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.
Remuddle
Created by: Mustang
Pronunciation: ree - MUDL
Sentence: Wilford had set out to completely redesign and redo the interior of his home but lacking proper skills and experience his effort turned out to be a hideous remuddle rather than the upgrade he had envisioned.
Etymology: Blend of remodel and muddle...to mix up in a confused or bungling manner
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COMMENTS:
excellent - Jabberwocky, 2008-05-15: 11:41:00
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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
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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Fortifry
Created by: Stevenson0
Pronunciation: for/ti/fry
Sentence: Dave thought that adding wires to his breaker panel would fortify his electricity. Little did he know he would fortifry it.
Etymology: fortify + fry
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COMMENTS:
"smokin" - Jabberwocky, 2008-05-15: 11:41:00
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Shitigate
Created by: japanaysian
Pronunciation: Shit-e-gate
Sentence: There was an argument within the group, and Tom shitigated the situation by telling everyone to calm down and stop acting like bitches.
Etymology: Shit + mitigate
Adworsity
Created by: bookowl
Pronunciation: Ad/wurs/itee
Sentence: They suffered further adworsity when the contractor hung the windows upsidedown.
Etymology: add + worse + adversity
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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Remuddle
Created by: Mustang
Pronunciation: re-MUD-l
Sentence: Simpson had set out to completely redesign and redo the interior of his home but lacking proper skills and experience his effort turned out to be a hideous remuddle rather than the upgrade he had envisioned.
Etymology: Blend of 'remodel' (redo or makeover) and 'muddle' (to mix up in a confused or bungling manner)
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")
Malhancement
Created by: OZZIEBOB
Pronunciation: mal-HANS-ment
Sentence: The best laid plans of mice and men often end in malhancement.
Etymology: Combination of MAL:bad, badly, wrong,wrongly & HANCEMENT:to make greater,as in value, beauty, effectiveness; provide with improved features.
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