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.
Exfoliage
Created by: petaj
Pronunciation: EX-FOE-lee-age
Sentence: In a fit of ruthless spring cleaning, all unwanted growth in the house was expunged. The plants were exfoliaged, and then the winter-coat on her legs was depilated.
Etymology: exfoliate (to get rid of unwanted growth) + ex (prefix meaning outside) + foliage (leaves)
Botanikiller
Created by: artr
Pronunciation: bəˈtani kilər
Sentence: Doris was such a sweet person that her neighbors found it shocking to find out that she was a botanikiller. They thought she was trying to give her house plants a boost of sunshine when they were set out on the deck. When the first frost hit, they were concerned. When the first snow came, it was clear that her intent was homicidal.
Etymology: botanical (of or relating to plants) + killer (a person, animal, or thing that causes death)
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COMMENTS:
Botanikiller would make a great movie title. Nice, artr! - metrohumanx, 2008-10-13: 11:20:00
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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)
Botanicull
Created by: TJayzz
Pronunciation: Bot-anee-cull
Sentence: Mary Gold's love of plants had got a bit out of hand just lately. Her husband came up with a plan to reduce the numbers, he decided it was time to botanicull them one by one. He started with the poinsettia that was bought for show last christmas, it had seen better days he thought to himself, so he took the pot down to the bottom of the garden and put it round the back of his shed, sure that his wife would not notice it had gone he left it out ready for the elements to do the rest.
Etymology: Botany(the study of plants) + Cull(to kill, reduce the numbers of) = Botanicull
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COMMENTS:
clever - Jabberwocky, 2008-10-13: 14:05:00
Maybe there is a botanineed for a botanicull afterall. - Nosila, 2008-10-13: 20:19:00
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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)
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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Meanthumb
Created by: rikboyee
Pronunciation: meen-thum
Sentence: it was clear that the sad little pot plant was making her kitchen gloomy and it was time for her to exercise her meanthumb
Etymology: mean, green thumb
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COMMENTS:
It just works. - dubld, 2007-11-14: 09:06:00
pot plants usually have the opposite effect - why didn't she just smoke it? - Jabberwocky, 2007-11-14: 10:21:00
i'm gunja pretend you didn't say that - rikboyee, 2007-11-14: 15:31:00
doobie doobie do - where's purple when you want to sing - you know youjuana - Jabberwocky, 2007-11-14: 16:25:00
Seems to mean it's all about meangreen! Nice word! - OZZIEBOB, 2007-11-14: 17:16:00
Purple's been swamped at work, with no signs of letting up until after Jan 15. Poor Purple. Love your word Rik. - purpleartichokes, 2007-11-14: 18:25:00
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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
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COMMENTS:
Bloomingales, a great place to chop...errr..shop - Mustang, 2008-10-13: 08:49:00
A plant is not just for christmas!! - TJayzz, 2008-10-13: 09:01:00
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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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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