Vote for the best verboticism.

'My nose hairs are scary!'

DEFINITION: n. A tool which has been re-purposed and is now being used (perhaps unsafely) to perform a completely different function. v. To use a tool for a different purpose than for which it was originally designed.

Create | Read

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.

Limplement

Created by: Nosila

Pronunciation: lim ple ment

Sentence: Eileen was attemting to use her recycled saw to trim her nose hairs. Unfortunately, it slipped and severed her leg, making it a limplement. She now spells her name I-Lean...

Etymology: Limb (arm or leg or tree branch) & Implement (tool, device, instrument)

----------------------------
COMMENTS:

Are you sure her name wasn't Noeleen? - galwaywegian, 2013-07-04: 07:29:00

----------------------------

| Comments and Points

Overtool

artr

Created by: artr

Pronunciation: ōvərtoōl

Sentence: Hal likes to overtool every thing he does. He shaves in the morning with a machete that he sharpens and hones for 20 minutes. He mows his half-acre lawn with a combine after mixing cocktails in a Hobart 20-quart commercial mixer. He doesn’t see his numerous trips to the ER as an indication that he should change, just as a source of stories to share at the local hardware store.

Etymology: overkill (the amount by which destruction or the capacity for destruction exceeds what is necessary) + tool (a device or implement, esp. one held in the hand, used to carry out a particular function)

----------------------------
COMMENTS:

RightOnTheWin Really neat concept ! - RightOnTheWin, 2010-09-21: 09:33:00

----------------------------

| Comments and Points

Twingineering

Created by: Banky

Pronunciation: /TWNJNRNK/

Sentence: Carol's use of the wiffleball bat, a feral cat, and 22 binder clips in her perverse twingineering experiment resulted in the summoning of no less than three ambulances to attend to the neighbor who was mistaken for a burglar.

Etymology: twin + engineering (as if you hadn't already figured that out...)

----------------------------
COMMENTS:

terrific - Jabberwocky, 2009-03-09: 13:53:00

got a big laugh from the things you chose to twingineer. Excellent word! - silveryaspen, 2009-03-09: 14:15:00

Good word. - kateinkorea, 2009-03-09: 18:42:00

I twin-ge with laughter! - Nosila, 2009-03-09: 22:55:00

----------------------------

| Comments and Points

Insinkerjuicer

petaj

Created by: petaj

Pronunciation: IN-sinker-juicer

Sentence: Darren, tired of cleaning the fibrous mess from his juicer, cobbled together a weird attachment for his garbage disposal unitt so that he could extract his favourite vegetable and fruit juices while the leftover bits simply disappeared down the sink. Being an ardent greenie, he also plumbed the outlet so that the watery mass of vegetable matter was washed into the compost bin.

Etymology: Insinkerator (garbage disposal) + juicer

| Comments and Points

Overskilsaw

artr

Created by: artr

Pronunciation: oh-ver-skil-saw

Sentence: Susan is not one to shy away from a challenge. Her father always told her, "if something doesn't work don't force it, get a bigger hammer". With that in mind Susan goes after her "need-to-be-trimmed" nails with her overskilsaw.

Etymology: overkill (an excess of what is required or suitable, as because of zeal or misjudgment) + Skilsaw (popular brand of circular saw)

| Comments and Points

Skimprovise

Created by: Mustang

Pronunciation: SKIM-pro-vyz

Sentence: Even at risk of life and limb in using tools and devices dangerously to save a few pennies, Maribel would often skimprovise, sometimes even endangering those around her.

Etymology: Blend of 'skimp' (To provide for or supply inadequately; be stingy with) and 'improvise' (to make, provide, or arrange from whatever materials are readily available)

| Comments and Points

Machamorphosis

Created by: TJayzz

Pronunciation: Mak-a-mor-foe-sis

Sentence: Budding inventor Ivor Patent-Pending, cleverly adapted his ceiling fan every winter by machamorphosis so that it blew out hot air, thus being able to dry his clothes when the weather was bad.

Etymology: Blend of Machine(an apparatus using mechanical power) and Metamorphosis(alter, to change completely)

----------------------------
COMMENTS:

metrohumanx RIGHT-O TJ!...and with a string attached, it makes an EXCELLENT cat toy! - metrohumanx, 2009-03-09: 02:20:00

metrohumanx Machamorphosis....like a luvely flutterby! - metrohumanx, 2009-03-09: 02:25:00

good one - galwaywegian, 2009-03-09: 14:27:00

----------------------------

| Comments and Points

Skimprovise

Created by: Mustang

Pronunciation: SKIM-pro-vyz

Sentence: Even at risk of life and limb in using tools and devices dangerously to save a few pennies, Marlene would often skimprovise, sometimes even endangering those around her.

Etymology: Blend of 'skimp' (To provide for or supply inadequately; be stingy with) and 'improvise' (to make, provide, or arrange from whatever materials are readily available)

----------------------------
COMMENTS:

You captured exactly why we do this! Your word for this definition is perfect! - silveryaspen, 2009-03-09: 11:09:00

Good word. - kateinkorea, 2009-03-09: 18:39:00

----------------------------

| Comments and Points

Electrocutilize

karenanne

Created by: karenanne

Pronunciation: ee lek tro CYU til ize

Sentence: Stumpy likes to electrocutilize power tools for more mundane purposes. Last year, he electrocutilized his belt sander to polish his shoes - while he was still wearing them. That's why his nickname is Stumpy.

Etymology: electrocute + utilize

| Comments and Points

Mcgyvered

Created by: galwaywegian

Pronunciation: mig eye verd

Sentence: the newly mcgyvered blender also delivered perfect soups smoothies and ballistic missiles

Etymology: mcgyver

----------------------------
COMMENTS:

Mcgood word - Nosila, 2010-09-20: 08:50:00

----------------------------

| Comments and Points

Show All or More...

 

Comments:

Verbotomy Verbotomy - 2009-03-09: 00:01:01
Today's definition was suggested by metrohumanx. Thank you metrohumanx. ~ James

metrohumanx metrohumanx - 2009-03-09: 02:27:00
Thank YOU, James Gang...for the excellent illustrations! ARS LONGA VITA BREVIS! MetrohumanX

Verbotomy Verbotomy - 2009-03-09: 11:02:00
And thank you metrohumanx, for supplying so many wonderfully prickly ideas! ~ James

yellowbird - 2009-03-09: 20:52:00
Just the cartoon made me smile. No need to read the words today!

Verbotomy Verbotomy - 2010-09-20: 00:53:00
Today's definition was suggested by metrohumanx. Thank you metrohumanx. ~ James