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...
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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)
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
Predispaversion
Created by: artr
Pronunciation: pree-dis-puh-vur-zhuh
Sentence: When Janet noticed her boyfriend, Jamie's propensity for chewing on pens, she decided to treat his bad habit with predispaversion. She dipped all the pens in the house in hot sauce. Her little experiment backfired when he developed a taste for the fiery concoction and almost doubled their food and pen budget. She also got burned the other morning when she wrote her self a note with one of her mangled pens just before applying her eye shadow.
Etymology: predisposition (tendency to a condition or quality, usually based on the combined effects of genetic and environmental factors) + aversion (a strong feeling of dislike, opposition, repugnance, or antipathy)
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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Womanipulate
Created by: galwaywegian
Pronunciation: wooh man ipp yew layt
Sentence: Anytime the Honkers games were televised, she would use her considerable stache of lingerie to womanipulate the situation. Anything to prevent the new couch being covered with beer and pizza stains.
Etymology: woman, manipulate
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COMMENTS:
I wonder if lingerie works for Hockey as well...hmmm - Jabberwocky, 2008-05-22: 13:41:00
A good "dressing-down" often works! - OZZIEBOB, 2008-05-22: 18:46:00
A good "dressing-down" often works! - OZZIEBOB, 2008-05-22: 18:46:00
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Nulltitasking
Created by: bookowl
Pronunciation: null/tee/task/ing
Sentence: He got absolutely nothing accomplished once he began nulltitasking.
Etymology: null + multitasking
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COMMENTS:
Seems like it's time for an annulment- or at least some sort of annulitasking? - OZZIEBOB, 2008-05-22: 18:50:00
Good word, though null and void where prohibited by law... - Nosila, 2008-05-22: 20:39:00
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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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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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Procedo
Created by: splendiction
Pronunciation: prow SEE due
Sentence: Sam’s parents accomplished the amazing! He made his bed, vacuumed the downstairs, took out the garbage - all before breakfast! The procedo was that he couldn’t eat until his chores were done.
Etymology: From PROCEDURE and DO - to do a set activity before another activity.
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COMMENTS:
A perfect placebo - Nosila, 2009-07-02: 13:20:00
- of course I would never give out a real procedo like this! - splendiction, 2009-07-04: 21:23:00
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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