Vote for the best verboticism.
DEFINITION: v. To make something worse while attempting to make it better. n. A bad improvement.
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.
Incorrectify
Created by: stache
Pronunciation: ĭn'kə-rěk'tə-fī'
Sentence: "You can't polish a turd," Garvin said when David showed him how he had used accessories to incorrectify his '79 Ford Pinto.
Etymology: incur, to bring upon oneself, as in, to incur the ridicule of the public; rectify, verb form of rectum, part of the human anatomy often euphemized as a term of disparagement.
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COMMENTS:
nice - Jabberwocky, 2008-05-15: 11:45:00
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Shedit
Created by: ZenoX
Pronunciation: shed it
Sentence: She went to a plastic surgeon the other day and shedited her nose. She was telling me all about that present she'll never afford now. Wait till she hears about her embarrassing shedit. She'll probably never admit her mistake.
Etymology: A shit edit, a change that should be hid in a dark place (shed).
Reekonstruction
Created by: galwaywegian
Pronunciation: reek on struk shun
Sentence: "how do you feel after your latest reekonstruction, mr Jackson?" the waiting media asked. "I'm bad" he said, "I'm bad"
Etymology: reek as in stinking, reconstruction
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COMMENTS:
nice reference to MJ - Jabberwocky, 2008-05-15: 11:45:00
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Misrepair
Created by: youmustvotenato
Pronunciation: miss-repair
Sentence: With clippers in hand, I began cutting my hair. I kept having to "fix" my mistakes and soon enough, my hair was in misrepair.
Etymology: mistaken; repair
Faltercation
Created by: Jabberwocky
Pronunciation: fal/tur/cay/shun
Sentence: The alteration quickly became a faltercation once the bandages came off in the doctor's office.
Etymology: alter + falter + the ensuing altercation
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COMMENTS:
Sounds like some of my home improvement projects. lol - Mustang, 2008-05-15: 21:46:00
Excellent blend! - Tigger, 2008-05-15: 23:31:00
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Badderment
Created by: petaj
Pronunciation: bad-er-ment
Sentence: The government's social engineering activities were well intentioned but ended up for the badderment of all. It was really more like woeful engineering.
Etymology: bad + betterment
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COMMENTS:
Good one! - Mustang, 2008-05-15: 21:47:00
Oh, this word works nicely! Good job. - Tigger, 2008-05-15: 23:33:00
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Adworsity
Created by: bookowl
Pronunciation: Ad/wurs/itee
Sentence: They suffered further adworsity when the contractor hung the windows upsidedown.
Etymology: add + worse + adversity
Grimprovement
Created by: TJayzz
Pronunciation: Grimm-proov-mant
Sentence: Since taking the home improvement course at her local college, Jenny couldn't wait to try out her new found skills in her own home, but when her husband saw the new lime green paint job in the lounge he thought it was more like a grimprovement.
Etymology: Grim(depressing, unappealing) + Improvement(The action of improving or improved, to make something better than it was) =Grimprovement
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COMMENTS:
good word..grimpressive - Nosila, 2008-05-15: 01:54:00
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Unintendment
Created by: pieceof314
Pronunciation: un-intend-ment
Sentence: Horace had horrible headaches. He was getting rather desperate. He thought by cutting his head off, he would alleviate the problem. The one unintendment he didn't count on was death.
Etymology: un, not + intend, to direct one's attention towards
Badvancement
Created by: Tigger
Pronunciation: /bad-VANS-mehnt/
Sentence: It seems that each new elected politician is a badvancement on the last one. Although they promise improvement after improvement, and all sorts of advancements, things keep going from bad to worse.
Etymology: Bad - of poor or inferior quality; defective (of uncertain origin; meaning of "defective or inferior" first recorded around 1300 AD) + Advancement - a forward step; an improvement (from Old French, avancer "move forward")
Comments:
Today's definition is inspired by author and philosopher, Mark Kingwell who I saw last night speaking about "Social Change". He reminded us that not all change is good change. And noted that in German they have word to describe such bad improvements -- Schlimmbesserung -- which we don't have in English. And so it's today's challenge. Thanks Mark! ~ James