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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Subterguile
Created by: Mustang
Pronunciation: SUB - ter - gile
Sentence: Ambrosia employed a two pronged game of subterguile on her couch potato fiance, Guilford, first distracting him with alluring smiles and suggestions and then offering other options to lure him away from another weeked of non stop gaming with his LAN buddies on his computer.
Etymology: Blend of subterfuge and beguile
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COMMENTS:
Inspired choice of names. Ambrosia and Guilford, Troilus and Cressida, Romeo and Juliet - petaj, 2008-05-22: 06:15:00
excellent - Jabberwocky, 2008-05-22: 13:40:00
Beguiling! - OZZIEBOB, 2008-05-22: 18:56:00
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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
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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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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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)
Engapability
Created by: melodydrama
Pronunciation: Ehn-gape-uh-bill-it-ee
Sentence: Whispering in her boyfriend's ear Jill discreetly distracted him, from the flat screen T.V. being carried outside the restaurant window, rendering him engapable.
Etymology: engage/engagement, incapability
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
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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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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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