Vote for the best verboticism.
DEFINITION: v. To prevent someone from participating in an undesired activity by engaging them in another activity which makes it impossible to do the first. n. Two things cannot be done at the same time.
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.
Etaskulate
Created by: Stevenson0
Pronunciation: e/task/u/late
Sentence: Jenny had such control over Joe that she could easily etaskulate him. A planned night out at the pub with Joe's friends, or a Saturday golf game was always interrupted by Jenny's sudden urge to have him learn knitting, or help her sort her fashion magazine collection.
Etymology: ETASKULATE - VERB - from EMASCULATE (to castrate; to deprive of strength, or vigor; to weaken) + TASK
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COMMENTS:
Hysterical. Great word. - mrskellyscl, 2009-07-02: 06:05:00
I agree - hilarious! - splendiction, 2009-07-02: 21:22:00
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Incompaticake
Created by: diyan627
Pronunciation: in cum pat eee cayk
Sentence: Barry is so dense...Nina plays incompaticake with him all the time to get him to stop doing things she doesn't like.
Etymology: incompatible + patty cake (game that would entertain a nearly primordial person :) The funny thing is, this is a real definition out there in Behavior Analysis Academia.. The real term for the technique is called Differential Reinforcement of Incompatible behaviors (DRI)
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COMMENTS:
wonderful etymology - Jabberwocky, 2008-05-22: 13:38:00
Is incompaticake the same as wedding -cake? - OZZIEBOB, 2008-05-22: 18:53:00
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Subterguile
Created by: Mustang
Pronunciation: SUB - ter - gile
Sentence: Wilhelmena employed a two pronged game of subterguile on her couch potato fiance, Rutherford, first distracting him with alluring smiles and suggestions and then offering other options to lure him away from another weeked of non stop on-line gaming with his buddies on his computer.
Etymology: Blend of 'subterfuge' (A deceptive stratagem or device) and 'guile' (deceitful cunning)
Haltitasking
Created by: artr
Pronunciation: hôltētasking
Sentence: Sharon can't stand it when her husband has nothing to do, defined as spending hours playing video games. To keep this from happening she makes sure to keep a full complement of haltitasking items on his honey-do list. Today he is cleaning the dental molding on all the furniture with a toothbrush.
Etymology: halt (bring or come to an abrupt stop) + multitasking (the simultaneous execution of more than one program or task)
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COMMENTS:
good word - Nosila, 2009-07-02: 13:20:00
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Sublimatention
Created by: mrskellyscl
Pronunciation: sub-lim-a-ten-shen
Sentence: Karen used sublimatention successfully to redirect Ron's focus from a bad behavior to a good one. Now, instead of nose mining in public, he cleans his glasses.
Etymology: subliminal: below the threshold of conscious perception + sublimate: direct energy from a socially improper behavior to an acceptable one + mate: spouse + attention: concentrated focus of the mind
Distractitask
Created by: pieceof314
Pronunciation: di-strakt-ih-task
Sentence: "Hey Jim, look over here! Pie!" Mary vigorously pointed to the counter where a freshly baked pie was waiting to be dished out, trying to think of a way to get him to stop playing pocket pool. Jim's eyebrows raised as he took his hands from out of his pockets to reach for a plate. Just then, Mary's best friend walked in. The distractitask was successful.
Etymology: distract + task
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COMMENTS:
a bit disdrastic but cunning - Jabberwocky, 2008-05-22: 13:36:00
This aint just "Pie in the Sky" stuff. - OZZIEBOB, 2008-05-22: 18:58:00
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Resequentiate
Created by: mweinmann
Pronunciation: ree - see - quen - chee - ate
Sentence: When Lenny's behavior went off-track, Mona decided to resequentiate him.
Etymology: re (again, repeat, change) sequential (one at a time), suffix "tiate" (as in initiate, substantiate)
Disattraction
Created by: Nosila
Pronunciation: dis at trak shun
Sentence: Whenever Betsy was being quizzed by her skinflint husband, Cyril, about her spending, she would slip into a sexy nightie and make him forget about finances by being a big disattraction to him.
Etymology: Distraction (an entertainment that provokes pleased interest and distracts you from worries and vexations) & Attraction (the quality of arousing interest; being attractive or something that attracts)
Solitarsking
Created by: petaj
Pronunciation: soll-it-asking
Sentence: It helps to be good at solitarsking when working with preschoolers and trying to avoid little fingers getting up to mischief.
Etymology: solitary (single, one) + task (job, activity) inspired by the term multitasking which is really what is expected when the boss says you need to be multiskilled.
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COMMENTS:
Clever blend,. Took me a while to catch on to it. I too 'toyed' with the unitasking concept for while. - OZZIEBOB, 2008-05-22: 08:26:00
Actually could have used psycholdoggy here as well. Keep throwing a stick so the dog can't lick his unmentionables. - petaj, 2008-05-23: 02:36:00
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Rehabitulate
Created by: milorush
Pronunciation: (n.) rē'kə-bĭch'ə-lāt'; (tr.v.) rē'kə-bĭch'ə-lā'shən
Sentence: In recent years, an effective form of rehabitulation for incessant smokers has proven to be non-stop eating -- doctors, however, are not convinced the disease isn't worse than the cure.
Etymology: re- = "again" + hab[it] + [cap]itulation = "the act of surrendering"
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COMMENTS:
Nice blend. - OZZIEBOB, 2008-05-22: 19:00:00
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Comments:
Today's definition is inspired by the "Joy of Incompatible Behaviors". It's Amy Sutherland's secret weapon for dealing with people who have annoying habits which they can't seem to control. The secret is not to try to stop them, but rather get them on another track. See: "What Shamu Taught me About Life, Love and Marriage". Thanks Amy! ~ James
Today's definition is inspired by the "Joy of Incompatible Behaviors". It's Amy Sutherland's secret weapon for dealing with people who have annoying habits which they can't seem to control. The secret is not to try to stop them, but rather get them on another track. See: "What Shamu Taught me About Life, Love and Marriage". Thanks Amy! ~ James
Today's definition was suggested by amysutherland. Thank you amysutherland. ~ James