Vote for the best verboticism.
DEFINITION: n. A prop (e.g. papers, files or any non-functional equipment) used to create the illusion of busyness. v. To use office supplies to create the illusion that you are working.
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.
Propcupie
Created by: Mrgoodtimes
Pronunciation: prahp- cue - pie
Sentence: Looking over his desk, John wondered which of his propcupies to bring with him on his daily walk to the vending machine. He knew he had to walk with pace and urgency to develop the right volume of sweat on his brow, but also the right iPad, laptop, red binder, 90's beeper, bluetooth, box labeled "Fragile" combo was key to success.
Etymology: Prop - occupy
Illusibusion
Created by: remistram
Pronunciation: ill-uge-ee-busy-un
Sentence: Stan was an expert at utilizing effective illusibusions - so much so that he was promoted to senior clerk.
Etymology: illusion + busy
Fileusion
Created by: Nosila
Pronunciation: fyl loo zhun
Sentence: He was the Great Pretender in our office. Sadly, because he was a male, he got away with it for way longer than any female would even dare try. Yes, Seymour Dolittle, was a fileusion. He would stalk the halls carrying a file folder and pretend to "do his rounds" with nothing more than what turned out to be a pizza place menu and and a bus schedule in his file folder. He fooled the senior management for over 5 years (the ladies in the company twigged on after a year or two, but had nowhere to lodge their concerns). When the cuts came, no one could salvage Seymour, as he worked for no one, did not report to anyone and could never successfully explain his presence in the hallowed halls. Luckily for him, he worked long enough to collect a great pension, unemployment insurance and a tasty severance for all his hard-worked time. Nice work if you can get it...and he wasn't even a CEO of anything!
Etymology: File (a set of related records (either written or electronic) kept together) & Illusion (an erroneous mental representation; the act of deluding; deception by creating illusory ideas; an illusory feat; considered magical by naive observers)
Shirkprop
Created by: OZZIEBOB
Pronunciation: SHURK-prop
Sentence: Bob was a fauxbullient gizbo, but most of all he was a scheming skirkprop.
Etymology: SHIRK: One who lives by shifts and tricks; one who avoids the performance of duty or labor& PROP: any movable articles, item or objects used on the set of a play or movie;
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COMMENTS:
Bob sounds like a complete fauxny. Shirkbait? Good word! - Mustang, 2008-08-06: 05:35:00
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Dosserier
Created by: galwaywegian
Pronunciation: dosss err eee ay
Sentence: he carried his dosserier with him everywhere, adding different coloured stickies each month or so to keep it looking fresh. He called it his licence to kill....time.
Etymology: dossier, dosser
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COMMENTS:
Hopefully the use of his dosserier won't come back to kick him in the dosserriere. - Clayton, 2007-06-13: 07:48:00
Maybe he carried it in a fanny pack - Jabberwocky, 2007-06-13: 09:26:00
How cheeky! - purpleartichokes, 2007-06-13: 10:36:00
i hate to butt in, but is there no rear end to these pun threads?! - jadenguy, 2007-06-13: 11:41:00
ooh that reminds me - it's lunchtime and now I'm in the moods for buns - Jabberwocky, 2007-06-13: 12:10:00
oops I meant mood - Jabberwocky, 2007-06-13: 12:11:00
I'm thinking it would be out-of-line to make a comment about sticky buns, but the air conditioner isn't working in my office today. - purpleartichokes, 2007-06-13: 12:36:00
Such a tool would be perfect for hiding the fact that you're just bumming around instead of working your @$$ off. - ErWenn, 2007-06-13: 14:05:00
Some might say you should just turn the other cheek, jadenguy, but I'm behind you 100% if you want to get to the bottom of this problem. - ErWenn, 2007-06-13: 14:10:00
Rear end to the pun threads? Tush, tush. I've got a haunch we'll be back end the saddle tomorrow. Now, let me hit the can and we can all go grab a Heinie. Fanny that I should put it that way... I've been glute to my seat the hole day. Sorry, that last one was for posteriority. - Clayton, 2007-06-13: 14:34:00
OMG Clayton and ErWenn! Too fanny! - purpleartichokes, 2007-06-13: 14:45:00
I think we should put an ASSterisk beside this definition - Jabberwocky, 2007-06-13: 14:47:00
i'm sorry if I came off a little anal before, as i didn't mean to be so stern. but i just find puns comical garbage that we'll always keep with us, but like junk in the trunk of your car that you forget about for as long as possible, bodonkadonk on wood. - jadenguy, 2007-06-13: 16:59:00
LMAO!! - purpleartichokes, 2007-06-13: 17:46:00
No butts about it, my friend laughed so hard it rectum! - petaj, 2007-06-14: 04:29:00
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Docuflage
Created by: Mustang
Pronunciation: DOCK-yew-flawj
Sentence: Harper fancied himself a very clever tactician, using an old empty attache case as docuflage, believing that coworkers were convinced that he was actually packing a large work schedule, though everyone in the office had been on to his scam for years.
Etymology: Blend of the words 'document' (various paperwork) and 'camouflage' (a device or stratagem used for concealment)
Importmanteau
Created by: rephil
Pronunciation: im-PORT-man-toh
Sentence: Gerry's importmanteau always impressed visitors, but the maintenance man's keys signified he held more true power in the building.
Etymology: import -- rank, necessity, gravity; portmanteau -- a suitcase
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COMMENTS:
this is a great word!! - Jabberwocky, 2007-06-13: 14:48:00
Thanks -- I know I've had a few in my time! - rephil, 2007-06-13: 14:50:00
Erm -- importmanteaux, not great words! - rephil, 2007-06-13: 14:51:00
actually your words are terrific - there have just been so many good words to choose from lately - I especially like euphonia - Jabberwocky, 2007-06-13: 15:17:00
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Slackcessory
Created by: purpleartichokes
Pronunciation: slak-sess-or-ee
Sentence: Phil's slackcessory wasn't fooling anyone. The "tech manual" he was toting around was the instruction booklet for his lawn mower. Apparently, he was Fridazed when he took that course on shirkonomics.
Etymology: slack (to avoid work), accessory
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COMMENTS:
I thought a slackcessory was a new belt. - galwaywegian, 2007-06-13: 07:01:00
great one purple! - toadstool57, 2007-06-13: 07:07:00
Bravo! - Clayton, 2007-06-13: 07:42:00
very good!! - Jabberwocky, 2007-06-13: 09:27:00
Galway - a belt would be a britch-hiker. And I'm quite pleased that I finally made a word that I actually like! - purpleartichokes, 2007-06-13: 10:33:00
actually purple I think a britch-hiker is a brilliant word for suspenders - how about a belt being a gutwrencher - Jabberwocky, 2007-06-13: 10:57:00
That's good! Wish one came with the squishsuit I bought this year. - purpleartichokes, 2007-06-13: 11:21:00
"Slackcessory" is indeed a good word, though it sounds like it would apply equally to a device for enhancing the slacking experience (such as a Gameboy) as it would to a device for hiding the slacking experience. - ErWenn, 2007-06-13: 14:13:00
And "britch-hiker" is simply awesome. I think it's a generic term for anything that pulls your pants up, such as a belt, a pair of suspenders, or a wedgie-giver. - ErWenn, 2007-06-13: 14:14:00
the best - pguse, 2007-06-13: 14:55:00
Yep. Wished I thought of that. - texmom, 2007-06-13: 20:41:00
ErWenn makes a good point, but I think that words such as these might offer more utility than their highly specified synonyms. This one might have eight different sense of meaning. Perhaps more in America. - Clayton, 2007-06-13: 20:41:00
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Slothouflage
Created by: bigdog
Pronunciation: slawth-o-flazhe
Sentence: The piles of paper on my desk are all just slothouflage to stop the boss from seeing my pillow and scotch bottle.
Etymology: sloth (indolence) + camouflage (disguise)
Assumetote
Created by: jadenguy
Pronunciation: as OOM tot
Sentence: Like a vampire hunter to the cross, he lept across his cubicle and grabbed a stack of printed material on company letterhead as his boss approached; his assumetote being just enough of a ruse to confuse his superior for perhaps another week. His smokescreen-jobsaver spreadsheet was already drawing suspicion as to exactly how much time he spent playing internet word games!
Etymology: assume + tote + asymptote assume (people assume you are working ) + tote (to carry) + asymptote (to infinitely approach something (work))
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COMMENTS:
yeah, like people play internet word games at work! implausible. - jadenguy, 2007-06-13: 11:40:00
Can I have a copy of that spreadsheet? - purpleartichokes, 2007-06-13: 13:52:00
you come up with very creative sentences jadenguy - Jabberwocky, 2007-06-13: 14:51:00
i try. i try. - jadenguy, 2007-06-13: 17:12:00
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Comments:
The "S" in Timothy Johnson's GUST stands for Strategy. And strategy is key! Especially if you are trying to get way with doing nothing. Today's definition was suggested by remistram. Thank you remistram and Timothy! ~ James
Rebekah - 2009-11-05: 18:33:00
Protaskinate
Today's definition was suggested by remistram. Thank you remistram. ~ James