Vote for the best verboticism.
DEFINITION: v., To put an unwanted houseplant, especially a seasonal or gift plant like a Poinsettia or Easter Lily, outdoors in hopes that it will die. n., An unwanted houseplant which has been left to nature.
Verboticisms
Click on each verboticism to read the sentences created by the Verbotomy writers, and to see your voting options...
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Explantriate
Created by: thegoatisbad
Pronunciation: ex-'plant-re-ate
Sentence: Unidentifiable dead stalks stood in haphazard rows, interrupted only by the occasional rotting heap of pumpkin or novelty plastic container. Each day Kimberly marched through this, her not garden, which was annually expanding westward and pushing her car closer and closer to the street. Kimberly's explantriation annoyed her neighbors, "it's an eyesore" complained Jared "and it's driving down the value of my house and it's driving me crazy!" Kimberly quipped: "the only real eyesore in this neighborhood is Jared's wife."
Etymology: plant (distinguished on the microscopic level by cell walls) + expatriate (to leave one's country)
Bougainseeya
Created by: QuantumMechanic
Pronunciation: boo gun see' yuh
Sentence: The cat shredded the mother-in-law's tongue I got from you-know-who, so I have to bougainseeya it on the back patio. Bougainseeya!
Etymology: bougain (< bougainvillea, popular house plant) + "see ya" (parting remark)
Poinsettiacide
Created by: libertybelle
Pronunciation: poyn-set-tea-yuh-side
Sentence: Tired of looking at the ostentatious white Easter lily on the television, I set it outside during a cold snap, knowing I was commiting poinsettiaside, but not caring.
Etymology: poinsettia: traditional Christmas flower, traditionally given as a "oops I forgot you" gift -on par with Hickory farms platters. + -cide: suffix -act of killing
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COMMENTS:
Spot on, Belle. I love the etymolygy -- 'Hickory Farms platters'... Hahaha!! Classic. - Tigger, 2007-11-18: 20:30:00
My brother and I call Hickory farms platters as the gift that says "%*&@ you - just be happy i got you something" - libertybelle, 2007-11-21: 09:44:00
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Dieffenbachiassassination
Created by: artr
Pronunciation: dee-fuh n-bah-kee-uh-uh-sas-uh-neyt
Sentence: Debbie was never very good with house plants. She once killed a cactus that her mother-in-law gave her that had survived years of neglect. When her friend gave her a lovely house plant she planted it out front knowing full well that she was committing Dieffenbachiassassination. "It's better that it return to nature than in my kitchen and end up in a trash can" she was heard to say.
Etymology: Dieffenbachia(tropical flowering plants in the family Araceae noted for their patterned leaves) assassination (to destroy or harm treacherously and viciously)
Bloomingales
Created by: Jabberwocky
Pronunciation: bloom/in/gales
Sentence: Chris carefully positioned all his Christmas plants in the shelter of the taller conifers hoping that Darwin's theory would prove correct and they might survive. It wasn't enough though to protect them from the blizzard and gale force winds and the little plants cried out to him "Why do you love us only at Christmas? We're not bred to bloomingales.
Etymology: bloom + gales + bloomingdales
Leafoutside
Created by: Nosila
Pronunciation: leef owt syde
Sentence: Like clockwork, Flora's neighbours saw the same phenomena after each season...abandoned plants on her back porch. Poinsettia's after Christmas, Lillies after Easter, Mums after Thanksgiving, etc. Apparently ignorant on any kind of plant care knowledge,Flora would leafoutside any of these poor hothouse-raised, sensitive showy plants to fend for themselves. Inevitably, snow, frost, critters and lack of water sealed their fate. Those neighbours were very worried that one of these days, Flora might get pregnant and have a baby. If she ran true to form, they were afraid they might find the baby abandoned on the porch because he had outgrown the cute stage and was way too much work and bother. They speculated that if this was not the child's fate, he should be named "Leaf the Lucky"!
Etymology: Leaf (the main organ of photosynthesis and transpiration in higher plants) & Outside (Not inside, in the elements) & play on leave outside (abandon something to the Great Outdoors)
Aspidostracize
Created by: Nosila
Pronunciation: ass pid oss tra size
Sentence: Marvin's Mother-In-Law, Lily, finally went home after her 3 week visit. It was the longest 3 weeks of Marvin's life, as his Mother-in-law was only to eager to point out Marvin's short-comings in fixing up their new place. His wife, Fern, thought it was sweet that her mother had given them a lovely houseplant as a house-warming gift. The Aspidistra was attractive with healthy green foliage, but it constantly reminded Marvin of Lily, so he decided to aspidostracize it in the hopes it would die of neglect outside. It not only survived on the front porch, it thrived and luckily the climate was suitable for it year round. Pretty soon the entire front flower bed was populated with it's baby plants, which also flourished. But every time Marvin came near the plants, he felt they were watching him. They had pistils and they knew how to use them and they were planning to plant him outside soon, too.
Etymology: Aspidistra (evergreen perennial with large handsome basal leaves; grown primarily as a foliage houseplant...also known as Cast Iron Plant,Barroom Plant) & Ostracize (shun;banish;expel from a community or group)
Arborwinism
Created by: MissRabbit
Pronunciation: Arr-bore-win-ism
Sentence: A guilty arborwinist, Meg got so depressed watching her holiday flowers slowly shrivel away that she finally abandoned them to the elements.
Etymology: A mix of arbor (relating to trees/plants) and Darwinism (survival of the fittest)
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COMMENTS:
Shundashrub, also. - metrohumanx, 2008-10-13: 01:45:00
Wabbits are not kind to shwubs. - metrohumanx, 2008-10-13: 01:45:00
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Floracide
Created by: mrskellyscl
Pronunciation: floor-a-side
Sentence: I confess. I am a floracidal maniac - a plant serial killer. Every Christmas, Easter and Mother's Day my family, with the best of intentions, sends me a beautiful, innocent potted martyr and my black thumb condemns them to a sad and bitter ending on the porch alone without food, water or a means of escaping the elements. The doorbell rings and I can hear the poor thing scream, "Noooooo!" as my daughter announces, "Mom, your victim's here."
Etymology: flora: plant life of a particular region or time; the goddess of flowers + -cide: suffix that denotes the act of killing
Comments:
Today's definition was suggested by yellowbird. Thank you yellowbird! ~ James'
purpleartichokes - 2007-11-14: 04:19:00
How ironic, I just did this yesterday with some cilantro that developed a wicked case of spider mites. Now I get to feel the guilt allll over again.
Jabberwocky - 2007-11-14: 15:22:00
I got a phone call from cilantro - he said "Save me purple - it's not too late"
purpleartichokes - 2007-11-14: 18:32:00
I hate you Jabber. Here come the nightmares... "I'm freeeeezing!"
The cilantro is just the tip of the iceberg! I heard that Purple iced her entire crop artichokes, which she was **trying** to grow hydroponically in her basement. That is until she saw her electricity bill quadruple. Just think of all those poor baby artichokes... It's sad, until you think -- Purple probably would have ate them anyways. ~ James
mplsbohemian - 2007-11-14: 23:08:00
Tip of the iceberg *lettuce*, you mean.
purpleartichokes - 2007-11-15: 06:54:00
Now I'm all choked up... guess I'll start eating more meat.
Today's definition was suggested by yellowbird. Thank you yellowbird. ~ James
A friend suggested a very scary thought. She says that the verbotomists should get together and have a \"meet & greet\".
Sounds good. We could have a convention in Verbena, Alabama