Vote for the best verboticism.
DEFINITION: n. A misheard or misunderstood lyric, which gives the song a completely different meaning than originally intended. v. To misinterpret a song because you "hear" different words than the ones actually being sung.
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.
Mangledupinblues
Created by: galwaywegian
Pronunciation: mang eld up in bloooze
Sentence: His mangledupinblues were frequent and severe, often leading to bouts of drinking alone in the basement of his hovel, wishing he was back home, awash in his subterrainian homesick booze
Etymology: tangled up in blue, mangled
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COMMENTS:
nice Dylan references - Jabberwocky, 2009-05-05: 11:18:00
Ah the times, they are a chainging! - Nosila, 2009-05-05: 22:12:00
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Oopsydittie
Created by: artr
Pronunciation: oōpsēditē
Sentence: Everybody was used to hearing Jeff humming his favorite song as he went through his day. What they didn’t know until last Saturday night at the karaoke was that Jeff’s head contained an oopsydittie. As he belted out his fave, his friends realized he hadn’t gotten a single lyric right.
Etymology: oops (used to show recognition of a mistake or minor accident, often as part of an apology) + upsy-daisy (used to express encouragement to a child who has fallen or is being lifted) + dittie (a short simple song)
Fudgeurlirics
Created by: jasjamson
Pronunciation: fudge ur leer ics
Sentence: Your fudgeurlirics has revamped that song completely!
Etymology: Fudge + your + lyrics
Moundofgreen
Created by: Eightbhall
Pronunciation: Mound-of-green
Sentence: Billy had been told that the classic Two Ronies Fork Handles scetch was based on a moundofgreen, which was strange as he remembered it being set in a shop and not a grassy hill. Either way he had seen it so often that it was now no longer funny but tired and stale; a moundofgreen-and mouldy.
Etymology: A possible mondegreen of the word mondegreen.
Ballbadear
Created by: galwaywegian
Pronunciation: bahl bad eeeer
Sentence: his hearing loss turned him into a ballbadear, but when he first heard "tangled up in poo" he became a dylanquent
Etymology: balladeer, bad ear
Wrongbird
Created by: artr
Pronunciation: rôngbərd
Sentence: Marsha is a regular wrongbird. She and her friends love to go out to the local karaoke bar and sing their hearts out. Often her vanity that prevents her from wearing her glasses combines with her active imagination to create a hysterical new set of lyrics. "Excuse me while I kiss this guy"
Etymology: wrong (not correct or true) + songbird (a bird with a musical song)
Mondegreen
Created by: theodrixx
Pronunciation: Mawn-deh-green
Sentence: I discovered a mondegreen just the other day; I heard Jimi Hendrix's lyrics in Purple Haze, "excuse me while I kiss the sky" as being "excuse me while I kiss this guy."
Etymology: Named for an instance of this phenomenon during a reading of a poem, where in the line "and laid him on the green" was heard as "and Lady Mondegreen."
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COMMENTS:
nice one - galwaywegian, 2010-11-17: 18:52:00
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Adversapropism
Created by: emdeejay
Pronunciation: Add verse à propism
Sentence: Wayne was of those amateur guitarists who seemed to know only half the words of the songs in his repertoire. When he gave his son an impromptu rendition of what he *thought* was "Sonny Be Good", his wife gave him the nickname "Dog Berry"
Etymology: Verse: component of a song that isn't a chorus. Malapropism: misuse of words, often humorously. Adverse: That doesn't sound quite right does it?
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COMMENTS:
clever combo - Jabberwocky, 2009-05-05: 11:13:00
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Misunderheard
Created by: mrskellyscl
Pronunciation: mis-under-herd
Sentence: Grandma shrugged, "You kids today with your hippity-hop and stupid lyrics -- why when I was young we had songs with meaning!" She sighed wistfully and began to sing to herself, "Knock, knock, knocking on Kevin's door." Grandpa stood up, "You've been singing that song wrong for the past 50 years, old woman. It's "Knock, knock knockin' on heaven's door" for crying out loud." "Well, I guess I misunderheard the lyrics, excuuuuuse me. And if you correct me again in front of the grandkids you'll be knock, knock, knockin' on heaven's door sooner than you think."
Etymology: misunderstood: improperly understood or interpreted + heard
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COMMENTS:
wonderful word... - mweinmann, 2009-05-05: 08:34:00
I just noticed that you used one of the same song title's in your sentence as I did....only I think Kevin is funnier tha Evan!!! - mweinmann, 2009-05-05: 08:34:00
There's a herd of misunderheard today! Goodjob, mrsk! - Nosila, 2009-05-05: 22:15:00
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Melohdear
Created by: Nosila
Pronunciation: mel o deer
Sentence: Jackie Chan was motivated by a 1966 hit by Johnny Rivers. He said it inspired him to play the tough guys in all his many movies. While learning the English language, the melohdear which inspired his career was "Secret Asian Man"!
Etymology: Melody (tune;musical notes in sequence) & Oh Dear (worrying phrase when something goes wrong, like Oh, My;Oh, Drat, etc)
Comments:
Today's definition was suggested by mrskellyscl (misinterpreted words) and by abrakadeborah (misinterpreted meanings). And of course, by Bob Dylan's classic song about doing the laundry -- Blowing in the Wind ~ James
abrakadeborah - 2009-05-05: 01:02:00
Thank you James~ Cartoon was great! & To mrskellyscl,Oh how I can relate to that one! I have an ex boyfriend that no matter what song he hears NONE of the words match as he tries to sing along! Too funny! :) LOL
Today's definition was suggested by mrskellyscl. Thank you mrskellyscl. ~ James