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
Snatchphrase
Created by: Tigger
Pronunciation: /snach-freyz/
Sentence: The press was up in arms over the latest speech from Sillory Flintskin, for using a catchphrase of her rival, Flack Odrama, and turning it into a snatchphrase by stealing it and slightly rearranging the words. She had changed it from "Change we can believe in" to "We can believe in change."
Etymology: Play on the word 'Catchphrase'; Snatch - to seize by a sudden or hasty grasp (from Middle Dutch, snacken "to snatch, chatter") + Phrase - a brief utterance or remark (from Greek, phrazein "to express, tell")
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COMMENTS:
is Flack Mel's brother? - Jabberwocky, 2008-04-25: 14:02:00
Cheers, Tigger...this is just the primaries, can we face the rest of it?? - Nosila, 2008-04-25: 22:14:00
Clever!! - TJayzz, 2008-04-28: 04:31:00
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Vernaculagiarize
Created by: stache
Pronunciation: vər-nāk'yə-lā'jə-rīz'
Sentence: Madge could have predicted that when Melvin got off the phone with his Texas Oilman client his speech would be different. "Whatch'yall a fixin'?" he vernaculagiarized. "Dahling, please. Knock it off," Madge pleaded, as the gefilte fish simmered. "Whah, ah don't know what'cher tahkin' abayat," he responded. For a Jew from Passaic, New Jersey, he sounded decidedly cowboy, all of a sudden.
Etymology: 'Vern,' off-camera foil of the late spokesperson Jim Varney's character, Ernest P. Worrell; 'acula,' from Dr. Acula, grindcore band from Long Island, NY; 'Gia,' after Gia Carangi, top fashion model, late 1970's; 'rize,' var. of rise, to ascend. Alternately, to plagiarize one's vernacular.
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COMMENTS:
Poor Earnest. The world still mourns his loss, I'm sure... don't they? - Tigger, 2008-04-25: 02:43:00
I sprained my tongue just saying vernaculargiarize. It was still fun. Good word. - Mustang, 2008-04-25: 07:25:00
Joh Bjelke-Petersen, who spoke with a stuttering surfeit of ums and ahs, would have a lot of trouble pronouncing this one. Your comment about the "one-legged well digger" brings to mind another of his favorite quips : "Ah, ah, the problem with you, you, you, is that you got one foot on sticky, sticky paper and ya other on the f-ffence." Luv your word, blends nicely. - OZZIEBOB, 2008-04-25: 18:31:00
Who Knew?? Talk amongst yourselves, I'll give you a topic. No Big Whoop! "If Russia invaded Turkey from the rear, would Greece help???" Discuss. (From Linda Richman, SNL, "Coffee Talks" skits with Mike Meyer. - Nosila, 2008-04-25: 22:24:00
I like verbacusmalliarize. Err was that a vernaculargiarizism? - petaj, 2008-04-26: 03:17:00
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Plagiorate
Created by: Raquelle
Pronunciation: Play-jor-ate
Sentence: The oratory competition would be a breeze, thought Michelle, what with her recent discovery of the online archive of speech transcripts. She would simply choose a published one, plagiorate it to suit her topic and present with utmost confidence.
Etymology: Plagiarism + Orate = to plagiarise one's oration
Spielsteal
Created by: donlyn
Pronunciation:
Sentence: Ken and Boris were both spielsteal culprits so which ones speech was worth listening to.
Etymology:
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COMMENTS:
Good word. - OZZIEBOB, 2008-04-26: 18:55:00
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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
Aproproliniator
Created by: frozenpeas42
Pronunciation: a-prop-ro-lin-iator
Sentence: I can't stand that bloody aproproliniator; he sounds like a broken record!
Etymology: to appropriate Lien
Termbezzle
Created by: Jamagra
Pronunciation: term/bezz'/el
Sentence: It isn't a puzzle, to those who can't juggle the fairer forms of speech. Why create a new phrase for what your candidate says? Termbezzle for words out of reach!
Etymology: termbezzle (v) - term + embezzle - could apply to stealing a word, a phrase, or an entire election! termbezzlement (n)
Spearaphrase
Created by: bookowl
Pronunciation: speer/ah/fraze
Sentence: To spearaphrase is a sure fire way to mangle it.
Etymology: spear + paraphrase
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)
Comments:
OZZIEBOB - 2008-04-25: 18:41:00
Very formal political term. Love " The Butcher of Cavil."