Vote for the best verboticism.
DEFINITION: n., The fear that your service representative will retaliate after you have complained. v., To be afraid of bad service because you complained about it.
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.
Venjitters
Created by: ErWenn
Pronunciation: /ˌvɛnˈdʒɪdɚz/
Sentence: After publishing a severe critique of the way government officials had arrested a reporter with dissenting views, the journalist got a severe case of the venjitters.
Etymology: from Anglo-French "venger", meaning "to avenge" (as in English "avenge", "revenge", and "vengeance") + "jitters" (unknown origin)
----------------------------
COMMENTS:
I like the sound of it. - purpleartichokes, 2007-11-30: 12:20:00
----------------------------
Gaffatwaphobia
Created by: galwaywegian
Pronunciation: gaff at waff o bee a
Sentence: Her gaffatwaphobia was so intense that she called all of the teddy bears she gave as gifts to her nephews and nieces after herself, for fear of reprecussions.
Etymology: Gaff fatwa phobia
Mealfearsence
Created by: mweinmann
Pronunciation: Meal+Fear+Sense
Sentence: When the bacon bits on Ruth's salad began to move, she was disturbed and called the waiter to take a look. As he offerred to take the salad back and "fix" it, the sneer on his face filled Ruth with mealfearsence and she decided to eat it rather than not know what else might be added to it. She had a sense of fear that there would be further wrongdoing in regards to her salad.
Etymology: The word malfeasance combined with meal, fear and sense
----------------------------
COMMENTS:
very nice - Jabberwocky, 2008-10-28: 13:00:00
Mal-ificent word... - Nosila, 2008-10-28: 14:02:00
Take it BACK! Run away! - metrohumanx, 2008-10-28: 17:49:00
Very clever! - Mustang, 2008-10-28: 18:49:00
----------------------------
Grumbleflinch
Created by: petaj
Pronunciation: grum-bull-flinch
Sentence: The old woman was a well-known complainangst at the store. Despite receiving excellent service over the years she always seemed to grumbleflinch whenever she had to return a product. It was like she expected retailiation.
Etymology: grumble + flinch (complainant + angst)
----------------------------
COMMENTS:
Gotta love those cantankerous senior shitizens! - purpleartichokes, 2007-11-30: 10:27:00
----------------------------
Phalloutbia
Created by: thegoatisbad
Pronunciation: Fal-out-be-ah
Sentence: Zinnia's diet had a few restrictions: "I can't eat oil, flour, meat or milk" she explained. Her tenancy to send back food that wasn't clearly a raw fruit or vegetable horrified Kimberly. "I would never send something back to the Kitchen. Do you know what goes on back there? Hatred, spit and vengeance." But Kimberly's warning meant nothing to Zinnia, "No phalloutbia is as strong as my desire to feel thin."
Etymology: fallout (effect, repercussion) + phobia (fear of)
Spitzophrenia
Created by: Tigger
Pronunciation: \spit-suh-free-nee-uh\
Sentence: Julia developed a severe case of spitzophrenia, after sending her Chicken Marsala back because she thought it had been overcooked, once she heard the cook shouting and cursing in the kitchen -- all the way from her seat at the far end of the restaurant -- and she was certain she'd be gripenalized for it. She was sure it would be 'spit-for-tat' and was soon overwhelmed by protestanoia.
Etymology: spit - to eject saliva from the mouth (Old English, spātl - "spittle") + schizophrenia - a mental disorder characterized by delusions (from Greek, comb. of 'schízein' & 'phrén' - "split mind")
Remorselangst
Created by: Mustang
Pronunciation: re-MORSE-uhl-angst
Sentence: Seeing what she thought was vengeful aggravation in the eyes of the waiter when she complained about her dinner, Matilda experienced a huge wave of remorselangst and found herself wishing she'd just eaten the overdone steak rather than to complain about it.
Etymology: Blend of remorse, morsel, and angst
----------------------------
COMMENTS:
Downright inspirational! - metrohumanx, 2008-10-28: 02:28:00
like it! - Jabberwocky, 2008-10-28: 13:01:00
----------------------------
Maitrebution
Created by: Stevenson0
Pronunciation: mey/truh/byoo/shun
Sentence: As soon as she returned her over cooked steak, she had a sick sense that maitrebution would occur behind the closed doors of the kitchen on her new steak.
Etymology: maitre d'+ retribution
----------------------------
COMMENTS:
Great word -- I'll be thinking about it the next time I send food back at a restaurant. Yikes!! - franke, 2007-11-30: 10:03:00
A legitimate beef. No doubt her next steak will be cooked medium hair. - purpleartichokes, 2007-11-30: 10:22:00
----------------------------
Remorsel
Created by: swallowedbyafish
Pronunciation:
Sentence: He was instantly filled with remorsel after realizing the waiter was about to go do unspeakable things to his food.
Etymology: remorse + morsel
----------------------------
COMMENTS:
oops didn't mean to steal somebody else's idea...
sorry - swallowedbyafish, 2007-11-30: 22:53:00
----------------------------
Retaliphobia
Created by: Nosila
Pronunciation: ree ta la fo bee ya
Sentence: When Fastedia dines out, she always finds fault with her meal selections. Her complaints are picky, minor beefs that really annoy the wait staff. (Where's my parsley garnish?) Afterall, they are busy enough without running back and forth for her. After several acts of revenge in past, she has developed retaliphobia of the servers. It makes her job as a restaurant columnist all the harder...
Etymology: Retaliate (take revenge for a perceived wrong)& Phobia (an anxiety disorder characterized by extreme and irrational fear of simple things or social situations)
Comments:
Today's definition was suggested by remistram. Thank you remistram~ James
remistram - 2007-11-30: 10:14:00
I admit - one of my paranoias....
purpleartichokes - 2007-11-30: 13:49:00
Thanks for all the great definitions Remi!
By the way, Remistram also gets a credit for yesterday's definition. She originally submitted her definition about compulsive sniffing in June, so I have added her name to the credits which she shares with kabloozie. Thanks! ~ James
silveryaspen - 2008-12-09: 01:06:00
Am I the only one confounded by the previous verbotomies being show as new ones, along with the re-run of the definition? When we go to vote for the new verbotomies, it's going to be confusing to vote for the new verbotomies instead of the old verbotomies.
logarithm - 2008-12-09: 04:24:00
A re-run, huh? I think it's ok to mix the old and new verbotomies together, and let people vote for their favourites. New verbotomies are great, but some of the old ones might still be the better ones. p/s Silveryaspen: I am back! ;-)
wayoffcenter - 2008-12-09: 05:31:00
But old games have already been decided and have major point advantages over any new entries. It stops regular contributors from playing. They already have a word entered for this contest.
logarithm - 2008-12-09: 07:02:00
It's a contest?
Hey Silvery et al, Oops! Double replay. I have now updated today's definition. See it here: Isn't it a bit early to be wearing Christmas decorations? Be creative, James
Yes, logarithm, it's a game. We have daily and weekly winners. The winning word of the day gets printed in the "b", Baltimore's free daily newspaper. See: b the paper. ~ James
Today's definition was suggested by remistram. Thank you remistram. ~ James