Vote for the best verboticism.
DEFINITION: v. To have difficulty recognizing, and correctly interpreting, human facial expressions. n. A person who cannot read faces.
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.
Missedemeanour
Created by: CharlieB
Pronunciation: miss-duh-mean-er
Sentence: As Bill threw his paper aeroplane across the classroom, Mr Smith frowned. Bill mistook his stern expression for one of delight, promptly grinned and set about making an entire air force from his maths text book. He wasn't being naughty, it was just an unfortunate missedemeanour.
Etymology: Missed (failed to notice or understand) + demeanour (facial appearance) + Misdemeanour (misbehaviour)
Visagidiot
Created by: daisy
Pronunciation: vi-za-ji-di-it
Sentence: He can't seem to tell the difference between a cringe and a wink - he's a visagidiot!
Etymology:
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)
Discognify
Created by: jonobo
Pronunciation: dis-cogni-fy
Sentence: He completely discognified her defensive monkey-smile for an open invitation into deeper conversation. She discognified my looks on her T-Shirt for interest in her *oops*, but actually i was only interested in the printing-technique of the message on her chest.
Etymology: dissonance = reduced to "dis" cognitare = latin for recognize identify dissonance + cognitare + identify = discognify.
Disvis
Created by: Rhyme79
Pronunciation: dizz-vizz
Sentence: "When she makes that face, I have such bad disvis. Is she crying or laughing?" "You're such a disvis, I'm laughing."
Etymology: 'dis'- not or taken/removed 'vis'- visual and visage (face and see)
Confround
Created by: Discoveria
Pronunciation: con-FROWND
Sentence: Mick tended to confround around new people, especially when seeing smiles and shocked expressions.
Etymology: confound (to confuse) + frown
Visagaffe
Created by: verysimplegame
Pronunciation: Vis-ay-gaff
Sentence: Brandon's propensity to visagaffe always left him on the wrong foot in one-to-one negotiations.
Etymology: Visage (expression or countenance) + gaffe (blatant mistake or misjudgement)
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COMMENTS:
Oh, that's clever! - jedijawa, 2007-05-10: 11:44:00
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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)
Comments:
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
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?
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