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'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

Click on each verboticism to read the sentences created by the Verbotomy writers, and to see your voting options...

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Defacement

Created by: guesser

Pronunciation: De-Face-Ment

Sentence: After nobody showed up for her party, she realized she was guilty of defacement yet again.

Etymology:

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Faceilliterate

Created by: pifty

Pronunciation: fejsilitereit

Sentence: he's so faceilliterate that he can't even tell wheather she likes him or thinks he's an idiot!

Etymology: face, facial + illiterate

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Physiognomuddle

Created by: Clayton

Pronunciation: fiz-ee-OG-nuh-MUHD-l

Sentence: Clarence's frequent physiognomuddling was only compounded by his wife's tic.

Etymology: physiognomy + muddle

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COMMENTS:

Had to run to the dictionary. Great word! - purpleartichokes, 2007-05-09: 06:49:00

Thanks a lot! I'm new to this game, but having a blast. - Clayton, 2007-05-09: 14:27:00

Welcome aboard, verbmatey! - purpleartichokes, 2007-05-09: 14:54:00

Thanks. Joined too late in the week to win anything, though. - Clayton, 2007-05-09: 14:56:00

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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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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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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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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."

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Mugnorant

Created by: Tigger

Pronunciation: /MUG-ner-uhnt/

Sentence: George would stop by the convenience store every day after his morning run to buy Gatorade, and he was sure the young woman who worked there liked him. She would crinkle her nose in the cutest way, and cover her face with her hand when he flirted with her. He figured she was just shy. One day there was a new girl there, even cuter than the regular girl, and she did the same thing when George approached the counter, smiling at her. He decided to ask her out, but when he did, she said "No, you stink! Are you mugnorant or something?"

Etymology: Mug - a human face [informal] (from Norwegian, mugge "pitcher"; usage from cups adorned with grotesque faces) + Ignorant - lacking education or knowledge (from Latin, ignorare "not aware")

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COMMENTS:

metrohumanx OOOOH- Norweigo-latin...cool! - metrohumanx, 2008-07-09: 02:46:00

George is a real mugnoramus. - Mustang, 2008-07-09: 07:50:00

I guess george is kind of "mugdumb" Good word. - OZZIEBOB, 2008-07-10: 05:35:00

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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.

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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