Vote for the best verboticism.

'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.

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.

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".

----------------------------
COMMENTS:

petaj 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

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

| Comments and Points

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

----------------------------
COMMENTS:

Clever blend. - OZZIEBOB, 2008-06-21: 19:34:00

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

| Comments and Points

Albthought

Created by: jonobo

Pronunciation: alb like the alps + thought like contrary of thoughdrought.

Sentence: Just another albthought to keep the carousel spinning...

Etymology: Alb from german Albtraum, the german word for nightmare + thought ... english version should have been: Thoughtmare...

| Comments and Points

Chatterbrain

artr

Created by: artr

Pronunciation: chat-er-breyn

Sentence: Jim hates it when Jill has an idea just before they fall asleep. She is such a chatterbrain that he can hear her thinking. Jim's thought for the night - No sleep for Jim.

Etymology: chatter (to talk rapidly in a foolish or purposeless way; jabber) + brain (the center of thought, understanding) a play on chatterbox

| Comments and Points

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!")

| Comments and Points

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.

| Comments and Points

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)

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

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

| Comments and Points

Branake

Created by: Tanik

Pronunciation: BrAn-Ak

Sentence: She was up all night with a serious case of branake. She just couldn't shake the thought of Bob with Sally.

Etymology: brain + awake

| Comments and Points

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.

----------------------------
COMMENTS:

Wish I'd thought of it....great word! - Mustang, 2008-06-20: 06:10:00

great - Jabberwocky, 2008-06-20: 13:06:00

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

| Comments and Points

Kawinkythink

Created by: mplsbohemian

Pronunciation: kuh-WIHNK-ee-THIHNK

Sentence: Alex's kawinkythink had him tossing and turning all night--why not a marshmallow creme and jelly sandwich?

Etymology: kawinkydink (folk etymology pronunciation of "coincidence") + wink (as in "forty winks") + think = the coincidence of trying to sleep and having a thought

| Comments and Points

Show All or More...

 

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