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...
You have two votes. Click on the words to read the details, then vote your favorite.
Nandoohickey
Created by: dochanne
Pronunciation: Nan-doo-hickey
Sentence: Dave looked high and low, knowing Sandra would have hidden the dastardly thing well, and eventually found it. Tucked behind the blankets on the bottom shelf in the linen cupboard, he found his grandmother's favourite teapot, the grotesque frills and golden seashells just too much to bear. But Nanna was coming for tea and would expect her most obvious rellymajigs to be on show. "Good grief!" said Sandra, "You can't expect me to use that awful nandoohickey! I should have dropped the damn thing last time."
Etymology: Nan or nanna - grandmother, or great-aunt, frequently known for giving strange or age-inappropriate gifts because you were five last time they saw you. Doohickey - gadget, thingamebob or whatchamacallit that some dolt gave you but you don't know what to do with.
----------------------------
COMMENTS:
Good one - OZZIEBOB, 2008-12-17: 04:10:00
----------------------------
Prezzidigitate
Created by: OZZIEBOB
Pronunciation: PREZZ-ee-DIJ-ee-TATE
Sentence: Bob had just put away the kitschsake toaster-clock his mother had given him many years before, when he heard the news that his mother-in-law was on her way over to his place. Quickly, and in order not to offend her, he rummaged through an old trunk in his garage to find the indoor sundial she had given him as a birthday present. Fortunately for him, with good luck and a dash of good memory, he found it and prezzidigitated it, as a dragonsop, into a place of prominence and importance for her to see.
Etymology: Blend of PREZZI: (slang for present, gift.) & PRESTIDIGITATE: to be manually dexterios in the execution of tricks ; sleight of hand. KITSCHSAKE: 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. DRAGONSOP: DRAGON-Slang term for mother-in-law or wife; SOP: Anything given (or done)to pacify; -- so called from the sop given to Cerberus, as related in mythology.
----------------------------
COMMENTS:
Works like magic for me! - silveryaspen, 2008-12-16: 22:36:00
----------------------------
Horribowl
Created by: artr
Pronunciation: hawr-uh-bohl
Sentence: Tom's mom is coming to visit for Christmas so out of the closet comes the horribowl she gave him last year.
Etymology: Horrible (extremely unpleasant; deplorable; disgusting) + bowl (hollow, concave container)
Sightelephant
Created by: mweinmann
Pronunciation: site - el - e - fant
Sentence: Every gift that Jan's dad had given them seemed to be something he must have obtained as a "White Elephant" in a gift swap or, the only other explanation was that he shopped for them at flea markets. Whenever he came to their house, they had to quickly bring them up from storage so they could be seen....thus becoming a sightelephant until he left....
Etymology: Sight (range of vision, ability to see) + "White Elephant" (Gifts that are inexpensive, humorous or used items from home)
Giftquester
Created by: Stevenson0
Pronunciation: gift/kwes/ter
Sentence: We have a box in our closet in the family room where we giftquester all the awful presents our relatives have given us and can be retrived at a moments notice and be placed accordingly some where in sight.
Etymology: gift + sequester
Ornamenstrocity
Created by: galwaywegian
Pronunciation: ohr nam ens troh sitee
Sentence: it took three men and a JCB to mount the ornamenstrosity on the patio, but a gift from toni was a gift from toni, capese?
Etymology: ornament, monstrosity
----------------------------
COMMENTS:
terrific word - Jabberwocky, 2008-12-16: 11:24:00
Great word - TJayzz, 2008-12-16: 13:15:00
Capese! You keep trying to put it away, but they keep pulling you back! - Nosila, 2008-12-16: 22:20:00
Fuggetaboutit! - metrohumanx, 2008-12-17: 01:05:00
Ornamentatious! - dochanne, 2008-12-17: 03:19:00
----------------------------
Relatement
Created by: mrowka
Pronunciation: Re-late-ment
Sentence: Before Aunt Patty came over, I had to find the proper relatement for her decoupage crockpot.
Etymology: Relation + Placement
Resurregalia
Created by: metrohumanx
Pronunciation: rez-ure-REG-ahl-ee-uh
Sentence: Babs and Jake always greeted the holidays with excitement and dread. With extended family coming to visit, these reunions often degenerated into verbal slug fests. Babs would prepare the mandatory dishes, and Jake's job was to break out the RESURREGALIA...those tacky gifts and mementoes which would have been endearing if they weren't SO ugly and tasteless. Jake was especially fond of Aunt Lydia's "Sceptre of Authority"- a self-contained toilet accesory with disturbingly phallic qualities which kept everyone laughing well into the wee hours. Bottoms up!
Etymology: RESURREct+reGALIA=RESURREGALIA.........RESURRECT:to bring to view, attention, or use again,to raise from the dead;back-formation from resurrection-1772......REGALIA:: the emblems, symbols, or paraphernalia indicative of royalty,decorations or insignia,special dress or trappings;Medieval Latin, from Latin, neuter plural of regalis-1540
----------------------------
COMMENTS:
Re(as)suringly regal resurrection complete with elegant use of Latin. Very nice! - dochanne, 2008-12-16: 03:00:00
Brings back so many memories. I like it. - Mustang, 2008-12-16: 21:00:00
Good word...been there done that! - Nosila, 2008-12-16: 22:16:00
----------------------------
Tackytic
Created by: galwaywegian
Pronunciation: tak eee tik
Sentence: They made a tackytical substitution over the fireplace in the living room. The singing fish replaced the Van Gogh for the duration of old uncle chuck's visit to town.
Etymology: tack tactic.
Gewgawdawful
Created by: kabloozie
Pronunciation: goo gahd ah full
Sentence: Damn it...where did I put that gewgawdawful your mother gave us - she's coming over in 15 minutes, and if I don't have that ceramic poodle out on the mantle, she'll know we hate it...
Etymology: gewgaw - a gimcrack or worthless bauble + god-awful
----------------------------
COMMENTS:
Clever and interesting! - OZZIEBOB, 2007-12-12: 20:07:00
----------------------------
Comments:
Today's definition was suggested by kabloozie Thank you kabloozie ~ James
Today's definition was suggested by kabloozie. Thank you kabloozie. ~ James