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.
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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Disstract
Created by: Nosila
Pronunciation: dis trakt
Sentence: When Sonya's boyfriend, Skippy, was "in the mood" and Sonya wasn't,which was often, she'd put him off by trying to disstract him. She'd complain about his breath, his hygiene, the fact that he never took her out or bought her nice things. By the time she was done, his ardor was cooled as surely as if she had thrown ice water over him. He never did figure out that this disstraction was the antidote to Viagra.
Etymology: Diss (treat, mention, or speak to rudely) & Distract (draw someone's attention away from something)
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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Cullduggery
Created by: OZZIEBOB
Pronunciation: kuhl-DUHG_uh-ree
Sentence: Roxie disrailed any of Bob's less- than-desirable activities through a strict program of cullduggery.
Etymology: CULL: Something picked out and put aside or removed as unrequired; SKULLDUGGERY:Instance(s) of less than desirable behaviour. Deception, dishonesty, trickery.
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COMMENTS:
very clever - Jabberwocky, 2008-05-22: 13:34:00
Cullever word, Bob! - Nosila, 2008-05-22: 20:41:00
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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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Distractionhero
Created by: Nosila
Pronunciation: diss trak shun heero
Sentence: Hazel Nutt was not just a good homemaker, despite the fact that her spouse paid her peanuts to keep the house. Unbeknownst to her family and friends, she became a distraction hero on the weekends. Her mission, should she choose to accept it, was to break all the other nuts of their bad habits. Some were shell-shocked, some would pine, some would get caught pecan at things they shouldn't, some were pistachio every night after happy hour and some were just plain mixed nuts. Her spouse, Wal Nutt was one of the worst offenders, but she'd crack him yet. He was almond to be reckoned with and she knew if she ever wanted to run off to be with the handsome Filbert, living among the Brazil Nuts, she'd have to distractionhero Wall Nutt somehow. One night when Wall Nutt was again peanut attention to her, she put on classical music on their stereo. As he dreamily listened to the music, she smuckered up behind him and conked him on the head with a hammer. Yes, and she had picked the perfect Tchaikcashewsky music to do it to, too...The Nutcracker Sweet!
Etymology: Distraction (the act of distracting; drawing someone's attention away from something or an entertainment that provokes pleased interest and distracts you from worries and vexations) + Action Hero (someone who saves the day and uses their powers to fight for a cause)
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COMMENTS:
Luv your "nutty" sentece. - OZZIEBOB, 2008-05-22: 18:55:00
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Dimswitch
Created by: artr
Pronunciation: dimswich
Sentence: Jill’s boyfriend Donny is not the sharpest tool on the bench. If he starts to perform embarrassing bar tricks at a party she employs her patented dimswitch technique, a.k.a. the ooh-look-a-shiny-thing tactic. It never fails.
Etymology: dim (not bright) + switch (change the position, direction, or focus of)
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)
Slyversionary
Created by: Nosila
Pronunciation: sly ver shun ary
Sentence: Sandra kept Simon's activities on a short leash. Whenever he wanted to do something she did not approve of, she would create a slyversionary attack. For instance, major sporting events on television were missed because that darn tv "acted up again" or "the cable was out". How could he join his buddies hunting when his rifle and hunting license were not to be found anywhere? You get the picture, but Simon failed to notice the coincidence of these events.
Etymology: Sly (marked by skill in deception) & Diversionary (an attack calculated to draw enemy defense away from the point of the principal attack;a tactic that diverts attention)
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COMMENTS:
the best word today! Very sly! - splendiction, 2009-07-02: 21:21:00
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Distractivity
Created by: mrskellyscl
Pronunciation: dis-trac-tiv-i-ty
Sentence: Jill learned to keep a distractivity in her purse for social situations with Jack. If he became bored, he would get into trouble. At her mother's dinner party she heard him start a lively conversation about the elections with Uncle Will. Quickly, she pulled a Game Boy out of her purse and sent him into the game room to wait for dinner.
Etymology: distract: divert attention + activity: an educational aid designed to stimulate learning through hands-on experience
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