Vote for the best verboticism.

'So team, what do you think of my new idea?'

DEFINITION: n., An expressive gesture made with the belief that the person it is directed at cannot see it, typically occurs during telephone conversations, email discourses, and behind people's backs. v. To use an unseen gesture to express what you cannot say.

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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.

Jesture

Created by: Nosila

Pronunciation: jest chur

Sentence: When their Boss came up with one of his lame-brain ideas on a conference call, his loyal staff were each doing a rendition of a jesture. They thought he was dumb, until he replayed the camera phone shots he had of each them for their annual reviews...way to not get raises, duh!

Etymology: Jest (activity characterized by good humor;act in a funny or teasing way)& Gesture(the use of movements (especially of the hands) to communicate familiar or prearranged signals)

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COMMENTS:

Awesome, love it! - Biscotti, 2011-08-30: 08:11:00

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Handestine

Created by: Jabberwocky

Pronunciation: han/dess/tine

Sentence: They thought the CEO couldn't see the one fingered handestine salute he was given behind his back. Little did they know he wore two way mirrored glasses.

Etymology: hand + clandestine (covert)

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COMMENTS:

digitally enhanced vision! like it - galwaywegian, 2008-01-28: 07:19:00

I seriously debated over whether to even bother trying to make a word today, I liked this one so much...fantabulous. - Banky, 2008-01-28: 08:22:00

This will be heard, for it's such a handy word, by design, usefully fine! - silveryaspen, 2008-01-28: 12:52:00

Handsome! - OZZIEBOB, 2008-01-28: 16:21:00

I have to hand it to you! You handled this challenge well!! Easily the best word today!!! - Stevenson0, 2008-01-28: 21:01:00

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Gesticulatent

Created by: Nosila

Pronunciation: jest tick you klay tent.

Sentence: Every time Fred called his employees on the phone from his travels, his reponses would be a bunch of gesticulatent signals from his rather immature staff.

Etymology: gesticulate (to show, express or direct through movement) & latent (at some eventual time in the future, potential)

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COMMENTS:

metrohumanx Excellent combination. - metrohumanx, 2008-11-19: 20:17:00

metrohumanx A beautiful word. I am stunned by the brevity of your sentence. Still love it, though! - metrohumanx, 2008-11-21: 08:34:00

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Invisubordination

Created by: Nosila

Pronunciation: in viz sub ord in ay shun

Sentence: When the boss was on the road, which luckily was often, he called a phone meeting every morning to keep tabs on the slaves he'd left behind. They made the right noises back at him, but while he was giving them orders and bragging about his ideas, they would commit acts of invisubordination. Between crude gestures, funny faces, stifled laughter and eye-rolling they acted out their true feelings for him. Imagine their surprise when they came in on a Monday morning to find out he had installed televisual equipment and they would have to act as though he was really in the room. What a killjoy!

Etymology: Invisible (unseen;impossible or nearly impossible to see; imperceptible by the eye) & Insubordination (defiance of authority)

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Unseenisms

Created by: Llama

Pronunciation: Un-seen-isms

Sentence: The poor director had no idea of the horrible unseenisms his subordinates were giving him over the phone.

Etymology:

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COMMENTS:

There is a place for this word in our language! - OZZIEBOB, 2008-01-28: 16:57:00

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Hexpression

Created by: Banky

Pronunciation: hecks-press-shun

Sentence: While the caller would blather on about savings on international calls of up to 1.3% over other hucksters, Dana would focus on contorting her face into her telemarketer hexpression, which she was convinced would visit bowel cancer upon these rude troglodytes.

Etymology: hex - a curse or malicious spell, expression - a visual depiction of mood or sentiment

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COMMENTS:

very funny - I'll have to try that some time - Jabberwocky, 2008-01-28: 10:54:00

Great idea! Terrific word! - silveryaspen, 2008-01-28: 11:40:00

Haha. Your sentence was LOL-funny! - Tigger, 2008-01-28: 12:09:00

Great word and sentence! - OZZIEBOB, 2008-01-28: 16:48:00

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Invisirudiculation

DaddyNewt

Created by: DaddyNewt

Pronunciation: in viz a ru DIC yoo lay shun

Sentence: "Their untimely invisarudiculation might cost them dearly" thought Bob when he walked in on the conference call.

Etymology: invisible + rude + gesticulation

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Hideandspeak

Created by: bananabender

Pronunciation: HAHYD-n-speek

Sentence: Having had some acting lessons but never playing a paying role, Marla put her "talents" to good use in the office. She hideandspeaks her boss daily by making funny faces and rude gestures while saying all the right things. These days she isn't bothered by work-related stress at all.

Etymology: a play on the children's game hide-and-seek. HIDE: conceal from sight, not speak one's mind, not speak the truth. SPEAK: talk. Also HIDE: the gestures are hidden from the boss. AND SEEK: the boss needs to seek out what the employees REALLY think about it.

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COMMENTS:

Excellent! - ErWenn, 2008-01-28: 10:36:00

Very creative, BB. - Tigger, 2008-01-28: 12:19:00

Oh you bring out the child in all of us ... in the most delightful way! - silveryaspen, 2008-01-28: 12:48:00

Childhood memories come flooding back! Good word! - OZZIEBOB, 2008-01-28: 16:53:00

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Phantomime

Created by: rikboyee

Pronunciation: fan-toh-mime

Sentence: it was my first day of teaching, and i had the uneasy feeling that while i was writing my name on the board , the whole class was phantomiming behind my back

Etymology: phantom, pantomime

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COMMENTS:

phantastic! - galwaywegian, 2008-01-28: 07:20:00

Simply brilliant. - ErWenn, 2008-01-28: 10:36:00

Ghoulishly clever! - Tigger, 2008-01-28: 12:16:00

I could become a phan of phantomine! - silveryaspen, 2008-01-28: 12:50:00

Can you imagine what I'm phantomiming right now?.... wrong - it's 2 thumbs up - Jabberwocky, 2008-01-28: 15:34:00

Great word! - OZZIEBOB, 2008-01-28: 16:39:00

Great word! - OZZIEBOB, 2008-01-28: 16:41:00

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Gesteliate

Created by: OZZIEBOB

Pronunciation: jes-tel-EE-eyt

Sentence: Whenever his boss called him making a new pledge on worker's rights, Bob gesteliated by putting his hand over the phone, and singing aloud the words of the chorus from the Joe Hill song, (The Preacher & the Slave): "You will eat bye and bye, In that glorious land above the sky; Work and pray, live on hay, You will get pie in the sky when you die."

Etymology: Blend of GESTURE: use of movement of arms, hands, head etc to express emotion, thought etc & Tel(e) from afar as in telephone & TALIATE as in retaliate to take action.

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COMMENTS:

Would have never thought to put these two together ... great combo! - silveryaspen, 2008-01-28: 12:43:00

your definitions always sound so convincing - Jabberwocky, 2008-01-28: 15:32:00

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Comments:

Verbotomy Verbotomy - 2008-01-28: 00:01:00
Today's definition was suggested by ErWenn. Thank you ErWenn. ~ James

Maxine - 2008-01-28: 08:57:00
This is a really great cartoon!

Verbotomy Verbotomy - 2008-01-28: 11:03:00
Thanks Maxine! ~ James

libertybelle libertybelle - 2008-01-28: 11:12:00
I love the guy making a grab at himself - made me laugh out loud.

silveryaspen - 2008-01-28: 13:16:00
Fun definition, Erwenn. Your cartoon was uproariously funny, James. All the creations were a hoot,great job verbotomists!

Verbotomy Verbotomy - 2008-01-28: 14:30:00
ErWenn's definitions always always seem to generate a good laugh. See: Let me hold the door for you... Thanks! ~ James

silveryaspen - 2008-11-20: 08:25:00
Missed you all. Nice to be back.

Verbotomy Verbotomy - 2010-04-16: 00:10:00
Today's definition was suggested by ErWenn. Thank you ErWenn. ~ James