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.
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)
Regretel
Created by: Nosila
Pronunciation: re gret el
Sentence: When he followed the breadcrumb trail to the house made of candy in the Enchanted Forest, Hansel complained to the old crone that lived there.He could not find his sister and accused her of holding her there against her will. When he realizes her intent, he is full of regretel and so soon is the old crone...
Etymology: Regret (remorse;be sorry) & Gretel (Sister in the Grimm fairy tale Hansel & Gretel)
Regretribution
Created by: Nosila
Pronunciation: ree gret trib you shun
Sentence: Rhett was already feeling regretribution for complaining to his Bank Manager, Chet, about the way he had been treated by the bank employees while doing a little banking. He did not realize that such a complaint might reflect badly on Chet's perfect career record and maybe hinder or halt any career aspirations he had to be Bank President. You could Abetribution that there would be Rhettribution from Chetribution which would cause Sweatribution, Upsetribution and Threatribution and Rhett could Getribution a big Debtribution. Yes, next time Rhett tried to rob a bank, he'd pick one with nicer tellers!
Etymology: Regret (sadness associated with some wrong done or some disappointment;feel remorse for; feel sorry for; be contrite about) & Retribution(the act of taking revenge (harming someone in retaliation for something harmful that they have done) especially in the next life)
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COMMENTS:
Good grief! That sentence makes my head swim!.....but i like it. - metrohumanx, 2008-10-28: 02:25:00
That's called dizzytribution, but don't fretribution, if you were on a plane, it might be jetribution or on a boat it would be wetribution! - Nosila, 2008-10-28: 12:52:00
If the warden lets me use the computer, I'll make another contribution. - metrohumanx, 2008-10-28: 17:55:00
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Spitaworry
Created by: LotusB
Pronunciation: SPIT-a-wor-ee
Sentence:
Etymology: Spit + Worry = Spitaworry
Whinerwager
Created by: remistram
Pronunciation: why-ner-wey-jer
Sentence: Her whinerwager came true, her pasta dish that was too cold came back in a flash steaming hot with a dust bunny on top.
Etymology: whiner (complainer) + wager (risk)
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
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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
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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
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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
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Ruexchange
Created by: zxvasdf
Pronunciation: Rue x change
Sentence: Matilda loved making ruexchanges because it placed her on the precipice of doubt and the thrill of the unknown shivered through her spine as the waiter placed the possibly reconstituted food at her table. Others are normally not so inclined to make a ruexchange out of a justifiable fear of acquiring some mysterious disease.
Etymology: Rue (to regret) & exchange (to trade in) Also a "rude" could be derived.
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COMMENTS:
makes me think of Scooby Doo - Jabberwocky, 2008-10-28: 13:03:00
Never get inclined near the precipice of doubt. ExtremeDining is too much for me.Brilliant word. Beautifully lyrical example. - metrohumanx, 2008-10-28: 17:42:00
A lumpy RUE is a valid reason to return ANY sauce. - metrohumanx, 2008-10-28: 18:00:00
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Retrifarction
Created by: schoolmarm
Pronunciation: ret/ruh/FARK/shun
Sentence: Seconds after she mentioned her dirty spoon to the waiter, she suffered a massive retrifarction and had to be removed from the restaurant.
Etymology:
Gripejitters
Created by: MichaelCampbellUK
Pronunciation: gri-pe-ji-turs
Sentence: Amy was overcome by a wave of the gripejitters after sending back the 'chocolate' mousse.
Etymology: Gripe + jitters. See also 'gripeweasel' N.
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