Vote for the best verboticism.

'Why are you putting that by the front door?'

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.

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.

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)

| Comments and Points

Beautifake

Created by: Maxine

Pronunciation: 'byu ti fayk

Sentence: "Uncle Simone is coming over, Samantha. Time to beautifake yourself."..."No way, Dad. That plaid sweater is such an ugly beautifakation."

Etymology: beautify + fake

| Comments and Points

Knickstashknack

Created by: remistram

Pronunciation: nik-stash-nak

Sentence: The velvet Elvis art became the popular knickstashknack that was hauled out of the depths of the basement every Christmas eve so Aunt Mabel wouldn't get offended.

Etymology: knick knack + stash

| Comments and Points

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

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

| Comments and Points

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

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

| Comments and Points

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 and Points

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.

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

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

| Comments and Points

Ugiftorate

tonii

Created by: tonii

Pronunciation: /ug-ift-o-rate/

Sentence: If you don't ugiftorate that nasty green vase onto the coffee table, your sister-in-law will never speak to you again!

Etymology: ugly + gift+ decorate

| Comments and Points

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)

| Comments and Points

Artdecohno

Created by: galwaywegian

Pronunciation: art dek o no

Sentence: his mother had a huge collection of artdecohno on display, screaming aesthetic abuse from the mantlepiece,

Etymology: art deco, oh no

| Comments and Points

Show All or More...

 

Comments:

Verbotomy Verbotomy - 2007-12-12: 01:20:00
Today's definition was suggested by kabloozie Thank you kabloozie ~ James

Verbotomy Verbotomy - 2009-12-16: 00:08:00
Today's definition was suggested by kabloozie. Thank you kabloozie. ~ James