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
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)
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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Imutate
Created by: Stevenson0
Pronunciation: im/myoo/tety
Sentence: Politicians often imutate their opponents in a debate to try to get the upper hand and throw off their rival's sleaze patterns.
Etymology: imitate (mimic,impersonate) + mutate (to change, alter as in phonetics to change by umlaut)
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COMMENTS:
excellent blend - Jabberwocky, 2008-04-25: 09:22:00
Excellent variation and application of I-mutate with it phonetic, genetic and religion meaning. Ready for immediate inclusion in the dictionary. You have my vote. - OZZIEBOB, 2008-04-25: 18:39:00
Excellent! - Tigger, 2008-04-26: 13:37:00
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Robscuranto
Created by: OZZIEBOB
Pronunciation: ruhb-skyoor-RAHN-to
Sentence: The robscuranto and gabyrinth of the late Joh Bjelke-Petersen, Queensland premier from 1968 to 1987, famous for his unique mangling of the English language, was very effective in fobbing off journalists with irrelevant non-answers in a performance he called "feeding the chooks." Of two political opponents, he said: " You can push a 44-gallon drum of molasses up a hill easier than you can push those two fellas." Other bjelkisms, include: "If you fly with crows, look like the crows, you'll be shot with the crows" or something to that robscurantic effect.
Etymology: Blend of ROB: Steal, take, borrow; OBSCURE: to render or make difficult unclear, difficult to understand, unintelligible; (R)ANTO of Esperanto; and OBSCURANTO:the jargon and acronymese of large bodies, such as the UN. Indeed, many critics of Esperanto claimed that Zamenhof took perfectly good words from Latin, French, German and English and render them obscure and unrecognizable. Furthermore, it is often said, that he filled his language with unnecessary grammatical forms and confusing syntax.
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COMMENTS:
That's funnier than a one-legged well digger. - stache, 2008-04-25: 08:09:00
terrific word - Jabberwocky, 2008-04-25: 09:24:00
G'Day, "You can't keep a good man down" from Muriel's Wedding! or "A life lived infear is a life half lived" from "Strictly Ballroom". Cheers, Mate! - Nosila, 2008-04-25: 22:20:00
On the topic of condoms Joh said "We don't want any of that sort of thing up here." in Queensland.
- petaj, 2008-04-26: 03:16:00
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Speechleech
Created by: verbherder
Pronunciation: speech-leech
Sentence: Don't worry if you can't think of an original answer. There's no need to recreate the tire. Just turn someone else's thought into a speechleech.
Etymology: speech (oral communication) + leech (a person who clings to another for personal gain, esp. without giving anything in return)
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
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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Spearaphrase
Created by: bookowl
Pronunciation: speer/ah/fraze
Sentence: To spearaphrase is a sure fire way to mangle it.
Etymology: spear + paraphrase
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
Comments:
OZZIEBOB - 2008-04-25: 18:41:00
Very formal political term. Love " The Butcher of Cavil."