Vote for the best verboticism.

'When I said that you're a loser, I meant it as a compliment.'

DEFINITION: v. To exercise power through the strategic use of personal insults, while pretending to offer encouragement. n. A leader who motivates people by insulting them.

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Verboticisms

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Mortfortify

Created by: porsche

Pronunciation: mort/fort/i/fye

Sentence: The sales manager managed to mortfortify his team on a daily basis. He told them they were all stars, outperforming last years numbers to such a degree that he would hire more staff and thus reduce their bonuses

Etymology: mortify + fortify

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Disencourage

Created by: rephil

Pronunciation: dis-en-CUR-adj

Sentence: Martha made it a point to disencourage everyone in her office before noon every day.

Etymology: dis -- not; encourage -- to support

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Procurstinator

Created by: Mustang

Pronunciation: pro_CURS-tin-ayt=er

Sentence: Elaine was a hard core procurstinator, using insults that she dressed up as compliments in order to motivate her staff.

Etymology: Blend of prefix 'pro' (for, or positive) and 'curse' (v. to swear or condemn). Play on the word procrastinator

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Leadersnip

Created by: mweinmann

Pronunciation: lee - dur - snip

Sentence: Patricia knew how to practice leadersnip. This skill was honed over a period of time as a manager in the Marketing Department at Pepper Hill Cosmetics. All good ideas were her own and if someone else started to believe in their writing skills a bit too avidly, Patrice knew how to snip their copy - - and them down to size; thus yielding a better slogan authored by "herself"

Etymology: leader - a person who demonstrates the ability to motivate and manage people. snip - cut, reduce or chide

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Fabrimprecate

Created by: ziggy41

Pronunciation: Fab-remp-ah-kayte

Sentence: Our boss elucidated to us that from her country what we thought crude was, infact, a normal "hello" gesture. Once we found out she was born in America we knew she was fabrimprecating the whole time, and was just giving us the finger.

Etymology: Fabricate (to fake or lie) + imprecate (to utter a curse)

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Hellnotivate

Created by: Katisms1

Pronunciation: hell-NO!-tive-ate

Sentence: Maintaining his hard-won reputation as a total S.O.B., the department manager would sneeringly "hellnotivate" his sales team into action with an endless stream of backhanded compliments.

Etymology: "(Oh) hell, no!" [Indignant reaction to the realization that the compliment one thought one just received was actually an insult.] + motivate

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Lamander

Created by: whazat29

Pronunciation:

Sentence:

Etymology:

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Lapsojudgement

Created by: kymar

Pronunciation: lapse - o - judgement

Sentence: I could tell by the look on my bosses face, that what she was about to say to me would be yet another example of her lapsojudgment.

Etymology: Momentary lapse in judgement

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Criticer

Matt99

Created by: Matt99

Pronunciation: Cr-it-ic-er

Sentence: The boss sure is an accomplished criticer. Also- The string of criticerally charged words left him feeling abused.

Etymology: Critic + er

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Pepsquawk

artr

Created by: artr

Pronunciation: pepskwôk

Sentence: Week after week the manager would deliver a pepsqualk to her staff. Her crew’s response has been to adopt a hedgehog as a mascot. They told her that a hedgehog is an industrious critter that will ”dig in” and defend its home. The fact is that the picture they posted for motivation is actually a shrew.

Etymology: pep talk (a talk intended to make someone feel more courageous or enthusiastic) + squawk (make a loud, harsh noise)

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Comments:

Verbotomy Verbotomy - 2007-06-12: 01:52:00
The second step in Timothy Johnson's GUST process is Understanding. And apparently, based on the number of definitions we received on this topic, everybody understands what it is like to have a bad boss. Today's definition was suggested by ohwtepph , suzanne, and remistram. Thank you ohwtepph, suzanne, remistram, and Timothy! ~ James

lumina - 2008-08-07: 13:49:00
Wow! So fun and an honor to have come up with the "winning" word. "I'd like to thank the Academy, my parents and of course Jesus." ha Thanks to the voters! (she says as the music starts playing and the tap dancing man with the hook from the gong show comes into view...)

Verbotomy Verbotomy - 2010-01-06: 00:05:00
Today's definition was suggested by ohwtepph. Thank you ohwtepph. ~ James