Vote for the best verboticism.

'Look at that big smile!'

DEFINITION: v. To have difficulty recognizing, and correctly interpreting, human facial expressions. n. A person who cannot read faces.

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Verboticisms

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Afacia

Created by: mjmlabs

Pronunciation: uh-FAY-shuh

Sentence: Dan's got to be very careful when he goes out drinking; last weekend, his afacia almost got the two of us killed or arrested, I'm not sure which.

Etymology: Aphasia ("partial or total loss of the ability to articulate ideas or comprehend spoken or written language, resulting from damage to the brain caused by injury or disease") + a cheap pun on "face"

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COMMENTS:

Well done! - purpleartichokes, 2007-05-09: 14:50:00

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Kissermisser

Created by: Stevenson0

Pronunciation: kiss/er/miss/er

Sentence: Joe confused a smirk for a scowl, fear for friendliness, a grin for a grimace. He was a socially inept kissermisser.

Etymology: KISSERMISSER - noun - from KISSER (an informal term for the human face) + MISS (to fail to perceive, or understand)

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Myopique

Created by: pinwheel

Pronunciation: my/op/eek

Sentence: George decided that Polly was totally myopique when she misinterpreted his grimace of horror after showing him the dress she intended to wear to the party.

Etymology: myopic (short-sighted) + pique (emotional excitement or irritation)

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COMMENTS:

probably left her in a myopickle. - galwaywegian, 2007-05-09: 06:50:00

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Impearance

Created by: ziggy41

Pronunciation: im-PAIR-ence

Sentence: Her impearance led me to believe she was a psychopath on the verge of killing me... it turned out that she loved me.

Etymology: Impair (difficulty) + appearance (expression)

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Misinterpotato

Created by: purpleartichokes

Pronunciation: miss-in-tur-pah-tay-toe

Sentence: My boss is one of those people who has a permanent grin affixed to his face, which is why I always find myself in hot water for committing misinterpotato.

Etymology: misinterpret, potato (slang for head), Mr. Potato Head (a toy with easily discernable facial expressions)

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COMMENTS:

I like this one, too. Silly, but descriptive. - Clayton, 2007-05-09: 19:00:00

Thanks. I had words that would probably be better liked by the consensus, but this one looked like misterpotato(head). I love Mr. Potatohead! And I loved the way it sounded. Mis-in-ter-po-ta-to. It's benign and semi-comical (in my humble potato-head's opinion). - purpleartichokes, 2007-05-09: 20:14:00

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Misexpressionize

Created by: rubysoho

Pronunciation: miss-ex-PRESH-shun-ize

Sentence: Often people who are not successful at dating learn that it is because they tend to misexpressionize.

Etymology:

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Oblivisage

Created by: galwaywegian

Pronunciation: obb liv is aaj

Sentence: he was so totally oblivisage to the opposite sex that he mistook that grimace and the gagging sound for interest, and started to bulk buy all the Brut after shave he could find.

Etymology: oblivious, visage

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COMMENTS:

Makes you sound smart when you say it! - purpleartichokes, 2007-05-09: 08:56:00

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Misguise

Created by: Jabberwocky

Pronunciation: miss/guys

Sentence: He would always misguise the apprehensive looks on co-workers faces and consequently talk to his boss when it was an inappropriate time

Etymology: miss + guise

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COMMENTS:

Can also be used as a noun. My boss wears a misguise every day. He always looks like he's smiling, even when he's pissed off. - purpleartichokes, 2007-05-09: 08:55:00

Great word because most guys miss these signals! - Stevenson0, 2007-05-09: 12:31:00

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Figgliciocous

Created by: brandonmarrotte

Pronunciation: (Fig-gilo-cious)

Sentence: I am figgiloucious because I can not recognize facial expressions of my many wives.

Etymology: Fig-to see, Gillo- to misunderstand

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Mugmunge

Created by: jedijawa

Pronunciation: mug-munje

Sentence: Marc was bad about mugmunging facial expressions and thinking that people were reacting favorably to his boring stories.

Etymology: mug (face) + munge (to imperfectly transform information i.e. "address munging")

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Comments:

Verbotomy Verbotomy - 2007-05-09: 02:26:00
Today's definition was inspired by Cory Doctorow's short story "I, Row-Boat", where a sentient, and very sensitive Row-Boat has some difficulty reading a woman's facial expressions. See the full story in Overclocked. Thank you Cory! ~ James

metrohumanx metrohumanx - 2008-07-09: 02:49:00
MIENBLIND is very good- and far more cerebral than my entry. Good work, Ozziebob.

MaybeLater_x - 2008-08-19: 19:10:00
Visagenary is also a play on Imaginary, nay?

Verbotomy Verbotomy - 2009-11-25: 00:48:00
Today's definition was suggested by doctorow. Thank you doctorow. ~ James

ldikarev - 2012-09-06: 16:44:00

ldikarev - 2012-09-06: 16:45:00
Prosopagnosia -http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prosopagnosia Prosopagnosia (Greek: "prosopon" = "face", "agnosia" = "not knowing") is a disorder of fa