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.
Clereckage
Created by: artr
Pronunciation: klərekij
Sentence: Despite the fact that everything in her order was wrong, Joyce was kept quiet. She feared the clereckage that might occur if she complained.
Etymology: clerk (a person employed in an office or bank to keep records and accounts and to undertake other routine administrative duties) + wreckage (something that has been badly damaged or destroyed)
Whingesurgence
Created by: emdeejay
Pronunciation: Whinge surgence
Sentence: All June was really trying to do was start a conversation with the charming waiter. Unforunately her complete lack of tact backfired *again* and she cringed awaiting the oncoming whingesurgence
Etymology: Whinge: to complain annoyingly. Insurgence: an act of rebellion or counteroffensive
Counterattack
Created by: petaj
Pronunciation: counter attack
Sentence: No sooner had Nelly complained to the insurance officer across the service desk about the poor quality of the repairer's work on her storm-damaged roof, she felt that coil of fear in her stomach. Would this woman counterattack with quick thrust of her letter opener, or was she in for a year delay in getting the ruined carpet replaced.
Etymology: counter attack (retaliation) + counter (where one obtains service in a shop or service centre)
Truebull
Created by: silveryaspen
Pronunciation: true bull
Sentence: When Ruth's steak was so rare it mooed, she sent it back to the chef. She knew she was in truebull, when it came back looking like the leather sole on a cowboy boot that had been through the cow barn.
Etymology: TO RUE, TROUBLE, BULL. To rue troubling over what is not right, because it resulted in being on the receiving end of even worse bull. Truebull is double trouble.
Sabophobic
Created by: logarithm
Pronunciation: sa.bo·fo.bik sab′ə fo bIk
Sentence:
Etymology: Sabotage - A deliberate act of destruction or disruption in which equipment is damaged. Phobic - suffering from irrational fears.
----------------------------
COMMENTS:
Sabophobic is real textbook material. - metrohumanx, 2008-11-19: 20:27:00
----------------------------
Bitchback
Created by: wayoffcenter
Pronunciation: bich bak
Sentence: Milley had a BMW personality (bitch, moan,whine) to the point that she didn't even notice she was doing it. As such, she was often the recipient of bitchback. She would bitch about an appetizer and get a lousy entree. She would moan about long lines and it would take extra days for checks to clear at the bank. She would whine about poor service and end up with even less. All this did was add fuel with which to rev up her BMW.
Etymology: bitch (express displeasure; grumble) + pitchback (a baseball practice device that bounces a ball back to a player
----------------------------
COMMENTS:
Hey, I know this is an old contest but I missed it before so what the hey... - wayoffcenter, 2008-12-09: 05:26:00
----------------------------
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
----------------------------
Retailiation
Created by: Nosila
Pronunciation: re tayl ee ay shun
Sentence: When Gerda complained to her hairdresser that she did not like the colour and cut given to her the day before, she demanded a new free colour and cut the next month. Although she feared retailiation, the hairdresser grudgingly obliged, foregoing her commission. Gerda's fears were unfounded, as purpily, uneven, fuzzy, fried hair is all the rage now!
Etymology: Retail (the selling of goods or services to consumers) & Retaliation (avenge;action taken in return for an injury or offense)
----------------------------
COMMENTS:
I'll buy that! - galwaywegian, 2011-08-12: 06:24:00
----------------------------
Maitredisgusting
Created by: bzav1
Pronunciation: maitre dee skusting
Sentence: What he did to my cake was maitrdisgusting. I will never complain about my dessert again!
Etymology: maitre de + disgusting
Servangst
Created by: galwaywegian
Pronunciation: sur vang ssssssssst
Sentence: Her servangst was so strong that she naver went to a restaurant without a sandwich in her purse
Etymology: servant, angst
----------------------------
COMMENTS:
Good answer...worth a good tip! - Nosila, 2010-03-25: 12:24:00
----------------------------
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