Vote for the best verboticism.
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.
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.
Conglomergreats
Created by: silveryaspen
Pronunciation: cun glom er grates
Sentence: Alan Rench was out camping. He liked to rough it in the mountains. His sawtoothed blade doubled as his comb. His screw driver stirred his beans in the tin bucket, simmering over the campfire, as it hung by the tire iron, held aloft by his jack. His plate was one of his hubcaps. His pocket knife did triple duty, for he used it as his spoon and fork, too. He sang the old saw "I eat my beans with honey. I done it all my life. It makes 'em taste quite funny, but it keeps 'em on my knife." He also used his pocket knife to scrape his hubcap plate clean. Alan's multi-duty use of all his tools made them his conglomergreats!
Etymology: CONGLOMERATE - mix of many things. GREAT - large in number. So tools that be used for a mix of many things in a large number of ways are conglomergreats.
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COMMENTS:
It's a bit of a tongue twister, but if you can eat your beans off your knife, your tongue won't trip over it! - silveryaspen, 2009-03-09: 01:11:00
I'd LOVE to camp out with you! - metrohumanx, 2009-03-09: 01:13:00
Did you know you can cook flounder on your engine's manifold? It's VERY eco-efficient ! - metrohumanx, 2009-03-09: 02:18:00
I'd only cook a fish on the manifold for the halibut! And ps, silvery, they should be called BEEns! - Nosila, 2009-03-09: 22:53:00
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Insinkerjuicer
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
Megatool
Created by: artr
Pronunciation: megətoōl
Sentence: Gene believes in the megatool approach to life. If a task requires the use of a tool bigger is always better. He has a military surplus flame thrower that he uses to start his charcoal grill. You have a rusty bolt? If his jaws-of-life can't loosen it, they can lop it off so you can replace it. His wife drew the line when he started talking about a pneumatic hammer fly swatter. She has 911 on speed-dial.
Etymology: mega (very large; huge) + tool (a device or implement, esp. one held in the hand, used to carry out a particular function)
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COMMENTS:
Perhaps Gene is a megatool for Black & Decker. - otherguy, 2009-03-09: 06:43:00
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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...)
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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
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Tual
Created by: kateinkorea
Pronunciation: TYOO eul
Sentence: Many months after her boyfriend had run out on her, Sally realized that she had to clean out the basement of Dick’s tools. As she piled them by the garbage she suddenly started to see another picture. These tools might have other uses. It began with duct tape. She discovered that everything in her kitchen could be fixed, held together, or constructed with the help of duct tape. Soon she was cutting garlic with a utility knife; marinating meat in a paint tray; using crescent wrenches or hammers to tenderize meat; and a drill with a twirly contraption on the end as a mixer. All of these tools had dual functions. This huge tual box had proven its worthiness and found a place in her new kitchen-workshop.
Etymology: TOOL: DUAL:
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COMMENTS:
Sounds like the perfect word for Alton Brown (from the show 'Good Eats' - not sure if you've seen it, but he's always using items from the hardware store in the kitchen). - Tigger, 2009-03-09: 11:09:00
Smile-icious! - silveryaspen, 2009-03-09: 11:13:00
super - Jabberwocky, 2009-03-09: 13:54:00
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Gadgetlag
Created by: Nosila
Pronunciation: gad jet lag
Sentence: Ever since Wilbur & Orville had sent air travel to the next plane, A.Fred O'Travel worked night and day to find something to help passengers get over the fear of flying. More specifically, he found passengers were not as much afraid of flying and as afraid of getting the dreaded jet lag, which could immobilize them upon disembarkment. So Fred made a device which helped passengers to calm down and not shout out as embarrassing statements as "They are going in the wrong direction" and turn them into positive statements, like, "We don't care where the pilots land, as long as it is on Earth!" Not only did this tool (which was placed in each passenger's drink, act as an anti-gadgetlag, it made the passengers remember a happy, ethereal experience, which made them want to book again and again with NirvanAir.
Etymology: gadget (a device that is very useful for a particular job) & Jet Lag(fatigue and sleep disturbance resulting from disruption of the body's normal circadian rhythm as a result of jet travel)
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COMMENTS:
Egad! - silveryaspen, 2009-03-10: 14:57:00
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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)
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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
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Overskilsaw
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)
Mchammer
Created by: rombus
Pronunciation: mik - ham - mer
Sentence: Donald decided to mchammer his dog house together with his mchammer. It was a new tool that he created using a baseball bat, a visegrip and a socket wrench....Instead of hitting the nail on the head, he destroyed the entire dog house with his "hammer time"... Oh well, Donald thought as he put down the bat...."can't touch this" as a hammer again....must take up baseball.
Etymology: hammer, McDonalds, M C Hammer....
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COMMENTS:
Really hammered this one! - silveryaspen, 2009-03-09: 14:13:00
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Mcgyvered
Created by: galwaywegian
Pronunciation: mig eye verd
Sentence: the newly mcgyvered blender also delivered perfect soups smoothies and ballistic missiles
Etymology: mcgyver
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COMMENTS:
Mcgood word - Nosila, 2010-09-20: 08:50:00
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Comments:
Today's definition was suggested by metrohumanx. Thank you metrohumanx. ~ James
Thank YOU, James Gang...for the excellent illustrations! ARS LONGA VITA BREVIS! MetrohumanX
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!
Today's definition was suggested by metrohumanx. Thank you metrohumanx. ~ James