Would never have thought to go down the Mr. Bean road. Great word! - purpleartichokes, 2007-10-26: 19:01:00

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Graciouch

artr

Created by: artr

Pronunciation: grāshəouch

Sentence: Tim likes to play the role of a knight in shining armor. Instead, his klutziness often leaves him as a knight with a shiner.

Etymology: gracious (courteous, kind, and pleasant) + ouch (exclamation used to express pain)

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Doomerang

artr

Created by: artr

Pronunciation: doōmərang

Sentence: Wendel tried once again to do the gracious thing. As he attempted to help an older woman carry a heavy bag of groceries to her car only to trip and scatter the contents across the pavement. He would have stayed and helped her clean up the mess but she seemed much more intent on beating him with her cane than retrieving her broken eggs. Once again he found himself to be an expert at creating doomerangs, those deeds that always find a way to come back and boot you in the seat.

Etymology: doom (death, destruction, or some other terrible fate) + boomerang (a curved flat piece of wood that can be thrown so as to return to the thrower)

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COMMENTS:

great sentence - bookowl, 2008-09-24: 13:44:00

Nice word - OZZIEBOB, 2008-09-25: 18:21:00

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Misstention

Created by: Nosila

Pronunciation: miss ten shun

Sentence: Leonard always meant well, but in his hurry to impress the fairer sex, his good deeds turned into the misstention kind. His awkward attempts at basic gallantry often came back to bite him. For instance, he tried to impress Mary Jane, the cute new receptionist by holding the revolving door open, only to get his head caught in it. Then when they got up to the office, he leaned on the wall to talk to her and set off the fire alarm. The final misstention was when he bought her a nice hot latte and accidently spilled it all over her new dress, computer keyboard and important report the boss was waiting on. Yes, sometimes the road to Hell is indeed paved with misstentions...

Etymology: Miss (fail to perceive or to catch with the senses or the mind;fail to reach or get to) & Intention (an act of intending; a volition that you intend to carry out;an anticipated outcome that is intended or that guides your planned actions)

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Ineptsuavitis

Created by: mryder

Pronunciation: in-ept / swah-ve / itis

Sentence: Billy would have loved to open the door for the pretty girl; however his ineptsuavitis set in and he ended up getting himself trapped in the door.

Etymology: inept-ORIGIN originally in the sense unsuitable: from Latin ineptus, from in- ‘not’ + aptus ‘fitted. Suave-ORIGIN Latin suavis ‘agreeable’ itis (suffix)— ORIGIN from Greek -ites

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Hurteous

Created by: bzav1

Pronunciation: rhymes with courteous

Sentence: Jeff's clumsy attempts to avoid the impedestrian, led to several hurteous acts. He had no intention of being nonsiderate.

Etymology: impedestrian - one that walks very slowly down the middle of the sidewalk nonsiderate - antonym for considerate

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COMMENTS:

good one! - remistram, 2007-10-26: 09:22:00

MrDave2176 This is a good word...sounds like it feels. - MrDave2176, 2007-10-26: 13:06:00

way to times 'er by 3! - Kevcom, 2007-10-28: 17:20:00

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Assistocramp

Created by: yellowbird

Pronunciation:

Sentence: That girl was so hot that I had an assistocramp and shut her purse in the car door.

Etymology: assistance + cramp

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Etitwit

Created by: lumina

Pronunciation: ed/i/twit

Sentence: Poor Eugene was always trying to gain points with the ladies. Unfortunately his attempts at opening doors, putting down his coat over puddles and the like, would always backfire. Instead of being known as the "knight in shining armor" of the apartment building, he was known as etitwit of the lobby.

Etymology: Etiquite: Rules of behavior, propriety, decorum, manners. Twit: A foolish or annoying person.

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Zeable

Created by: KenM2

Pronunciation: zea-bull

Sentence: Nice zeabull you pulled back there, wonder if you should have offered to pick up the old lady you dropped while helping her to cross the street.

Etymology: Zeal+Stumble

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Magnanimistake

petaj

Created by: petaj

Pronunciation: magnanimous-take

Sentence: Sir Galahazard sprawled clumsily under the portcullis after tripping over his sword in his hurry to bow as low as he could. His reputation for magnanimistakes travelled before him so there was a first aid officer on hand to receive him.

Etymology: magnanimous, revealing generosity or nobility + mistake, an error or fault (Galahad, known for his chivalry + galah, a term of endearment in Australia for a fool named after a type of parrot + hazard, a danger)

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COMMENTS:

A knight in shining harmour - Jabberwocky, 2007-10-26: 12:08:00

petaj The only health insurance available was through MEDI-e-val. Which was unfortunate because Galahazard was there to crown the king. But if there was any danger to the king there were plenty of guards armed with mace to subdue his overexcitable gallantry. Guinefear had become very cautious around him. - petaj, 2007-10-27: 02:09:00

The noble knight seems a little odd but very obliging. Nice word! - OZZIEBOB, 2007-10-28: 02:42:00

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Comments:

Verbotomy Verbotomy - 2007-10-26: 00:30:00
Today's definition was suggested by ErWenn. Thank you ErWenn! ~ James

petaj petaj - 2007-10-26: 04:21:00
After you. No after you. No after you. No after yooooooeeeeouwwww!

Kevcom - 2007-10-26: 07:38:00
Awesome cartoon James! That is so funny - I was almost dyin' of laughter of the expression on the guys face...

Verbotomy Verbotomy - 2007-10-26: 10:05:00
Thanks to Kevcom and Petaj for your hurteous thoughts and magnanimistakian clobbergestures ~ James

Lidipop - 2007-10-26: 10:19:00
I actually printed this one out...it's so good, well done!!!

Verbotomy Verbotomy - 2007-10-26: 17:46:00
We must not forget to thank ErWenn again for his generous courteslip. ~ James

purpleartichokes - 2007-10-26: 18:57:00
Yes, thank you ErWenn and James. Fabulous contributions from you two!

yellowbird - 2008-09-24: 11:49:00
Haven't we seen this definition before?

petaj - 2008-09-26: 04:19:00
Yep - looking forward to some new ones

Verbotomy Verbotomy - 2010-02-23: 00:10:00
Today's definition was suggested by ErWenn. Thank you ErWenn. ~ James