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.
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)
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
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)
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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Kleptoclintonism
Created by: green
Pronunciation:
Sentence: 'Yes she can' is just one example of ballsy kleptoclintonism. Hillary thinks voters are so dumb we don't recognize her light-fingered mouth.
Etymology: kleptomaniac plus clinton
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COMMENTS:
You could have said five-fingered mouth. (5-fingered discount for those scratching their heads) - arrrteest, 2008-04-25: 19:07:00
Stealing wasn't Bills problem - OZZIEBOB, 2008-04-26: 19:05:00
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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
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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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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Lukon
Created by: emil7
Pronunciation: luke on
Sentence: i want to have some fun. lets play lukon
Etymology:
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
Comments:
OZZIEBOB - 2008-04-25: 18:41:00
Very formal political term. Love " The Butcher of Cavil."