Vote for the best verboticism.
DEFINITION: n., An ugly decorative item or article of clothing received from friends or relatives, which is kept stored away but ready to be pulled out at a moment's notice in anticipation of a return visit. v., To temporarily place an old, and perhaps unattractive gift in a place of honor.
Verboticisms
Click on each verboticism to read the sentences created by the Verbotomy writers, and to see your voting options...
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Shiftagift
Created by: rombus
Pronunciation: sh - ift - uh - gift
Sentence: Tom was really getting tired of playing shiftagift. He had so many tired, ugly things that people had given him and everytime one of them was due to visit, he felt that he had to "shift" his apartment around so that his friends and family would think that he was using the things they had given him.
Etymology: Shift (to move or change around) + Gift (a present or freely given item)
Kitschsake
Created by: OZZIEBOB
Pronunciation: KICH-seyk
Sentence: When Bob heard that Roxie's mother was coming over in about 16 minutes time, he displayed, promptly and prominently, the "toaster-shaped" teapot, the "piece of toast" clock and all the other items of kitschsake she had given them.
Etymology: Conflation of KITSCH(from German)meaning: gaudy, trashy objects or items and (OE) SAKE, as in "keepsake", meaning an item kept for the sake of the giver.
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COMMENTS:
Love the sentence - I'm kinda wanting that toast clock to go with my toast coasters... - kabloozie, 2007-12-12: 13:11:00
maybe that's a hint that you should serve toast - Jabberwocky, 2007-12-12: 13:20:00
Great word Ozzie! - purpleartichokes, 2007-12-12: 19:04:00
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Presententious
Created by: mrskellyscl
Pronunciation: pre-sen-ten-tious
Sentence: The green and blue speckled ash tray that Sam's mother made was presententiously displayed whenever the old bat came to visit, since neither Eileen, her husband, nor anyone else they knew smoked, except for Sam's mother.
Etymology: present:gift + pretentious: receiving or demanding a distinction of merit, especially when not justified; making an outward show
Gifthorrors
Created by: Nosila
Pronunciation: gift hor rors
Sentence: Every Christmas, Chris and Holly looked forward to her Mother's annual Royal Visit with fear. Not because they were afraid of her, she was actually a kind and generaous person. No, they were afraid to drag out the gifthorrors she had bestowed on them for all the past holidays, to prove they liked and used them. The red rhinestone encrusted toilet brush (which looked so lovely in their purple bathroom). There was also the cross-eyed, smiling deer head to be mounted over the mantle. And the bearskin rug for the foyer...the koala bear skin rug. Add to the list, genuine ivory tusks used as coat racks;life-size gold sarcophagus of King Tut which doubled as a closeable shoe rack and their personal favourites,a five foot tall pair of the Dancing Hippos from Fantasia. Yep, next year Hawaii, not a fun old-fashioned Christmas!
Etymology: Gift (present;something acquired without compensation) & Horrors (something that inspires horror; something horrible) & Wordplay on Gift Horse (a gift (usually of inferior quality) that should be accepted uncritically)
Eyestore
Created by: TJayzz
Pronunciation: i-store
Sentence: When Dave's Auntie Joan had given him the hideous orange and green vase for Christmas last year he smiled broadly and thanked her very much telling her it was beautiful. However as soon as she had left he wrapped up the eyestore and put it straight into the loft. Auntie Joan is due to visit again this year on christmas day, so the plan is to get in the loft on Christmas eve and put the offending object in pride of place on the mantlepiece in the hope that it fools her into thinking that it has been there all year.
Etymology: Play on Eyesore
Intensgiftfy
Created by: Jabberwocky
Pronunciation: in/tens/gift/fie
Sentence: Quick, we'd better intensgiftfy the weeping madonna by taking her out from behind the couch and seating her at the table.
Etymology: intensify + gift
Cheapophoret
Created by: logarithm
Pronunciation: chē-pō-fo-ret
Sentence:
Etymology: 1) Cheapo: of very poor quality and tastelessly showy. 2) Apophoret: a new year's gift.
Junkredux
Created by: Mustang
Pronunciation: juhnk-re-duks
Sentence: Nathan employed a sneaky program of junkredux wherein he would put trashy gifts on prominent display when the givers would visit, the ghastly dragon head lamp his mother had given him for Christmas being the most notable example.
Etymology: Blend of 'Junk'(n. something of poor quality : trash) and 'redux' (adj brought back —used postpositively)
Whitelephantasmagoria
Created by: karenanne
Pronunciation: whyt EL eh fan TAZ ma GOR ee ah
Sentence: Over the holidays, my house becomes a whitelephantasmagoria of sorts, as I rotate in and out the succession of useless and hideous items given to me over the years by various relatives. I have to keep a calendar of who is coming when, so that the correct one is on display on the correct day. God forbid I put out the horrid quilt made for my grandchildren by their grandmother, my EX-mother-in-law, when my CURRENT mother-in-law visits. She has an uncanny sense for such things.
Etymology: white elephant + phantasmagoria (a constantly shifting complex succession of things seen or imagined; a series or group of strange or bizarre images seen as if in a dream)
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COMMENTS:
Whitelephantasmagoria are kept in a special trunk...good word - Nosila, 2009-12-16: 22:15:00
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Blostatize
Created by: andrian
Pronunciation: blos-ta-tiz
Sentence: The man in the picture is blostatizing a toilet scrubber.
Etymology: This is the verb form. The noun is blostate.
Comments:
Today's definition was suggested by kabloozie Thank you kabloozie ~ James
Today's definition was suggested by kabloozie. Thank you kabloozie. ~ James