Vote for the best verboticism.
DEFINITION: n. An idea that pops into your head just before you fall asleep, which is so big and brilliant, or else so dark and scary, that it keeps you awake all night long. v. To lie awake in bed with a head full of big dreams.
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.
Reveilleation
Created by: Jabberwocky
Pronunciation: reh/vell/ee/ay/shun
Sentence: I was just settling down for a long winter's nap when a reveilleation so earth shattering occurred to me that I couldn't get a wink of sleep. I was also convinced that something was stuck in our chimney.
Etymology: reveille (military wake-up signal)+ revelation
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COMMENTS:
Clever blend. - OZZIEBOB, 2008-06-21: 19:34:00
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Awakenspiration
Created by: Nosila
Pronunciation: away ken spir ay shun
Sentence: Not again, Joe moaned. He had nary a new thought all day long, but instead got one as he started to try and sleep. His awakenspiration not only kept him alert all night, but also his wife. "I'm going to have to get on the night shift at work", he thought...
Etymology: Awake (not asleep) & Inspiration (Idea;a product of your creative thinking)
Nightbulb
Created by: wordmeister
Pronunciation: nite-bulb
Sentence: Roger had a nightbulb so dark and brilliant that he couldn't sleep for week. Finally, his wife pulled the plug on the idea, and he rested...
Etymology: night + lightbulb
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COMMENTS:
Good one! - purpleartichokes, 2007-04-09: 09:49:00
Strangely enough, I couldn't sleep last night, so this one was easy. - wordmeister, 2007-04-09: 11:45:00
appropriate for spring planting - Jabberwocky, 2007-04-09: 12:19:00
This should win. - Bulletchewer, 2007-04-09: 15:39:00
re: spring planting -- Yes, blooming deep shade tulips - wordmeister, 2007-04-09: 18:20:00
I like the mental image that goes with that one! - jedijawa, 2007-04-09: 23:51:00
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Eyeswideopener
Created by: Jabberwocky
Pronunciation: eyes/wyde/open/ur
Sentence: Just as I was falling asleep I was struck with an eyeswideopener, one of those ridiculous brainstorms that fade with the morning light, unlike my eyes which remain red all week
Etymology: eye opener (shocking revelation) + wide open
Thinksomnia
Created by: Nosila
Pronunciation: think som neeya
Sentence: Apparently he was too busy or preoccupied to think during his busy day, but Joe Einstein got his best ideas at night just before or after he went to sleep and ended up thinking of all the possibilies/obstructions/refinements to his ideas all night. To the point he could not get to sleep. He had thinksomnia real bad and it was only when he actually committed these ideas to paper while he was "on" that he remembered enough of them in the morning to put them in motion. But this meant turning on a light, writing for hours and keeping his wife Mona awake, too. It was not until he had another bright idea one night that she approved of his nocturnal brilliance. He invented a sleeprecorder and told it all his ideas as he got them, so that he could replay in the morning and capitalize on his great ideas!
Etymology: Think (ideas;imagine;visualize;an instance of deliberate thinking) & Insomnia (an inability to sleep; chronic sleeplessness)
Insomnipiphany
Created by: PythianHabenero
Pronunciation: in-som-ni-pi-fa-nee
Sentence: Annette suffered an insomnipiphany and was unable to sleep the rest of the night.
Etymology: insomnia + epiphany
Insomniaha
Created by: galwaywegian
Pronunciation: in som nee a ha
Sentence: It's like Wayne's brain was frozen all day, but when he did get brilliant ideas, it was just before he was getting ready to sleep. Then he would get his insomniaha moment. He finally learned to write these brain revolutions down, as inevitably he would be so tired the next day that he would forget his inspirations. That's when he would get amnesiaohnooooo!
Etymology: Insomnia (an inability to sleep) & Aha (expression used to describe triumph, surprise or "I get it!")
Pillowjostler
Created by: hobodad
Pronunciation: pillow-jostler
Sentence: I had such a pillowjostler of an idea last night I didn't get to sleep till cock-crow
Etymology:
Nightbulbmoment
Created by: lumina
Pronunciation: night/bulb/moment
Sentence: Joe didn't didn't get much sleep last night because his wife had another nightbulbmoment.
Etymology: Obvious isn't it? This was a hard one. :)
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COMMENTS:
I've had them,too! - Nosila, 2008-06-21: 02:14:00
Ilike it; great word - OZZIEBOB, 2008-06-21: 19:32:00
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Comments:
Thank you to Dan Pink for sponsoring this week's Right-Brain Verbotomy Contest and creativity prize. ~ James
What happened last week? Read Verbotoweek! A look back at last week's wickedest words and funniest comments... Edited by "Weeklink", one of our top players who from some reason, perhaps self-preservation, prefers to remain anonymous! See: Verbotoweek in the Verbotomy Blog.
Bulletchewer - 2007-04-09: 15:52:00
Wonder if this happened to Thomas Edison. Oh, and in a related piece of propaganda, vote for Wordmeister's "Nightbulb"! PS Great (if slightly embarrassing) blog!
wordmeister - 2007-04-09: 18:04:00
Hey Bulletchewer, Thanks for the vote of support! I guess I managed to skip through my own premonstermare without getting trampled...
Bulletchewer - 2007-04-09: 18:37:00
Just wondering if anyone else is ineligible for this week's contest. Who's up for a Sir Geoffrey?
toadstool57 - 2007-04-09: 21:34:00
James - cool that you spotlighted CFLs.
Thanks toadstool57. We're just trying to create some environmentally friendly ideas. ~ James
OZZIEBOB - 2008-06-21: 19:35:00
Excellent.
Today's definition was suggested by wordmeister. Thank you wordmeister. ~ James