Vote for the best verboticism.
DEFINITION: v. To adopt other people's words, phrases and linguistic stylings, and then try to make them your own by subtlety altering the syntax. n. A borrowed and butchered phrase
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.
Malapropriate
Created by: Alchemist
Pronunciation: mal-uh-PRO-pree-ate
Sentence: Sensing an opening, McClain fixed his opponent with a glittering gaze. Overeager, he leaned over the podium and malapropriated the oft-misquoted Benson zinger, spouting, "You, sir, are no Dead Kennedy!"
Etymology: malaprop, appropriate
Replistate
Created by: Mustang
Pronunciation: REP - li - stait
Sentence: When Angeline would hear an opinon or a phrase she admired she would shamelessly replistate it in conversations with others and would try to give the impression that it was an original representation.
Etymology: Blend of state and replicate.
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COMMENTS:
clever - Jabberwocky, 2008-04-25: 09:26:00
Let's face it, the primaries go by one replistate after another...Cheers, Mustang - Nosila, 2008-04-25: 22:16:00
Ohh, good one. - Tigger, 2008-04-26: 13:24:00
Nice word. - OZZIEBOB, 2008-04-26: 18:54:00
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Plagiareyes
Created by: Nosila
Pronunciation: diss sin tax
Sentence: Hillary & Barack had verbally jousted in every state so far that they had been campaigning. They each had spies in the other's camp and would get a drift of the other's speech ideas before that speech was given. In this way, one could scoop the opponent's theme and words and leave the second presenter scrambling to come up with something else. Invariably, each would dysyntacks the other's words to the point that they made nonsensical rhetoric, which confused voters even more. Although guilty of it herself, Hillary decided to play Barack at his own game and threw the word dysyntacks into her next speech. She had the last laugh when Barack got up and announced a plan to eliminate the Dissin' Tax from the federal budget!
Etymology: Dysfunctional (failing to serve an adjustive or conducive to adjustment purpose) + Syntax (the grammatical arrangement of words in sentences) + Attacks ( take the initiative and go on the offensive) + Tax (make a charge against or accuse)
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COMMENTS:
I guess I cancelled the wrong word...Should read Dysyntacks, Oops! - Nosila, 2008-04-25: 01:11:00
Great punchline on your story though! - Tigger, 2008-04-25: 02:29:00
Betcha Hilary would talk about "sintax" when Bill's around! - OZZIEBOB, 2008-04-26: 19:02:00
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Linguistickup
Created by: TJayzz
Pronunciation: Linn-gwiss-teecup
Sentence: Janet realised she had been the victim of a linguistickup but Dave was so cunning there was nothing she could do about it.
Etymology: Linguistic- (Language related )+ Stick-up (To steal, by way of) = Linguistickup
Spearaphrase
Created by: bookowl
Pronunciation: speer/ah/fraze
Sentence: To spearaphrase is a sure fire way to mangle it.
Etymology: spear + paraphrase
Echotheft
Created by: rebelvin
Pronunciation: echo+theft
Sentence: Time and again, all he did was echothieve, appropriating ideas from others at the meeting, offering no ideas of his own.
Etymology: echo+theft
Euphemeism
Created by: Rutilus
Pronunciation: You-for-me-isum
Sentence: Clarissa knew that she could always rely on her rivals' phrases to give her the inspiration to steal them and their thunder by turning them into her own euphemeisms.
Etymology: Combination of 'euphemism' + 'me'
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COMMENTS:
neat - Jabberwocky, 2008-04-25: 09:28:00
Just teaphetwoism and twopheteaism, mepheyouism and euphemeism alone... - Tigger, 2008-04-26: 13:20:00
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Malopt
Created by: ErWenn
Pronunciation: /ˌmælˈɒpt/
Sentence: The English and Japanese languages have a long history of malopting each other's words.
Etymology: from mal- + opt (as in badly co-opt)
Purloinguism
Created by: petaj
Pronunciation: purr-loin-gwism
Sentence: Connor had taken neurolinguistic programming one step too far. His affirmations were now littered with purloinguisms developed from his brothers cool way of rapping, and instead of talking himself into a new job as a motivational speaker, his career had taken a tangential path into the hip hop scene.
Etymology: purloin (the practise of stealing knitting patterns) linguistics (a new variation of rap where nothing rhymes) ism (a handy suffix)
Usurparize
Created by: arrrteest
Pronunciation: you-serp-ah-rize
Sentence: Edwin hated his former co-worker who was now his boss. It was Edwin's ideas and work that Carl would usurparize and claim to be his own. He would change a word here or there to protect the guilty, but in the end, Edwin knew it was his ideas that got Carl where he was.
Etymology: usurp + plagiarize
Comments:
OZZIEBOB - 2008-04-25: 18:41:00
Very formal political term. Love " The Butcher of Cavil."