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.
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
Dejawho
Created by: leegro
Pronunciation: /dey-zhah-hoo/
Sentence: As she walked down the aisle of the airplane, Sarah had a sinking feeling of dejawho. Hadn't she once drunkely groped the sweaty man in the aisle seat across from her?
Etymology: From "deja vu," which is French for "I'm not forgetful, I'm just self-absorbed," and "who," which should feel like a familiar word to most of you.
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COMMENTS:
What a twist ... a woman groping a man! But the twists in your etymology are even better! Insightfully Clever! - silveryaspen, 2008-03-04: 17:14:00
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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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Facialapsosis
Created by: metrohumanx
Pronunciation: FAYshull-APSE-OH!-sis
Sentence: Wilfred's palms began to sweat when the mystery woman called his name and coiled her arms around his neck like albino boa constrictors. Managing his best fake smile, names began to flood into his empty skull like a leak in a brass diving helmet. Wilfred was a victim of FACIALAPSOSIS - the often fatal inability to recall the name of someone from the not-so-remote past.
Etymology: FACIAl+LAPSe+OSIS=FACIALAPSOSIS........FACIAL:of or relating to the face, esp one you should know well.....LAPSE:a slight error typically due to forgetfulness or inattention;Latin lapsus, from labi to slip.....-OSIS:indicating a condition or untreated affliction.
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COMMENTS:
Great sentence. Painted the picture in the mind! Great create with very original etymology, too! - silveryaspen, 2008-12-29: 10:19:00
Thanks! FIFTY Verbotomists today! I'm gabberflasted. - metrohumanx, 2008-12-29: 19:07:00
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Chumnundrum
Created by: OZZIEBOB
Pronunciation: chum-NUN-drum
Sentence: When Bob couldn't remember the names of his five former partners and his ten children, his friends asked whether he was suffering from palzheimers, or was this chumnundrum just a last-hitch attempt to avoid palimony
Etymology: Blend of CHUM: mate, cobber,buddy & NUNDRUM of Conundrum: riddle, enigma. Alternative etymology: Chum: close friend; nun: none, not any & Drum: the facts, info.
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COMMENTS:
Terrific word. Very orignal etymology and that isn't easy with this definition! - silveryaspen, 2008-12-29: 10:16:00
love it - Jabberwocky, 2008-12-29: 15:23:00
Love it and palzheimers, too! What was the definition again?? - Nosila, 2008-12-29: 18:49:00
A#1 - metrohumanx, 2008-12-29: 19:11:00
This is clever....parumpachumdum. - mweinmann, 2008-12-30: 09:01:00
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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
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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Whomnesia
Created by: diyan627
Pronunciation: Hoom-nee'-ja
Sentence: When trying to reassure his date, Thad blamed his inability to remember her name on whomnesia, and he left out the fact that he brought a different girl out the night before to meet his friends.
Etymology: who + amnesia
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COMMENTS:
Thad with whomnesia could suffer a rash of whoneedsya! Whooooomneeeeeeeeejaaaaaaaaaa just kind of sing-songs over the tongue ... so fun to sing it out! Very nice creation! - silveryaspen, 2008-03-04: 16:53:00
Gezwhoomdeit!! Great verboticism - Mustang, 2008-03-04: 18:18:00
whoneedsya... hahaha! oh, that's brilliant! :D Thad is the 'victim' of whoneedsya, no doubt. - diyan627, 2008-03-07: 14:38:00
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Boggledencher
Created by: janefitzsimmons
Pronunciation: baaaaa-gul-den-cher
Sentence: Damn, she forgot Marty's name. What a boggledencher. (Sorry, two sentences)
Etymology: Well if you forget someone's name, your mind is BOGGLED. Also, when people age they tend to forget vital information, such as their grandchildren's names. Old people uses dentures. (OK dentures is not spelled dencher. I KNOW. but i liked the way it looked better.) Hence, boggledencher was born.
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