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.
Escaperwork
Created by: Discoveria
Pronunciation: ess-KAY-pur-wurk
Sentence: Just before weekly staff meetings, Joe's pile of escaperwork would grow to include three reports, two manila envelopes, a stapler and a large black binder labelled 'URGENT'.
Etymology: escape (to avoid) + paperwork (documents)
Phantofiles
Created by: Stevenson0
Pronunciation: fan/tuh/files
Sentence: John had six different coloured sets of phantofiles he alternated at various times of the day to keep 'The Man' off his case and to demonstrate his industriousness and multitasking abilities. "Damn, he's good!" thought his boss. "He's completed three different projects today and it's only noon." John's phantofiles put him in line for a raise.
Etymology: phantom + files
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COMMENTS:
phantastic - Nosila, 2010-01-07: 18:50:00
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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)
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.
Phantofiles
Created by: Stevenson0
Pronunciation: fan/toe/files
Sentence: Joe had six different coloured sets of phantofiles he alternated at various times of the day to keep 'The Man' off his case and to demonstrate his industriousness and multitasking abilities. "Damn, he's good!" thought his boss. "He's been working on six different projects today and it's only noon." Joe's phantofiles put him in line for a raise.
Etymology: PHANTOFILES - noun - from PHANTOM (an appearance, or illusion without material substance) + FILES (a container, or folder for keeping papers in order)
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COMMENTS:
I worked with a guy that did that...he got away with it until his new female boss figured him out and gave him the boot! - Nosila, 2008-08-06: 00:50:00
pesty female bosses! - scrabbelicious, 2008-08-06: 06:43:00
What datum lurks in the hearts of men?Only the Phantofile knows. - metrohumanx, 2008-08-06: 11:25:00
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Disstacktion
Created by: Clayton
Pronunciation: di-STAK-shuhn
Sentence: Luckily, the Greenly account provided Clarence with a momentary disstacktion as he fumbled to exit GTA: San Andreas. If Mrs. Worthington realized he'd beaten her insane stunt bonus, he could kiss that nickel-an-hour raise goodbye.
Etymology: distraction + stack
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COMMENTS:
I must confess I sometimes build a little fortress of files. It makes playing verbotomy much simpler - Jabberwocky, 2007-06-13: 10:51:00
I'm really glad that I don't work in an office, but a file fortress does sound like fun. - Clayton, 2007-06-13: 14:37:00
you get a vote for being such a fun verbotomist - Jabberwocky, 2007-06-13: 14:49:00
Thanks... I didn't put much thought into today's word, as I'm nursing a wounded shoulder. There have been a lot of great words this week, though. - Clayton, 2007-06-13: 20:34:00
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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
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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Industricators
Created by: petaj
Pronunciation: in-DUST-ri-caters
Sentence: Memo To: WOT Team..... From: WOT Team Leader %%%%%%%%%%%% Hi Team, The big boss is coming to visit on Friday. Please make sure that you have a good selection of industricators and suggestoilibles on hand to ensure that she leaves with 'right' impression. We don't want her to think that WOT stands for Waste of Time. ta, oh and please eat this memo before Friday.
Etymology: industry + indicator + extricate (could get the lazy staffer an allayoffment, and out of a sticky situation)
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COMMENTS:
LOVE the sentence! - purpleartichokes, 2007-06-13: 10:39:00
if the definition was having too many awesome words and not being able to choose, my word would be petajalot. - jadenguy, 2007-06-13: 12:15:00
if the definition was having too many awesome words and not being able to choose, my word would be petajalot. - jadenguy, 2007-06-13: 12:26:00
...dont' refresh AND send post data or whatever. - jadenguy, 2007-06-13: 12:27:00
The other one I had that I discarded was apparaphertoilia. Paraphernalia to create an appearance of toil. - petaj, 2007-06-13: 18:33:00
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Papershirk
Created by: Osomatic
Pronunciation: Rhymes with "paperwork."
Sentence: With enough important-looking documents, I can wander around for hours papershirking.
Etymology: Rhymes with "paperwork."
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