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'Honey, are you awake?'

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.

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Verboticisms

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Nocturntoss

Created by: lauramy

Pronunciation: nok-tern-toss

Sentence: The thought of anchovies dipped in fudge sauce sent me into an all night fit of nocturntoss.

Etymology: nocturnal + turn + toss

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Nighdea

Created by: LankyJane

Pronunciation: [nye DEAR]/[nye DEE uh]

Sentence: I got no sleep last night, all because of this one bright nighdea.

Etymology: From "night" and "idea". The kind of idea that only comes to you late at night, particularly when you're almost asleep.

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COMMENTS:

Perfect! - lumina, 2008-06-20: 09:56:00

like it - Jabberwocky, 2008-06-20: 13:07:00

good one - Nosila, 2008-06-21: 02:13:00

Very good. - OZZIEBOB, 2008-06-21: 19:34:00

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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!")

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Drowsiphany

zrotv

Created by: zrotv

Pronunciation: drouz-ĭf'ə-nē

Sentence: My eyelids were weighted and thoughts diffused to nothingness as sleep was to take hold momentarily. Suddenly I had a drowsiphany. It was in that sedate state the the schematics for the flux-capacitor became clear as day.

Etymology: Drowse (To be half-asleep) + epiphany (A sudden manifestation of the essence or meaning of something.)

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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)

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Thoughtywink

petaj

Created by: petaj

Pronunciation: th-or-tee-wink

Sentence: Being a particularly creative type, Michelangelo was prone to thoughtywinks which allowed him only very light sleep for extremely short periods. He longed for a solid night of deep sleep.

Etymology: thought (mental process that generates ideas) + forty winks (a short light nap)

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COMMENTS:

Almost as good as "thoughtdiscount". Gets a vote. - Bulletchewer, 2007-04-09: 05:27:00

Cute word! - purpleartichokes, 2007-04-09: 06:00:00

Also sounds like "naughty winks" -- gets my vote. - wordmeister, 2007-04-09: 23:05:00

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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 and Points

Bedspiration

mrskellyscl

Created by: mrskellyscl

Pronunciation: bed-spi-ray-shun

Sentence: Clair's bedspiration helped her to finally finish her second symphony. All she had to do was move the piano into the bedroom and move Gustav out of it since there wasn't room for both him and the piano.

Etymology: bed + bedspread + inspiration: sudden creative act or idea; stimulation of the mind or feelings to special activity or creativity

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COMMENTS:

artr Bedspiration can be hard on matressimony. - artr, 2009-10-26: 14:47:00

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Sominixon

Created by: toadstool57

Pronunciation: som-i-nix-on

Sentence: Nixion experienced many nights of soninixon as thoughts of Big scandels marched in his head.

Etymology: sominex, sleeping meds/ nix, as in Not/Nixion, the president that spent many sleepless nights.

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Idomnia

Created by: collinwashere2

Pronunciation: Starts off like Idea and then ends like insomnia.

Sentence: I have a bad case of Idomnia tonight.

Etymology:

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Comments:

Verbotomy Verbotomy - 2007-04-09: 00:03:00
Thank you to Dan Pink for sponsoring this week's Right-Brain Verbotomy Contest and creativity prize. ~ James

Verbotomy Verbotomy - 2007-04-09: 11:29:00
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.

Verbotomy Verbotomy - 2007-04-10: 00:07:00
Thanks toadstool57. We're just trying to create some environmentally friendly ideas. ~ James

OZZIEBOB - 2008-06-21: 19:35:00
Excellent.

Verbotomy Verbotomy - 2009-10-26: 02:14:00
Today's definition was suggested by wordmeister. Thank you wordmeister. ~ James