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...
You have two votes. Click on the words to read the details, then vote your favorite.
Croakus
Created by: artr
Pronunciation: krōkəs
Sentence: Jane has a black thumb when it comes to raising plants. Plants given to her are generally doomed to her attempts at kindness. No matter what kind of plant or flower she has it soon becomes a croakus.
Etymology: croak (die/kill) + crocus (a small, spring-flowering plant of the iris family, which grows from a corm and bears bright yellow, purple, or white flowers)
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COMMENTS:
deadly good word - Nosila, 2010-03-11: 00:22:00
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Snubotany
Created by: Tigger
Pronunciation: snŭ-bŏt'-ən-ē
Sentence: Alice's in-laws ran a florist shop, but she had terrible alergies, and she was forced to practice snubotany every year on Christmas and on her and Carl's anniversary. [In fact, Carl knew that if he started up the driveway only to find a outdoorchid, or a porchsettia, that had been patiousted, and it wasn't Christmas, he'd better just turn right around and go shopping for an anniversary present.]
Etymology: snub - To ignore or behave coldly toward; to slight (Middle English, snubben) + botany - the science of plants (Greek, botanikós)
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COMMENTS:
Now that's a clever word!! Kinda rolls of the tongue. - libertybelle, 2007-11-14: 09:14:00
Sure does. Although Alice may need a snubdevil to perform a exflorcism! - OZZIEBOB, 2007-11-14: 17:13:00
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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)
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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Petalfeelia
Created by: porsche
Pronunciation: petal/feel/iya
Sentence: Petalfeelia occurs when people think their plants have feelings
Etymology: petal + feel
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COMMENTS:
I got it bad. - purpleartichokes, 2007-11-14: 18:33:00
BTW - love this word too! - purpleartichokes, 2007-11-14: 18:34:00
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Overstalk
Created by: astorey
Pronunciation: oh-ver-stalk
Sentence: Melissa liked her plants and generally tried to take good care of them. But when she travelled or forgot to water them, only the ones who could switch to desert mode would survive. The rest became, in Melissa's mind, overstalk, and her neglect moved from benign to willful, as she started planning what the overstalk's pot would hold next.
Etymology: Alteration of "overstock" to incorporate stalk, as in a plant stem. Also intended to imply that you are over the stalk.
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COMMENTS:
cute...Maybe she should stalk to her plants to get them growing... - Nosila, 2008-10-13: 20:21:00
hahaha- "desert mode"....how optimistically deniable. Good one! - metrohumanx, 2008-10-14: 03:11:00
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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
Floracide
Created by: Mustang
Pronunciation: flor-uh-side
Sentence: In a blatant attempt to commit floracide on an unwanted hideous tropical houseplant she had gotten as a gift, Etta left it outdoors on the patio during a blizzard.
Etymology: 'Flora' (Plants considered as a group) with the suffix 'cide' (from Latin meaning “killer,” “act of killing,” used in the formation of compound words)
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COMMENTS:
Yes, a blizzard WILL do the trick. - metrohumanx, 2008-10-13: 02:36:00
Now that is just plain "cold-hearted." - lumina, 2008-10-13: 22:23:00
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Exofoliacizing
Created by: dubld
Pronunciation: eg-so-fo-fo-lee-ah-size-ing
Sentence: After living with the drooping easter lilly for a time, he decided it was time to exofoliacize his easter demon plant.
Etymology: exo (Out) + foliage (Plant) + Exorcize (Expel)
Shrubicide
Created by: MithrilShadow
Pronunciation: ˈshrəb-ə-ˌsīd
Sentence: In the winter of 2006, millions of Americans abandoned their poor Poinsettias on their door step with out adequate food or shelter in hopes to kill them in mass numbers. It was the worst case of Shrubicide ever recorded.
Etymology: Shrub: a low usually several-stemmed woody plant. -cide: killer
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