Vote for the best verboticism.

'I just asked the boss if she'd date me...'

DEFINITION: v. To make a mistake where the benefits exceed the costs of the screw-up. n. An excellent mistake, which despite its stupidity, produces a positive outcome.

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Verboticisms

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Catasterrific

Created by: Rutilus

Pronunciation: cat-as-ter-if-ik

Sentence: Geoff was happily contemplating the reason he'd got here.Refusing to accept his line manager's bullying and getting fired had given him time to study and re-train. Here was a man better qualified, better off and much happier. Oh how he chuckled at an event he had seen as a disaster had in fact been completely catasterrific for him.

Etymology: Catastrophic - dramatic negative effect; Terrific - extremely good, wonerful

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Snafluke

mrskellyscl

Created by: mrskellyscl

Pronunciation: sna-fluke

Sentence: What started out as a screw-up turned into a snafluke for Terrell because if he hadn't been searching for the Dave Matthews tickets he misplaced, he wouldn't have found the winning lottery ticket in his coat pocket.

Etymology: snafu: an acronym used by soldiers during WWII "situation normal all **up (fouled up in polite company) to refer to a situation caused by confusion or an embarassing mistake + fluke: an accidental stroke of good luck

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COMMENTS:

Excellent! - Mustang, 2009-06-12: 22:47:00

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Clutzvert

didsbury

Created by: didsbury

Pronunciation:

Sentence: When I dinged my boss's car in the lot I thought I was fired for sure but the whole situation was totally clutzverted. It turns out she wanted an excuse to claim insurance for some damage done in a not-so-secret DUI incident last month.

Etymology: Derived from the German 'klootzverteignung'. First written usage in 1538 in the description of a mid-summer festival where the death of 250 Bavarian villagers created a flourishing tourist trade at the site of the event.

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COMMENTS:

Great word. - OZZIEBOB, 2008-05-04: 06:49:00

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Blunderluck

artr

Created by: artr

Pronunciation: bləndərlək

Sentence: Robert didn’t realize his mother in-law was standing in the doorway when he confessed to his brother that he hated her green bean casserole. Rob’s blunderluck was that she hated it too but continued to foist it on the family thinking they enjoyed it. She was greatly relieved to be able to try something new.

Etymology: blunder (a stupid or careless mistake) + luck (success or failure apparently brought by chance rather than through one's own actions)

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Sucstake

Created by: georgeu2000

Pronunciation: suck stake

Sentence: upon awaking on monday afternoon, bob discovered to his chagrin that he had set his alarm for 5PM instead of 5AM, and he was hopelessly late for work! fortunately for him, his company had exploded just that morning. at first he was upset that he didn't make it to work on time, but then realized that his sucstake had saved his very life.

Etymology: success + mistake

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Inadvertendipity

Created by: Mustang

Pronunciation: In-ad-vert-ehn-DIP-ety

Sentence: Belinda's gift for inadvertendipity repeatedly astounded her friends and family when so many times things that might turn into disasters became successes in spite of her ineptitude in actually planning her life.

Etymology: Blend of inadvertent and serendipity

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COMMENTS:

mrskellyscl Great word! - mrskellyscl, 2009-06-12: 07:31:00

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Erreka

Created by: galwaywegian

Pronunciation: urr eeek ah

Sentence: His accidental overdose of the new eyedrops he had been prescribed rendered him practically blind, but made him look really cutem, according to the (hopefully) beautiful 18 year old blonde who had just bought him a drink. It was an erreka moment.

Etymology: err, eureka.

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COMMENTS:

I hope her name was Erica - great combo - Jabberwocky, 2008-05-02: 06:08:00

Excellent verboticism. - Mustang, 2008-05-02: 18:46:00

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Clusterluck

artr

Created by: artr

Pronunciation: kləstərlək

Sentence: In a stroke of clusterluck the committee made a decision. They didn't mean to. They were perfectly happy running around like a flock of proverbial headless chickens. By misunderstanding Parliamentary procedure one of the younger members called for a vote. Half the others didn't even know what they were voting on. The chairman was more than happy to take credit for the seemingly brilliant action.

Etymology: cluster[insert popular 4-letter word here] (A confusing or chaotic situation or event, often caused by a failure of communication, an excessive amount of people attempting to accomplish a given task, or a complex environmen) + luck (success or failure apparently brought by chance rather than through one's own actions)

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Fauxparagon

Created by: OZZIEBOB

Pronunciation: foh-PAR-uh-gon

Sentence: As the flash of the photographer's camera went off, amid what seemed to me to be an eternity of applause, my heart pounded with the joy of success. Years of hard work had finally paid off; my book had won the neighourhood annual literary award. However as I came forward to accept the thousand dollar prize, it was quickly becoming apparent to me that, to my horror and utter disbelief, almost certainly, a "great" dust-cover disaster was unfolding right before my eyes: the printers had put my name, by mistake, on another author's work. It was a fauxparagon, but I been down or my luck for far too long, so why shouldn't I have a bit of dumb luck too; and, anyway, I needed the money more than he did.

Etymology: FAUX: false, a blunder; PARAGON:ideal instance; a perfect model,perfect example.

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COMMENTS:

oops! - Jabberwocky, 2008-05-02: 14:07:00

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Blunderbonus

Created by: TJayzz

Pronunciation: Blun-der-bow-nus

Sentence: If it hadn't been for Jack's stupid mistake of signing up for the cookery class instead of woodwork, then he would never have met his fiance Becky, it certainly had turned out to be a blunderbonus.

Etymology: Blunder(mistake) + Bonus(unexpected pleasant surprise) = Blunderbonus

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Comments:

Verbotomy Verbotomy - 2008-05-02: 00:01:00
Today's definition is inspired by Johnny Bunko's Career Lesson # 5: "Make excellent mistakes". See: "The Adventures of Johnny Bunko" by Dan Pink. Thanks Dan! ~ James

Verbotomy Verbotomy - 2009-06-12: 00:01:00
Today's definition is inspired by Johnny Bunko's Career Lesson # 5: "Make excellent mistakes". See: "The Adventures of Johnny Bunko" by Dan Pink. Thanks Dan! ~ James

Verbotomy Verbotomy - 2010-07-06: 00:01:00
Today's definition was suggested by johnnybunko. Thank you johnnybunko. ~ James

Israfaceneeme - 2018-07-06: 12:41:00
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