Vote for the best verboticism.
DEFINITION: n. Anxiety created by an inability to understand or follow the regulations for recycling, composting and garbage collection. v. To feel confused and conflicted because you produce too much garbage and don't know how to get rid of it.
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.
Drossoverreaction
Created by: OZZIEBOB
Pronunciation: dros-oh-VER-ree-AK-shuhn
Sentence: Bob dreaded Thursday evenings; when, at about 9.33pm, Roxie would yell to him, "Have you put the garbage out yet?" All this may seem a trifle odd, but he always felt that in the moonlight a pair of eyes were firmly fixed upon him. Indeed it made him feel apprehensive, until one evening out of the shadows sprang Ilsa, head of the neighourhood garbage gestapo. "What do you mean putting foreign language print in with English language newspapers?" she scowled. He hardly knew what to say, but managed to reply, " Oh, come on; I guess, after all, don't they both derive from Sanskrit?" She glared, but made no reply, and he too remained silent, not wishing to trash talk her. Early the next morning, as he was leaving his house, he saw her but perservered in his resolution not to speak to her or allow himself to be subjected to her drossoverreactions.
Etymology: DROSS: Waste, Refuse & QVERREACTION: over-the-top response
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COMMENTS:
Next up on Trash Talk... - arrrteest, 2008-03-25: 08:28:00
Well done irony showing it can be taken to far, in both your sentence and word! Potent verboticism! - silveryaspen, 2008-03-25: 13:18:00
wonderful sentence - Jabberwocky, 2008-03-25: 13:37:00
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Recycoanalysis
Created by: karenanne
Pronunciation: ree SIKE oh ahn AL uh sis
Sentence: The amount of recycoanalysis that Ann Ziety goes through just to decide where to put some of her refuse and discarded items makes it almost a second job. It can probably be traced to the fact that her parents are huge environmentalists and were recycling back in the 70's, before it was cool or even all that convenient. All they ever read when she was a child was "Mother Earth" and the Sierra Club magazine, which they then pressed into pellets and burned in their wood-burning fireplace. Ann never feels that she can measure up to her parents' high standards. Even today, they pick through the neighbors' trash and re-sort it into the proper recycling containers. Their neighbors say fondly that they put the "mental" in "environmental." For example, if Ann's mother were reading today's Verbotomy, she would be quick to point out that, of course, used paper towels, as well as napkins and coffee filters, should be COMPOSTED.
Etymology: recycle + psychoanalysis
Ecoguilt
Created by: picabomama
Pronunciation: ee/co/guilt
Sentence: Despite using cloth diapers and cloth napkins and cedar cat litter, Kelly's ecoguilt could not be soothed. When she began making art out of toilet paper tubes, her husband decided it was time for an intervention.
Etymology: eco- shorthand for ecology + guilt- the terrible feeling that you are somehow failing
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COMMENTS:
Great sentence. Right on the definition! Outstanding! - silveryaspen, 2008-03-25: 11:08:00
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Dumpfound
Created by: OZZIEBOB
Pronunciation: DUHUMP-found
Sentence: "What if we should stack it higher than we did last week?" Roxie observed; "we are already somewhat short of space." "I don't think he would have left us this size bin if he thought that was going to happen," said Bob; "he knows all about these things. He's a cagey fellow, Mr Dregnought; how he came to find out about those paint tins, batteries and our entire plastic record collection of Tiny Tim's greatest hits were in there, is beyond my telling." Perhaps it was a drossoverreaction, but they didn't feel comfortable as they saw their taboo of trash, like a tsunami, rising higher and higher, and began to feel dumpfounded, and considered that, after all, it might have been better to have tried to dispose of their gargantua of garbage some other way.
Etymology: Blend of Dump & dumbfound
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COMMENTS:
Great sentence. Clever word! - silveryaspen, 2009-01-15: 12:36:00
great word - Jabberwocky, 2009-01-15: 13:22:00
Talk trash to us...great word! - Nosila, 2009-01-15: 23:59:00
Great word... I was all excited because I had created dumpfounded and then I checked and saw you already had this one!!!! - mweinmann, 2009-01-16: 10:08:00
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Discomposture
Created by: Jabberwocky
Pronunciation: dis/com/post/yur
Sentence: I hurried down the street with my sunglasses on, listening to my ipod, so that none of the neighbours would notice my discomposture after I had hastily stashed a plastic muffin tray in the recycling bin. It did have a recyling symbol on it but I wasn't sure if the number was acceptable or not.
Etymology: discomposure + compost + dis (as in disrespect)
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COMMENTS:
Oh, how I love compost! Wish there was a song about it. Good word! - purpleartichokes, 2008-03-25: 12:45:00
With originality you have captured the meaning and feeling in the definition again ... with wit and humor thrown in! Outstanding! - silveryaspen, 2008-03-25: 13:28:00
After reading your sentence, I had to google "recycling number" to understand what you are talking about here. Maybe it's because I'm an American, or maybe it's because I live in the middle of the United States (and not on a coast) but I admit I had no earthly idea that there were numbers on recyclables. Alas, we have no curb-side recyclables on my street. - doseydotes, 2008-03-25: 14:19:00
Okay, stache just privately pointed out that there IS, in fact, curbside recycling on my street, and he expressed surprise that I did not know about recycling numbers. I, apparently, am a recylidiot. Or an ecolodork. Or . . . you fill it in. - doseydotes, 2008-03-25: 15:26:00
wow - I think James might have (quite litter/ally)saved a little part of the planet today by choosing such a green definition. No more recylaments doseydotes. - Jabberwocky, 2008-03-25: 15:44:00
I'll be calling the City first thing tomorrow morning to ask for a bin. I'm . . . so . . . ashamed. - doseydotes, 2008-03-25: 17:54:00
Ashaamed, nay! I once thought that the triangular-shaped chasing arrows meant Danger! Crushing this plastic container may cause serious arrow-like injury. - purpleartichokes, 2008-03-25: 19:08:00
Great word - OZZIEBOB, 2008-03-25: 20:07:00
Clever creations — love it! - Tigger, 2008-03-25: 23:30:00
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Trashcombobulation
Created by: spotthecat1
Pronunciation: trash-kuhm-bob-yuh-ley-shun
Sentence: Stella and Stan spent hours sorting through the remains of their mega-market shopping splurges and in a fury of trashcombobulation threw all the refuse in a giant Hefty™ bag and carefully deposited the unsorted mess in their neighbor's pile. The only witness was the owl who just blinked and asked, "Who?"
Etymology: (trash)1325–75; ME trasches (pl.), appar. c. Norw trask rubbish; akin to OE trus brushwood, ON tros rubbish + (dis-combobulation) 1825–35, Americanism; fanciful alter. of discompose or discomfort
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COMMENTS:
Very informative etymology! - silveryaspen, 2008-03-25: 13:21:00
Nice! - purpleartichokes, 2008-03-25: 15:19:00
Very nice - OZZIEBOB, 2008-03-25: 20:06:00
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Refufugue
Created by: msherman51
Pronunciation: Re foo fewdge'
Sentence: Newspapers, shopping bags, plastics sorted by number, she confidently approached the array of bins; minutes later she was seen still standing in full refufuge, arms outstretched, clutching but unable to release her number 2 plastic juice container.
Etymology: refuse, wretched or otherwise, and fugue, a state of being unable to choose or act
Illitteracy
Created by: Nosila
Pronunciation: il lit ter as see
Sentence: Betty & Bob both suffered from illitteracy. They still could not figure out what was recyclable, compostable or just plain trash. They even tried joining Waste Watchers. This confusion was further added to by their garbage collectors, who were moody jokers. Sometimes they would take away the stuff, sometimes not. After all Bob & Betty's efforts and research on the Web about environmental responsibility, imagine their surprise if they found out that their town just dumped it all in the same landfill anyway!
Etymology: Ill (sick from; distressing; a cause for complaining ) & Iliteracy (an inability to read;ignorance resulting from not reading) & Litter (garbage, refuse, trash, especially that left in public places)
Greenatoryangst
Created by: arrrteest
Pronunciation: green-a-tor-ee-angst
Sentence: It was Brother Chad's turn to take out the recycling. It was a chore that he tried to get done before Brother Conrad came back from his evening prayers because he knew that there would be no refuge for improperly sorting the refuse. It was Conrad's contention that Chad refused to refer to the reference chart he put up on the refectory refrigerator on how to properly identify and sort the ungodly amount of consumer waste generated at the monastary. Brother Raphael often had to referee and run interference for poor Brother Chad becuase he recognized his constant confusion and greenatoryangst when it came to sorting the recycling.
Etymology: green (environmental)+atory (from obligatory) + angst (anxiety, fear)
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COMMENTS:
Really resourceful recounting of rather raunchy recycling rituals! Raves! - spotthecat1, 2008-03-25: 04:37:00
Very nicely done alliteration! Your etymology has originality and is meaning full. Great creates! - silveryaspen, 2008-03-25: 13:44:00
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Comments:
Today's definition was suggested by remistram. Thank you remistram. ~ James
stache - 2008-03-25: 02:10:00
I love the "IDEAS" bin.
Thanks stache. That's the bin where I put out my old ideas for recycling. ~ James
Jamagra - 2008-03-25: 08:07:00
James... maybe you could recycle those ideas my way? Love the cartoon and the word, but today... I got nothin'.
Jamagra - 2008-03-25: 09:10:00
Oh! Thought of something. I'm good now!
remistram - 2008-03-25: 10:23:00
got our massive bin last week...process is a bit more streamlined, am happy now!
purpleartichokes - 2008-03-25: 11:15:00
Lucky you, remi... our community recycling consists of loading the stuff up in your car and taking it to the recycling center on one of the few days/hours that they happen to be open. Sucks. I did get a FREE compost bin from our state env. protection folks. $80 value. My mother (and only my mother) is so proud!
My Rottin' Poem
I love my compost pile!
It thrills me to the bone
To think that all that wilted slop
Will enhance the crops I've grown!
I garden with a passion,
And I compost with a zeal.
I collect the coffee grounds at work
And cherish every peel.
In my cellar I compost in winter
Much to my son's dismay.
Though sweet to me, the smell can chase
Unwanted guests away.
My pile in the summer
Is a another sad slop story.
The dog next door gulps the gourmet treat,
Then regurgitates... quite gory.
The peels get strewn about my lawn
By some midnight compost thief.
I try to promptly pick up the stuff,
Before the neighbors give me grief.
The egg-shells never make it
To calcify my plants.
The birds steal most of the precious shards
Or they get toted off by ants.
My composting efforts without a bin
Have been daunting, to say the least.
By the time the stuff finally starts to rot,
It gets eaten by some beast.
So you see, kind folks at DEP
Why it's for a bin I pray.
If I can clean up my compost act,
The neighbors might let me stay!
silveryaspen - 2008-03-25: 13:09:00
Funtastic rhyme and reasoning!
Hey purple, I figured you loved vegetables, and guessed you were a dedicated composter, but composting in your basement??? Yikes!! Maybe that's why your shower curtain is covered in mildew. ~ James
Jamagra - 2008-03-25: 17:25:00
Purple, I am very proud of you too! You grow, girl!
purpleartichokes - 2008-03-25: 18:21:00
Um, yeah, I actually did compost in the basement in a garbage can. Apparently, I didn't add enough "browns" to the mix, cuz when I dumped it in the spring, the neighborhood smelled like a cesspool for days. ...oops. Thanks Jamagra! I'm gonna try my hand at a giant punkin this year! James - thanks for the idea. I bet that shower curtain junk would compost nicely!
arrrteest - 2008-03-25: 18:37:00
Great poem, too! I used to have a worm composting bin. At least the kids thought it was cool.
Today's definition was suggested by remistram. Thank you remistram. ~ James
greentard
AlenaTable - 2018-06-01: 03:13:00
Широкий ассортимент биопрепаратов для перерабатывающих предприятий и сельского хозяйства
Tamaratequera - 2018-06-01: 18:07:00
Древторг Woodtrade, пиломатериаl