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)
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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Kissermisser
Created by: Stevenson0
Pronunciation: kiss/er/miss/er
Sentence: He confused a smirk for a scowl, fear for friendliness, a grin for a grimace. He was a socially inept kissermisser.
Etymology: kisser + miss
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COMMENTS:
He wouldn't be the Kidderminster kissermisser, would he? - galwaywegian, 2007-05-09: 07:48:00
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Converbal
Created by: Osomatic
Pronunciation: con + verb + ull
Sentence: I used to be converbal enough that I thought a big smile meant "I'm not interested."
Etymology: Like non-verbal, only with "con."
Expressinsensitive
Created by: artr
Pronunciation: ikspreshinsensitiv
Sentence: Spock is so focused on logic that he often puzzled by human emotion. He can be expressinsensitive.
Etymology: expression (the look on someone’s face that conveys a particular emotion) + insensitive (showing or feeling no concern for others’ feelings)
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")
Adoubtface
Created by: Nosila
Pronunciation: a dowt fayss
Sentence: Pinky had always thought she was a visagenist, someone who could read faces and know what people were thinking. That was until she met Bruno. It did not help that Pinky had little control over her own facial expressions. What he interpreted as amourous curiosity on her part, was actually a look of constipation. His leer at her was actually gas pains from the chili he had eaten earlier. Her adoubtface would end in them enjoying a bottle of Pepto together later.
Etymology: A Doubt (a lack confidence in or have doubts about;an uncertainty about the truth or factuality of existence of something;the state of being unsure of something)& Face (the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear; the expression on a person's face;status in the eyes of others) & play on word About-face (change one's mind and assume the opposite viewpoint;a reversal in attitude or principle or point of view;act of pivoting 180 degrees, especially in a military formation)
Illitellate
Created by: Mrgoodtimes
Pronunciation: ih-lit-el-it
Sentence: Big papa Stevenson had done his homework, watched all the film and read all the books. He went all in with his ace high, convinced he had the best hand. When the straight flush, full house and three of a kind were revealed, he started searching wikipedia for a cure to being illitellate.
Etymology: Illiterate - Tell
Mienblind
Created by: OZZIEBOB
Pronunciation: MEEN-blahynd
Sentence: Roxie was certain that she had found the fountain of youth (or, perhaps, just Dani Minogue's Beauty Guide) when she came across an advert featuring the "Prosopial Pill," a startling, C21th make-over breakthrough, whereby one could look just look like he or she wanted to: having any skin, eye, or hair colour, and facial expressions, by simply taking this pill. Bob, upon hearing all this, became deeply concerned with the prospect of Roxie frequently changing her appearance, wondering whether he would be able, in future, to read her prosopialities. Seeking help, he immediately began flicking through "The Dictionary of Verbotomy" and for a while little interested him, and was about to put the book down when one word arrested his eyes: the word Mienblind.
Etymology: MIEN: facial expression, demeanour, bearing, appearance,aspect; air; manner; carriage; bearing or manner, especially as it reveals an inner state of mind & BLIND: unwilling or unable to perceive or understand; not having the faculty of discernment; destitute of intellectual light; unable or unwilling to understand or judge. PROSOPIAL: From Gk, Prosop meaning face & PILL.
Incountenance
Created by: Nosila
Pronunciation: in cown ten ants
Sentence: Jeff had a serious problem, particularly when he was around the ladies. He could not read faces or facial expressions. Because of it, he often misinterpreted the reactions he received from the fairer sex. Jeff suffered from incountenance and as a result, when he wanted them to stay, they wanted him to go!
Etymology: Incontinence (involuntary urination or defecation; indiscipline with regard to sensuous pleasures) & Countenance (the appearance conveyed by a person's face;the human face)
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