Vote for the best verboticism.
DEFINITION: v. To use animal training techniques to improve and direct the behavior of other people. n. A technique which uses the principles of animal training to solve a human behavioral riddle.
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.
Obediencesocool
Created by: splendiction
Pronunciation: rhymes with "obedience school"
Sentence: They had tried everything, it seemed, to eliminate their son’s thumbsucking: behaviour modification, ignoring, even praise. Nothing worked until obediencesocool! The idea of simply complying with their requests actually became the new cool thing to do! They hoped this new trend would last and spawn similar trends.
Etymology: A play on a dog "obedience school".
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COMMENTS:
Cool word...what you have to do with teens these days... - Nosila, 2009-06-30: 01:22:00
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Psycholdoggy
Created by: petaj
Pronunciation: sigh-COL-dog-e
Sentence: Sue-Ellen soon wised up she could manage her children's own behaviour modification for the cost of an obedience training course for her pet. There was no reason to pay out megabucks on a professional, when she was an expert psycholdogist.
Etymology: psychology + dog
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COMMENTS:
nice and original - Jabberwocky, 2008-05-19: 14:19:00
I think that's happened to me. Good one! - Mustang, 2008-05-19: 23:52:00
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Rollrover
Created by: artr
Pronunciation: rohl-roh-ver
Sentence: Jane's husband snores terribly if he sleeps on his back. She got tired of poking him in the ribs to get him to roll over onto his side. Watching him clicker-train their dog inspired her. That night, when the snoring started, she used the clicker. He immediately rolled onto his side. Her rollrover technique was a success. No more broken nails for her. No more sore ribs for him.
Etymology: roll over (a common trick dogs are trained to do) + Rover (a common dog name)
Folkwhisperer
Created by: Nosila
Pronunciation: foke whis per er
Sentence: Abby decided to use her skills as a Horse Whisperer on her human family to see if the methods brought the same great results they had with her equine clients. With a large carrot, she approached her son Marvin cautiously, when he was again tying up her phone for hours. She bent close to his open ear, stroked his adolescent face gently and whispered the calming words which had the desired affect:"Get off that darn phone now or I will jam this carrot into your other ear!" At once he hung up and ran for his room. Yes, using Folkwhisperer methods worked every time... it wasn't tough love, but pavlove!
Etymology: folk (people in general)& the horse whisperer (a person who tames and trains horses by gentle methods and speech)
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COMMENTS:
'Pavloved' your story! Too funny! My conditioned response was to LOL... - Tigger, 2008-05-19: 02:49:00
you might not believe it but I didn't read youir sentence before I posted. - stache, 2008-05-19: 13:13:00
I believe you, stache...not the first time great minds have thought alike... - Nosila, 2008-05-19: 16:54:00
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Shamu
Created by: Verbotomy
Pronunciation: Sham-moo
Sentence: Shamu the proper noun has become the all-purpose verb in our house. It's shorthand for using the principles of animal training to solve a behavioral riddle. We shamu friends, family, and neighbors. We shamu each other. "Did you just shamu me?" we will ask the other.
Etymology: Shamu is the stage name for the star Orcas (killer whales) at SeaWorld, that inspired the title of Amy Sutherland's book, "What Shamu Taught Me".
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COMMENTS:
The sentence is direct quote from Amy's book where she explains how she has adopted the word. ~ James - Verbotomy, 2008-05-19: 00:15:00
When this happens to me, I feel so Shamused. - Tigger, 2008-05-19: 02:54:00
Very shamutable! - OZZIEBOB, 2008-05-19: 06:38:00
Yes, if we apply shamu to creativity we get a shamutation. ~ James - Verbotomy, 2008-05-19: 15:46:00
I think it's time for as a serious stuff, what about the science, theory or study of shamu: "Shamulogy" - OZZIEBOB, 2008-05-20: 22:26:00
Oops! I think it's time for the serious stuff, what about the science, theory or study of shamu: "Shamulogy" - OZZIEBOB, 2008-05-20: 22:29:00
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Petiquette
Created by: mweinmann
Pronunciation: pet - eh - kit
Sentence: Marjorie used petiquette to train her husband to do household chores. If he put the toilet seat down, he got a cookie; when he mowed the lawn, he got some ice cream. Every task had a "payoff" of some type..... She figured that if this worked on the dog, it might work on Charles.
Etymology: pet, etiquette (rules governing socially acceptable behavior)
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COMMENTS:
They don't call it animal husbandry for nothing! Good Word. - Nosila, 2009-06-30: 01:23:00
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Homesticate
Created by: Stevenson0
Pronunciation: hoh/mes/ti/kate
Sentence: In most relationships, the woman has to homesticate the male so he can function in modern society.
Etymology: homo sapiens (the modern species of humans) + domesticate (to tame an animal to live with humans); therefore, homesticate (to tame a human to live with humans)
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COMMENTS:
...but we can still 'devolve' during football games, can't we? Excellent word! - Tigger, 2008-05-19: 02:51:00
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Henneagram
Created by: galwaywegian
Pronunciation: hen eee aaa gram
Sentence: Her use of the henneagram was richickulous, one fowl idea after another in her so called pursuit of eggselence.
Etymology: enneagram, hen
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COMMENTS:
Another eggselent word, no yolks about it. Did you pullet out of the air or is it poultry in motion? - Nosila, 2008-05-19: 17:00:00
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Toughpavlove
Created by: Nosila
Pronunciation: tuff pav luv
Sentence: Anna used her psychological training to cure her boyfriend's bad habits. She called it toughpavlove because through conditioned response and a reward/punishment system, she got results and a cleaner house. Her Yorkie, Poopsie, was however, quite immune to the same training and pooped everywhere.
Etymology: Tough Love (The use of strict disciplinary measures and limitations on freedoms or privileges, as by a parent or guardian, as a means of fostering responsibility and expressing care or concern.) & Pavlov (Russian physiologist who observed conditioned salivary responses in dogs)
Folklured
Created by: Tigger
Pronunciation: /fohk-loord/
Sentence: Sherry wasn't what you'd call 'book-smart' but she was very good at figuring out what people's motivations were, and which tactics would make them act the way she wanted. She had folklured her boyfriend into a marriage proposal, her parents into buying her another new car, and even her teachers into giving her good grades — now she was about to graduate college, thanks to another student, who was also her enamoured and very lonely tutor. She was definitely going to either work in sales, or in politics.
Etymology: from the word 'Folklore': Folk - people in general, or people of a distinct group (from German, volk "people") + Lured - tempted or enticed into a particular action; used a decoy for fishing or trapping (from Middle Low German, loder "bait")
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COMMENTS:
She must have folklured her parents into buying her a new folkswagen! - Nosila, 2008-05-19: 16:56:00
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Comments:
Today's definition is inspired by Amy Sutherland's new book "What Shamu Taught me About Life, Love and Marriage". where she reminds us that "People are animals too!", and that "Any interaction is training". Now Amy has invented her own word for this and it's "Shamu", so I have added it today's list of verboticisms! Thanks Amy! ~ James
Today's definition is inspired by Amy Sutherland's book "What Shamu Taught me About Life, Love and Marriage", where she reminds us that "People are animals too!", and that "Any interaction is training". Of course, Amy has invented her own word for this -- "Shamu". Let's see what we come up with now... Thanks Amy! ~ James
Today's definition was suggested by amysutherland. Thank you amysutherland. ~ James