Vote for the best verboticism.
DEFINITION: v. To remain calm, steadfast and ploddingly systematic in the midst of a huge freaking disaster. n. A person who systematizes everything from their morning routines to personal relationships.
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.
Wolfowitz
Created by: uriash
Pronunciation: Wol-Fo-Witz
Sentence: Don't start Wolfowitzing now! You must run for your life!
Etymology: after Paul Wolfowitz
Hystericool
Created by: Tigger
Pronunciation: /hi-STER-i-kool/
Sentence: The whole family was going on summer vacation again — to Disney World this year — with Jane, her husband, their five kids, her in-laws and two cousins. Every year, it was Jane's job to organize the family's packing and get everyone ready to rush to the airport as soon as Jack, her husband, got home from work; and Jack was always late. With screaming kids running all around her, Jane calmly walked through the house, grabbed Grandpa Joe's medicine, Jennie's retainer, James' Game-Boy and Jill's iPod, dropped them into the appropriate suitcases while snatching a flying T-shirt out of the air and packing that too. While chaos erupted around her, Jane remained hystericool. She didn't even sweat a drop when she and Jack rode the Space Mountain ride. As the ride stopped, Jack leaned over and gave 'his Coolamity Jane' a smile and a big kiss.
Etymology: Hysterical - behavior characterized by excessive or uncontrollable emotion, such as fear or panic (from Greek, hysterikos "of the womb, suffering in the womb") + Cool - not excited; calm, especially during times of stress (from Pre-Germanic, koluz "cold, to freeze")
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COMMENTS:
HYSTERICOOL is beautiful- and obviously based on an all-too-real personal experience. Love it! - metrohumanx, 2008-07-10: 07:58:00
great word tigger - Jabberwocky, 2008-07-10: 09:33:00
Actually metro, I was thinking of the beginning of the movie 'Home Alone' and Catherine O'Hara's character when I wrote that. But anyone with that many kids to travel with ought to be a complete wreck, even if she does forget one... - Tigger, 2008-07-10: 10:54:00
I love it! And that "sentence!" We are all aspiring writers I think... :) Great read! - lumina, 2008-07-10: 18:43:00
Good one, Tigger...gives one hystericool laughter! - Nosila, 2008-07-10: 23:19:00
Another great word. - OZZIEBOB, 2008-07-11: 18:24:00
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Calmcentrate
Created by: iwasatripwire
Pronunciation: com-cen-trate
Sentence: I always put on my calmcentrating hat in a crisis.
Etymology: calm + concentrate
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COMMENTS:
nice - wordmeister, 2007-05-10: 00:43:00
Won't forget that one! - geoamnesia, 2007-05-10: 03:40:00
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Supermanual
Created by: galwaywegian
Pronunciation: soo purr man ewe ahl
Sentence: The Supermanual did everything for by the book, which is why she bought him the Kama Sutra for Christmas. unfortunately it was in Spanish, sohe had to have it translated by his cousin, the Supermanuel
Etymology: superman manual (manuel)
Catastaunch
Created by: ErWenn
Pronunciation: /kəˈtæˌstɔːntʃ/
Sentence: When calamity strikes, it's often surprising to see who steps up to catastaunch the flow of disaster; it's not always whom you expect.
Etymology: from catastrophe + staunch (meaning both "steadfast" and "to stop the flow of")
Indexhaustive
Created by: CharlieB
Pronunciation: in-decks-orst-ive
Sentence: In the face of disaster, Sarah got tunnel vision. As her exasperated boyfriend pakced his suitcase to leave for a new life, she followed him round and indexhaustively rearranged the books he wasn't taking into alphabetical order.
Etymology: index (to put into order) + exhaustive (tiring out, draining) + ex (former partner or spouse)
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COMMENTS:
cute - Nosila, 2011-04-15: 11:30:00
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Hocusfocus
Created by: Stevenson0
Pronunciation: ho/cus/fo/cus
Sentence: It was Black Monday, the stock market was crashing and with all the wild rumours, panic, hysteria and insanity trader Davis Smith was in the state of hocusfocus, buying, selling, shorting and stabilizing his clients' portfolios among the doomsdayers and panic traders.
Etymology: hocus pocus + focus
Pragmatician
Created by: Wordsmith
Pronunciation: prag-ma-ti-shun
Sentence: She was never emotional, didn't skip a beat; she immediately took control in a calm, orderly fashion resolving the issue as any pragmatician would.
Etymology: from the latin gramaticus, greek gmatico
Unrufflood
Created by: Jabberwocky
Pronunciation: un/ruff/flud
Sentence: He remained completely unrufflood even when the rising waters were close to his chin.
Etymology: unruffled + flood
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COMMENTS:
UNRUFFLOOD- a very fluid interpretation, mon! - metrohumanx, 2008-07-10: 07:48:00
Nice flow about it. - OZZIEBOB, 2008-07-11: 18:12:00
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Tranquilamity
Created by: Nosila
Pronunciation: tran kwill am a tee
Sentence: His name was Placido The Gringo. He was a tech on 13th Floor who spoke the lingo. Besides his accessibility, he was blessed with sensibility and tranquilamity. When the alarms sounded flammibility in our facility, Placido shut down the systems auotmatically, with unflapability. While others did panic and behave manic, he was a stalwart systematic. Last to be rescued, he unfortunately miscued. It's a pity that the smoke affected his motility, so he'll now face permanent sterility. This will hurt him, no doubt, when his employer finds out. Because working for Xerox, Placido was in charge of reproductivity.
Etymology: Tranquility (a state of peace and quiet; a disposition free from stress or emotion)& Calamity (an event resulting in great loss and misfortune)
Comments:
Today's definition was inspired by Cory Doctorow's short story "When Sysadmins Ruled the Earth" which is published in Overclocked, and was suggested by autophile. Thank you Cory and autophile! ~ James
I'm still grinning at this one. Well done!
Today's definition was suggested by doctorow. Thank you doctorow. ~ James