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.
Fileofaux
Created by: TJayzz
Pronunciation: Fy-el-o-foe
Sentence: Tarquin never went anywhere without his fileofaux, he wanted everyone to think he was extremely busy doing a very important job, when really he was just loafing around doing as little as possible.
Etymology: File(a folder for keeping loose papers in order) + Faux(artificial,imitation) ORIGIN French false = Fileofaux. See also filofax(a loose-leaf notebook for recording notes) ORIGIN representing a colloquial pronunciation of file of facts
----------------------------
COMMENTS:
Fawny collision of meanings there TJ. Good word! - scrabbelicious, 2008-08-06: 06:48:00
File a foe under fiendish! - metrohumanx, 2008-08-06: 16:25:00
Great minds think alike...I had toyed with that word as well...isn't that fauxbulous! - Nosila, 2008-08-06: 21:52:00
----------------------------
Officade
Created by: artr
Pronunciation: aw-fuh-sahd
Sentence: Stanley likes to make everybody think he is the most productive member of his team. He creates a smokescreen by creating an officade of papers and folders that practically obscure his window and keep prying eyes from seeing how little actual work he does.
Etymology: office (a room, set of rooms, or building where the business of a commercial or industrial organization or of a professional person is conducted) + facade (a superficial appearance or illusion of something)
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;
----------------------------
COMMENTS:
Bob sounds like a complete fauxny. Shirkbait? Good word! - Mustang, 2008-08-06: 05:35:00
----------------------------
Fauxport
Created by: cpeterc
Pronunciation: Fo - Port
Sentence: "Wait - I'll never make it past Mr. Big's office without a Fauxport, This folder will do."
Etymology: Faux = faxe or simulated Port from Passport a document that allows you to travel freely.
----------------------------
COMMENTS:
Your papers, please.... - metrohumanx, 2008-08-06: 16:48:00
----------------------------
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
----------------------------
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
----------------------------
Busybobbin
Created by: mplsbohemian
Pronunciation: BIHZ-ee-bahb-ihn
Sentence: The stack of files and papers at Alex's desk proved to be a most effective busybobbin, as no-one knew about his large Lego fort he was constructing behind it.
Etymology: busy + bobbin (trinket) + busybody
----------------------------
COMMENTS:
Grr, I meant bauble, not bobbin. Oh, well. - mplsbohemian, 2007-06-13: 22:30:00
Sounds good either way. - ErWenn, 2007-06-13: 23:54:00
----------------------------
Maloprop
Created by: readerwriter
Pronunciation: mal-o-prop
Sentence: Eric is so retro, Petra thought. Everytime she saw him cross the office floor on his way from the men's room to his desk, she had to laugh. Oh yeah, he just had to carry those maloprops to show everyone he knew what it was like in the 20th century. It was ludicrous. And, then if you said something, he had such excuses...like he didn't understand there were better ways of doing things.
Etymology: From mal, Latin/Romance languages, for bad or sick + prop for a property used for show. Also a play on the word malapropism, the ludicrous misuse of a word. In this case, the ludicrous misuse of a prop.
Documentality
Created by: Nosila
Pronunciation: dok u men tal it ee
Sentence: Pierre's ruse was to use his documentality to elude real work. He would carry any official-looking folder or paper to make it look like he was on his way to a very important meeting. In fact, he remembered the trick his English classes used about the different words "stationary & stationery". The "ar" one stood for At Rest, as in stationary machinery and the other "er" one stood for the last 2 letters in paper...or in his case "Eternally Roving".
Etymology: Document (writing that provides information (especially information of an official nature); anything serving as a representation of a person's thinking by means of symbolic marks) & Mentality (a habitual or characteristic mental attitude that determines how you will interpret and respond to situations; mental ability)
Work-o-the-wisprop
Created by: ohwtepph
Pronunciation: wohrk-oh-thuh-wiz-prop
Sentence: Oh god, that Ben has been such a work-o-the-wispropper ever since he started out in the business of being the business supervisor. The work-o-the-wisprop he carried around were very convincing: papers to be signed, a neat brown folder and a clipboard with Transformers scribbles on it.
Etymology: will-o-the-wisp [illusion] + work + prop + wiz [the best at something e.g. a math wiz]
----------------------------
COMMENTS:
good one! - pguse, 2007-06-13: 10:04:00
thanks. :D - ohwtepph, 2007-06-13: 10:28:00
It's a good one and I voted for you! - Stevenson0, 2007-06-13: 17:36:00
How did you get that punctuation in there? - mplsbohemian, 2007-06-13: 19:43:00
you can work all sorts of magic if you go into 'oops i want to change the spelling' bit of the edit section.... it makes things much more verbsatile - rikboyee, 2007-06-13: 22:23:00
----------------------------
Maskqueraid
Created by: Jabberwocky
Pronunciation: mask/ur/ade
Sentence: No one knew which department he worked in but with his maskqueraid of blackbery and wireless headset he easily passed his day wandering and betting on horses
Etymology: masquerade + mask + aid
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