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.
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
Eurekathought
Created by: josje
Pronunciation: eureka thought
Sentence: i dont want to go to sleep i´ve just got an eurekathought.
Etymology: thinking and eureka.
Premonstermare
Created by: Bulletchewer
Pronunciation: pre-mun-stir-mayr
Sentence: Dennis Skinner's premonstermare of a plot to quietly poison and thus kill the terrifying legacy of his beloved Mrs Thatcher caused the beast to stir more than a junkie's coffee.
Etymology: From "pre-" meaning "before", "premonition" meaning "inappropriate and patronizing", "monster" meaning "Mrs Thatcher" and "mare" meaning "Mrs Thatcher/old, barely-female horse".
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COMMENTS:
Huh? premonition - inappropriate and patronizing. Some subtlety there I just can't see - maybe a Dennis Skinner quote? - petaj, 2007-04-09: 07:18:00
A dream that occurs right before PMS. - purpleartichokes, 2007-04-09: 14:50:00
Premonition doesn't fit here, hence inappropriate. The fact I explain "pre-" is patronizing. Contrived as ever. No Skinner quote, just nods at "the Beast of Bolsover", as he is affectionately known. But if you're looking for references, did you get all/any of the Zeppelin refs for my word "gallowsbeaver"? - Bulletchewer, 2007-04-09: 15:44:00
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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)
Fortythinks
Created by: Stevenson0
Pronunciation: for/tee/th/inks
Sentence: He was restless, sleep deprived and in the state of fortythinks, filled with the brilliant ideas on how he was going to become a partner in the firm at 29 years of age.
Etymology: fortywinks + thinks
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COMMENTS:
clever - Jabberwocky, 2007-04-09: 12:16:00
Very clever indeed. - ErWenn, 2007-04-09: 22:47:00
Oh, that's so very clever. - jedijawa, 2007-04-09: 23:46:00
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Idemic
Created by: timmy
Pronunciation: I dem ic
Sentence: I have an idemic idea!
Etymology:
Hypneureka
Created by: Crabtime
Pronunciation: Hip-nyur-EE-kah
Sentence: His coffee couldn't keep him awake--his hypneureka last night on the nature of caffiene made even his favorite drink unpalatable.
Etymology: Hypny- From Hypnos, Greek god of sleep Eureka- What Archimedes said when he leapt out of the bath, upon a discovery. Means "I have found it" or "This bath is too hot" in greek.
Insomniaha
Created by: Nosila
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!")
Subcognitans
Created by: darkXshadow
Pronunciation: sub/kog/neet/ans
Sentence: one of my briliant subcognitans kept me up all night last night.
Etymology: sub coming from subito, meaning sudden. cogn coming from cognito, meaning knowledge. itans coming from suscitans, meaning awakening.
Idenia
Created by: chaok
Pronunciation: eye-dee-nee-uh
Sentence: I have to take pills to sleep, otherwise i would have an idenia and lose a night of sleep.
Etymology: idea + insomnia
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