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.
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)
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)
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COMMENTS:
I'll buy that! - galwaywegian, 2011-08-12: 06:24:00
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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
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
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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
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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")
Retailiate
Created by: artr
Pronunciation: rēˌtālēˌāt
Sentence: Richard already felt like the bottom rung on the ladder, working as a clerk in a discount shoe store. When a customer snapped her fingers and demanding immediate attention and referring to him as "Hey you", he knew he had to retailiate. First he made sure that each shoe he brought out was a half size smaller or narrower than what she needed. The ones she really loved were always out of stock. When she finally found a pair that she could shove her hoof into, he took her purchase to the register and mis-entered her information so that the transaction was rejected and he could announce in a not-too-quiet voice, "Mam, your card has been declined, do you have another?" The look on her face made all the aggravation worth it.
Etymology: retail: the sale of goods to the public in relatively small quantities for use or consumption rather than for resale + retaliate: make an attack or assault in return for a similar attack
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COMMENTS:
I know this clerk. What a jerk! - wayoffcenter, 2008-10-28: 07:00:00
you've obviously suffered through a retail job at some time - great word - Jabberwocky, 2008-10-28: 13:02:00
Diabolical! - metrohumanx, 2008-10-28: 17:39:00
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Remorselphobia
Created by: Mustang
Pronunciation: Ree - morse - el - fo - bee - uh
Sentence: After harshly criticizing the dessert the waiter brought, Gracielda had a bout of remorselphobia over the thought of what the waiter may return with.
Etymology: Remorse + morsel + phobia
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COMMENTS:
nice word... - hendrixius, 2007-11-30: 08:34:00
very nice - Jabberwocky, 2007-11-30: 15:06:00
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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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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)
Purchill
Created by: OZZIEBOB
Pronunciation: PUR-chil
Sentence: After Bob was overheard to quip: "In this restaraunt the only good waiters are the customers," the fickle-feel gaze of the head-waiter sent purchills of retailiation up his spine.
Etymology: 1. Purchill: a blend of purchase & chill: a depressing influence on the feelings. 2. Retailiation: (retail & retaliation)
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