Vote for the best verboticism.
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.
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.
Pantosign
Created by: Nosila
Pronunciation: pan to sine
Sentence: Harvey's banal suggestions were always met with the usual pantosigns by his supportive employees.
Etymology: pantomime (using gestures, not words) & sign (gesture, motion)
----------------------------
COMMENTS:
Excellent! - silveryaspen, 2008-02-06: 17:57:00
----------------------------
Sneerleader
Created by: artr
Pronunciation: snērlēdər
Sentence: As Debbie was climbing a ladder wearing the company uniform including an apron emblazoned with a large company logo, one more customer asked "that" question. "Do you work here"? That's when she snapped. She held it together long enough to direct them to their desired item but as they headed to the register, from atop her ladder she turned into a sneerleader. It was all the clerk at the register could do to keep a straight face as Debbie mocked from her elevated perch.
Etymology: sneer (a contemptuous or mocking smile, remark, or tone) + leader (the person who leads or commands) derivitive of cheerleader (a person who leads cheers and applause, esp. at a sports event)
----------------------------
COMMENTS:
I wondered why the checkout clerk was in such a good mood... - wayoffcenter, 2008-11-19: 06:21:00
Rah RAh ! - Nosila, 2008-11-19: 23:14:00
Excellent - OZZIEBOB, 2008-11-20: 00:34:00
----------------------------
Shomotion
Created by: Nosila
Pronunciation: sho mo shun
Sentence: When their boss called on a conference call from Honolulu with one of his hare-brained ideas, the office staff did their shomotion repertoire to indicate their disapproval. It worked fine until the boss installed Skype...
Etymology: Show (a public exhibition;expression)& Motion (gesture;non-verbal communcation)
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
----------------------------
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
----------------------------
Rearaction
Created by: TJayzz
Pronunciation: Ree-er-act-shun
Sentence: Norman was completely oblivious to the rearaction that was going on behind his back when he expressed his ideas for the new office decor. Everyone sounded like they were full of praise and approval whilst their hidden gestures told a very different story.
Etymology: Rear(at the back, behind) ORIGIN Old French rere from Latin retro 'back' + Action(a thing done) = Rearaction
----------------------------
COMMENTS:
Sounds almost kinky...works though. - Mustang, 2008-11-19: 07:58:00
Great word- has slightly militaristic favour, also. - metrohumanx, 2008-11-21: 08:32:00
----------------------------
Contradigitation
Created by: CanadianAndyCapp
Pronunciation: CONTRA-DIGIT-ATION
Sentence: "Despite her verbal assurances to the contrary during the course of the phone call, her annoyance was clearly discernable through the contradigitation of her facial expression and hand gestures
Etymology:
Handygraphed
Created by: silveryaspen
Pronunciation: han dee graff t
Sentence: Larry considered himself quite the lothario. He used clandesigns (clandestine signs) to signal other men in the area, to indicate what he thought of any woman near him, and how he rated them. He was pretty handy-dandy at sly signs. You could see, or say, he perfected the art of handygraphed!
Etymology: Interplay of the words of hand and graphed along with a pun on the word handicraft. Handy - skillful with the hands. Graphed - represented with signs. Handicraft - anything made with manual skills also known as hand skills.
----------------------------
COMMENTS:
welcome back - Jabberwocky, 2008-11-19: 13:28:00
And so say all of us. Nice word. - OZZIEBOB, 2008-11-19: 16:47:00
----------------------------
Clandesderide
Created by: metrohumanx
Pronunciation: clan-DESS-de-ride (clandesderision)
Sentence: Whether it be an inane administrative voicemail, an idiotic conference call or just a monotonous moronic powerpoint presentation in a semi-darkened meeting, The Gang of Three would always CLANDESDERIDE every harebrained suggestion, pretentious "vision statement" or ill-conceived initiative that our overpaid executives would concoct in an attempt to be more "proactive" in running the company into the ground. One-way memos pathetically posted were as dead as the mimeograph machine, and the creativity generated by the phenomena of "hands-on" interactive micromanagement usually took the form of mysterious holy gestures, usually obscene...but always entertaining. The art of CLANDESDERISION will flourish until the advent of video teleconferencing and the ubiquitous webcam results in the tragic extinction of our sarcastic native species.
Etymology: CLANDEStine+DERIDE=CLANDESDERIDE..... CLANDESTINE:marked by, held in, or conducted with secrecy;Middle French or Latin; Middle French clandestin, from Latin clandestinus, from clam secretly; akin to Latin celare to hide...DERIDE:to subject to usually bitter or contemptuous ridicule,to laugh at contemptuously;Latin deridēre, from de- + ridēre to laugh. :)
----------------------------
COMMENTS:
No respect?
http://www.rodney.com/rodney/home/home.asp - metrohumanx, 2008-11-19: 20:36:00
much respect - DaddyNewt, 2008-11-21: 23:33:00
----------------------------
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
----------------------------
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.
----------------------------
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
----------------------------
Comments:
Today's definition was suggested by ErWenn. Thank you ErWenn. ~ James
Maxine - 2008-01-28: 08:57:00
This is a really great cartoon!
Thanks Maxine! ~ James
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!
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.
Today's definition was suggested by ErWenn. Thank you ErWenn. ~ James