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.
Thoughtmare
Created by: jedijawa
Pronunciation: thawt-mare
Sentence: Jill couldn't get to sleep because a thoughtmare was keeping her mind working too fast to get any rest.
Etymology: thought + nightmare
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COMMENTS:
Another great word! - Stevenson0, 2007-04-09: 20:48:00
I like the sound of this word, though I want to use it for the sorts of nonsensically horrifying idea-dreams that run through my head when I'm asleep enough to dream, but awake enough to know that the ideas don't make sense. - ErWenn, 2007-04-09: 22:47:00
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Ideapnea
Created by: OZZIEBOB
Pronunciation: ahy-dee-ap-NEE-uh
Sentence: Bob, a lateral-thinking, horror film addict, was woken a thousand times nightly by his ideapnea, including frightening bouts of zedlesspookia.
Etymology: IDEA: Thought, conception, notion & APNEA: a temporary suspension of breathing, occurring during sleep (sleep apnea)often waking the sufferer hundreds of times a night. With Bob it his crazy ideas that wake him up- ask Roxie.
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COMMENTS:
Wish I'd thought of it....great word! - Mustang, 2008-06-20: 06:10:00
great - Jabberwocky, 2008-06-20: 13:06:00
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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.
Nocturtrance
Created by: remistram
Pronunciation: nok-ter-trance
Sentence: She kept her blackberry under her pillow on this night so she could record her nocturtrances.
Etymology: nocturnal + trance
Wakethought
Created by: ohwtepph
Pronunciation: /weyk-thawt/
Sentence: He stays up all night to the wakethought of murdering his wife.
Etymology: Wake + Thought
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COMMENTS:
A nice archaic-sounding word. Wakethought could be a good movie title, too. :) - ohwtepph, 2007-04-09: 23:31:00
You got the scary part.... - wordmeister, 2007-04-10: 02:50:00
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Nightware
Created by: Alchemist
Pronunciation: NITE-ware
Sentence: I was up all last night with the the craziest nightware...what if there was some kind of global supercomputer where anyone could look up any kind of knowledge?
Etymology: nightmare, aware
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
Sleepdeprivision
Created by: purpleartichokes
Pronunciation: sleep-deh-preh-vih-zhun
Sentence: Last night I had a sleepdeprivision. Today, I am groggily wondering why I thought it was feasible to set up a full-scale hydroponic artichoke growing system in my basement.
Etymology: sleep deprivation, vision
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COMMENTS:
I can't decide if your artichoke cultivation is big and brilliant (like the lighting system required to run such a thing) or dark and scary (there's got to be a reason why basements figure so boldly in murder movies) - petaj, 2007-04-09: 04:58:00
Oh and nice work with sleep deprivation. I went down that path, but no lightbulb moment on fitting in the idea bit. - petaj, 2007-04-09: 05:00:00
The lighting system did throw me a curve, as did where I would relocate my washer, dryer, furnace, and resident spiders. - purpleartichokes, 2007-04-09: 05:59:00
knew right away it was your word - very clever - Jabberwocky, 2007-04-09: 12:59:00
Wow, I didn't realize I was that verbobvious. - purpleartichokes, 2007-04-09: 14:10:00
That has a nice ring to it. - jedijawa, 2007-04-09: 23:58:00
hydropon my word! - galwaywegian, 2007-04-10: 05:17:00
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Eurekaffeine
Created by: rikboyee
Pronunciation: you-ree-caff-een
Sentence: 3 nights in a row he suffered from such severe eurekaffeine that he felt like his brain may explode
Etymology: eureka! caffeine
Ahawake
Created by: artr
Pronunciation: ähäwāk
Sentence: The revelation that Julia had just as she was about to doze off kept her ahawake all night. It only took her 18 years and a chance encounter on Facebook but she now was certain she knew who her real father was and why her mother kept it secret.
Etymology: aha (used to express satisfaction, triumph, or surprise) + awake (not asleep)
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