Vote for the best verboticism.
DEFINITION: v. To be unable to remember the name of a person you are speaking to, even though you've had a long-standing, and perhaps even an intimate relationship. n. An inability to remember a person's name.
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.
Namenesia
Created by: artr
Pronunciation: nāmnēzhə
Sentence: Tom’s greatest fear before the class reunion was that he wouldn\'t be able to remember names of his former best friends. To avoid this he got out his yearbook and studied for weeks prior to the event. He was proud of himself, popping out names like he was still in school. Namenesia didn’t set in until he tried to introduce his wife.
Etymology: name (a word or set of words by which a person, animal, place, or thing is known, addressed, or referred to) + amnesia (a partial or total loss of memory)
Oblivinom
Created by: freiflug
Pronunciation: /ə'blɪvɪnom/
Sentence: "Oblivinom is known to men for decades: the inability to remember names of familiar individuals." "Oblivinom should not be confused with oblivinomnom, which expresses itself in not being able to remember what one has eaten for dinner, even though that was just half an hour ago."
Etymology: oblivion: the state of forgetfulness; nomus: Latin for name
Innomability
Created by: starwarsgeek8
Pronunciation: in-gnome-a-bill-it-ee
Sentence:
Etymology: Latin, 'nomen'=name, English 'ability'
Routinenile
Created by: Banky
Pronunciation: roo-teen-niyl
Sentence: Maybe it was the hangover from the two bottles of cognac in the hot tub the night before. Perhaps it was the countless lines of cocaine in the men's room with various twenty-something boys that morning. It could be loss of blood from a very large, very angry, and very white tiger that was mauling him at the moment. Whatever the cause of the sudden onset of routinenility, Roy could not remember his partner's exotic foreign name to call out for help.
Etymology: routine - familiar + senile - exhibiting a loss of cognitive faculties
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COMMENTS:
Your sentence reporting this incident was better than any I read in the media! Innovative etymology. Exceptionally creative word! - silveryaspen, 2008-03-04: 09:54:00
Enjoyed the sentence; interesting word. - OZZIEBOB, 2008-03-04: 20:00:00
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Misshandle
Created by: Stevenson0
Pronunciation: mis/han/dell
Sentence: It is terribly embarrassing to me and greatly insulting to someone when I misshandle who they are.
Etymology: MISSHANDLE - verb - from MISS (the loss, or absence of something) + HANDLE (Slang: a person's name, someone's given name)
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COMMENTS:
A ver handy dandy word. - silveryaspen, 2008-12-29: 23:47:00
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Mementia
Created by: artr
Pronunciation: mēmenshə
Sentence: When Mike was little, his brother shot him in the ear with a BB gun. The pellet lodged in his brain in the tiny spot that normally stores names. Dr. Whitecoat’s term for his condition is mementia. He calls his wife, Mimi honey, sweetie, even ”Hey, Lady”. The only name he seems to be able to remember is his son, Me2.
Etymology: me (the name I call myself) + dementia (a chronic or persistent disorder of the mental processes caused by brain disease or injury)
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COMMENTS:
Memerable word - Nosila, 2010-05-13: 10:09:00
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Onomamnesia
Created by: XMbIPb
Pronunciation: /o-no-ma-mne-zhi-a/
Sentence: Woke up one morning and said: “Good morning, Sue” to the woman still sleeping next to me. Given the fact that my wife’s name is not Sue, it didn’t sit well with her. Claiming ONOMAMNESIA didn’t work. Does anyone have any suggestions on how to get out of that one? I mean other than to find a good divorce attorney?
Etymology: ONOMA (fr. Greek) – name; AMNESIA (fr. Greek) – forgetfulness
Babylabeler
Created by: picabomama
Pronunciation: baby/label/er
Sentence: Aaron sounded fatherly and protective, but his wife knew that all the "honey", "sweetheart" & "baby" talk was really just a cover for his profound inability to remember a woman's name. He was a compulsive babylabeler.
Etymology: Baby- the most common name replacer + label
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COMMENTS:
I tried to come up with something along these lines, but buddyize, honeyify, and palform just don't roll off the tongue as well as babylabel. - ErWenn, 2008-03-04: 09:57:00
Wow! Sentence captures how annoying and offensive babylabelers are! Your word captures that feeling of being talked down to! Very apt creation! Simple but packs a wallop! Great create! - silveryaspen, 2008-03-04: 10:15:00
Very true. Terms like mate, cobber, digger are often godsends for me! Unfortunately, Women's Lib has stamped out the use of luv, darl, etc. - OZZIEBOB, 2008-03-04: 19:38:00
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Forgetphil
Created by: Nosila
Pronunciation: for get fil
Sentence: When George brought his friend, Phil, home, he was unaware that Phil already "knew" his wife Julia in the Biblical way. But Phil had had so many previous girlfriends that he could not recall Julia. He was forgetphil, like someone who drank too much Milk of Amnesia...
Etymology: Forget (not able to remember) & play on forgetful (not retentive)
Comments:
Today's definition was suggested by silveryaspen. Thank you silveryaspen. ~ James
silveryaspen - 2008-03-04: 17:07:00
Your great word associations and creations made my day, everyone. It is a pleasure to have these mind associations with all of you every day! Isn't this website like sunshine for the mind? !!! Everyone contributes some rays! Everyone goes away warmed by some rays!
silveryaspen - 2008-03-04: 17:08:00
Good job with the defninition and cartoon. Thank you, James.
Thank you Silveryaspen for the inspiring words! ~ James
Today's definition was suggested by silveryaspen. Thank you silveryaspen. ~ James