Vote for the best verboticism.

'What was I looking for?'

DEFINITION: n. A condition where you get so distracted by the fact that you can't find something, that you forget what you were looking for. v. To forget what you are looking for while you are looking for it.

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.

Itemnesia

Created by: Alchemist

Pronunciation: eye-tem-NEES-yah

Sentence: After 20 minutes of frantically searching through her Prius, Sharon paused, stricken with itemnesia. Now WHAT was she looking for?

Etymology: item + amnesia

| Comments and Points

Helterseeker

Created by: toadstool57

Pronunciation: hell-tor-sEk-or

Sentence: Jill's search for her keys turned into a helterseeker. She forgot that she is seeking her keys when she stumbled onto a shoe she lost 2 months ago.

Etymology: helter skelter/seek

| Comments and Points

Wherehead

Created by: mplsbohemian

Pronunciation: HWEHR-hehd

Sentence: I whereheaded about until I saw the keys, at which point I remember that I was looking for them in the first place.

Etymology: where + [air]head

| Comments and Points

Whichhunt

Created by: rikboyee

Pronunciation: which-hunt

Sentence: as he aimlessly entered the kitchen again, he realised he needed to give up this whichhunt.

Etymology: which, hunt, witch hunt

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

excellost! - galwaywegian, 2007-03-15: 06:03:00

This could be rendered as a verb, nice. - mplsbohemian, 2007-03-15: 19:27:00

this works also because, as in a witchhunt, one is actually unlikely to find something when they forget to look for it or won't notice it when they see it - ekath, 2007-03-22: 22:37:00

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

| Comments and Points

Invertintention

Created by: ailehpo

Pronunciation:

Sentence:

Etymology:

| Comments and Points

Disfolocate

Created by: catgrin

Pronunciation: dis-foh-loh-keht

Sentence: While hunting for his keys, Bob disfolocated and grabbed his jacket instead.

Etymology: dis=bad, fo=first syllable of "forget" and "focus" (pronounced as in "focus"), locate

| Comments and Points

Seeknesia

artr

Created by: artr

Pronunciation: sēknēzhə

Sentence: Al suffers from seeknesia. Not only does he have trouble finding things, he often forgets what he was looking for in the first place. The results of these slips can sometimes be a bit shocking like the time he went out to shovel his sidewalk and realized that what he had been looking for before seeknesia struck was twofold, his snow shovel and his pants.

Etymology: seek (attempt to find something) + amnesia (a partial or total loss of memory)

| Comments and Points

Flashblank

Created by: Mustang

Pronunciation: FLASH-blanc

Sentence: As has been happening all too often lately Delbert's mind was wandering while he was looking for his car keys and he had another flashblank, his mind going totally devoid of thought and leaving him completely unable to concentrate.

Etymology: Blend of 'flash' and 'blank'....play on the word flashback

| Comments and Points

Resclueless

Created by: Nosila

Pronunciation: res kloo less

Sentence: Les often forgot what he was looking for even as he was hunting it. He was resclueless. He even forgot to look for his girlfriend Ruth when she ran off with the paper boy. He still searches Ruthlessly for her...or something.

Etymology: Rescue (recover, retrieve) & Clueless (not having even a clue from which to infer what is occurring;having forgotten all)

| Comments and Points

Diversiamnesia

Created by: Nosila

Pronunciation: dy ver jha am neez eeya

Sentence: My son, Whatshisname, cannot remember a thing. He suffers from diversiamnesia. I don't know where he gets it from, but he goes into a room and forgets why he went there. Ideas land on his brain but flitter away like little butterflies if he has any distraction at all. My nagging makes it worse according to him, but you cannot trust him to run a simple errand or remember important things. I think he's hitting old age early and his condition is inherited from his father, Whateverhisnamewas. Where was I...???

Etymology: Diversion (a turning aside (of your course or attention or concern); a distraction) & Amnesia (partial or total loss of memory)

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

"hitting old age early" - chuckle! - splendiction, 2009-10-01: 19:15:00

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

| Comments and Points

Show All or More...

 

Comments:

Verbotomy Verbotomy - 2007-03-15: 00:12:18
Today's definition was suggested by mana1066.
Thank you mana1066! ~ James

erasmus erasmus - 2007-03-15: 12:25:00
I do believe in the UK the DJ on Radio 2 called Terry Wogan calls this a senior moment but thats two words.

Verbotomy Verbotomy - 2007-03-15: 20:02:00
Funny thing is that it's been happening to me since I was a kid... Do think it's going to get worse as I get older?

Verbotomy Verbotomy - 2009-10-01: 00:12:00
Today's definition was suggested by mana1066. Thank you mana1066. ~ James