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.

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.

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

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

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

| Comments and Points

Gestrionics

Created by: loxhobabl

Pronunciation: jess-tree-ah-nix

Sentence: I wish I could see your gestrionics now because the truth hurts.

Etymology: gesture + histrionics

| Comments and Points

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)

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

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

| Comments and Points

Gesticule

Created by: Mustang

Pronunciation: jes-TICK-yewl

Sentence: Being a timid individual, Roger had no heart for face to face confrontations but when his boss, a man he thoroughly loathed, would call him on the phone or on the intercom, he would gesticule his boss, making a variety of odd facial expressions and obscene hand gestures.

Etymology: A blend of 'gestulate' (to make or use gestures, especially in an animated or excited manner with or instead of speech.) and 'ridicule' (speech or action intended to cause contemptuous laughter at a person or thing; derision)

| Comments and Points

Slymutecue

Created by: OZZIEBOB

Pronunciation: SLAHY-mew-TEE-kyoo

Sentence: Sick of glibogusity and forsaking the immense sense of self-satisfaction he gained from omnibouchelating, Bob, from a side window, hoped that his miensavvy, combined with his subtle slymutecues, would convince the members of the selection panel that he - not the present applicant, a onetime slykick - was the right man for the job.

Etymology: Blend of SLY: stealthy, insidious, or secret ; MUTE: silent; refraining from speech or utterance & CUE: a hint; intimation; guiding suggestion.

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

ooh - nice - Jabberwocky, 2008-11-19: 13:27:00

metrohumanx Nice triple header! - metrohumanx, 2008-11-19: 20:10:00

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

| Comments and Points

Invisign

Created by: Dougalistic

Pronunciation: In-vis-sine

Sentence: Geoff made an invisign to Bob the other day, it was hilarious! As you know Geoff has a fetish for sheep, so Bob, being the funny man he is got hold of Geoff's picture of a sheep and started making thrusting gestures down the phone haha! Geoff would have hit the roof!!

Etymology: Invisible - withdrawn from or out of sight; hidden: e.g. 'an invisible seam'. Sign - any object, action, event, pattern, etc., that conveys a meaning.

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

Very descriptive sentence! [Things that make you go 'Ewe'...] - Tigger, 2008-01-28: 12:06:00

You are so baaaa-d you are good! - silveryaspen, 2008-01-28: 12:41:00

Probably did it with a sheepish grin! - OZZIEBOB, 2008-01-28: 17:01:00

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

| Comments and Points

Asnide

Created by: Tigger

Pronunciation: /uh-sniyd'/

Sentence: For once, during the staff meeting, Mr. Leeds was calling in from a remote office, and the staff, normally daunted by his blustery manner, each expressed their true feelings in an asnide directed at the speakerphone, while maintaining their usual, timid responses.

Etymology: aside - actor's lines not heard by others on the stage (Old English, a- + sīd "to one side") + snide - derogatory in a nasty, insinuating manner (Origin unknown, from thieves' slang for "counterfeit or sham")

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

Funny! - silveryaspen, 2008-01-28: 11:43:00

I like it! - OZZIEBOB, 2008-01-28: 16:54:00

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

| Comments and Points

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)

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

Verbal gymnastics...I like it!! - Mustang, 2008-11-19: 06:45:00

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

| Comments and Points

Stealthcontempt

mrskellyscl

Created by: mrskellyscl

Pronunciation: stealth-con-tempt

Sentence: Eighth grade teachers feel a certain amount of stealthcontempt every time they turn their backs to their class. Girls giggle, pencils get dropped and a new generation of class clowns begin honing their skills at the teacher's expense. The young comics eventually learn, though, that the teacher really does have eyes in the back of her head, knows every trick in the book, and is not amused. The fledgling jesters are doomed to spend many long hours of their young lives doing long division problems and cleaning erasers.

Etymology: wordplay on self-contempt: to consider oneself as inferior; to mock or deride oneself -- stealth: an action done covertly or in secret + contempt: scorn, disrespect, open dislike; to be considered as inferior

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

artr and later comes stealthloathing. - artr, 2010-04-16: 11:16:00

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

| Comments and Points

Ghasture

Ghyarlae

Created by: Ghyarlae

Pronunciation: gas-ture

Sentence: In almost every comedy movie there is a scene when someone is telling a disastrous thing to the other person and the third one present makes a "NO!" ghasture behind their head.

Etymology: ghastly(can bring doom) + gesture(a sign that you make with hand/body)

| Comments and Points

Show All or More...

 

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