Vote for the best verboticism.
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.
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.
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
Upsult
Created by: badsnudge
Pronunciation: \up-ˈsəlt\
Sentence: "Sure, you're lazy. But its the ambitious people who are destroying the planet.", he upsulted.
Etymology: up (from uplift) sult (from insult)
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COMMENTS:
Good one, badsnudge...compact! - Nosila, 2008-08-05: 22:24:00
Very Good. - OZZIEBOB, 2008-08-06: 04:55:00
Succinct and bound to become trendy. Bravo! - metrohumanx, 2008-08-06: 16:28:00
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Winsult
Created by: Nosila
Pronunciation: win sult
Sentence: When Alxis wanted to motivate her top sales people, she used reverse psychology on them. She'd treat them so badly and abased them, that they would prove her wrong by outdoing themselves. Their success was their best revenge on her. Her winsult approach opened up a whole new career for her on the self-help book and lecture circuit.
Etymology: Win (be successful, attain a goal) & Insult (treat, mention, or speak to rudely)
Condemnagog
Created by: purpleartichokes
Pronunciation: kun-dem-ah-gog
Sentence: At the meeting, we counted six insults proffered by Frank, the condemnagog, including one subtle double-slam on the presenter's mentor.
Etymology: condemn, demagog
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COMMENTS:
How appropriate. This actually happened yesterday. - purpleartichokes, 2007-06-12: 05:20:00
wasn't magog a god of war as well? Even moooore appropriate. - galwaywegian, 2007-06-12: 06:24:00
He went presentimental over the attack on his advisor. - petaj, 2007-06-12: 07:54:00
Love it! Really splendid. - Clayton, 2007-06-12: 08:30:00
Excellent! - ErWenn, 2007-06-13: 00:35:00
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Deniagrate
Created by: administraitor
Pronunciation: deny-a-grate
Sentence: Her manager's constant efforts to deniagrate her performance finally led Carol to implement her exit strategy.
Etymology: denial + denigrate
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COMMENTS:
your name, administraitor, would have worked well with this definition - Jabberwocky, 2007-06-12: 16:29:00
What a difference a vowel makes! - administraitor, 2007-06-12: 16:32:00
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Facadeist
Created by: Nosila
Pronunciation: fass add ist
Sentence: When Joan Collins played Alexis I-don't-Care-ington Coldby on "Dynasty" everyone thought she was a great actress, as well as an 80's clothes-horse supreme. She could work a room of naive men and fool millions of viewers. That is until those cat-fight scenes with her arch-rival, he ex Blake's new wife,Krystle (Linda Evans)...then they realized that those kissy, kissy, let's do lunch real soon, have your people call my people overtures were the mark of a real facadeist. Yes, they should have named the series after her, Die-Nasty!
Etymology: facade (a showy misrepresentation intended to conceal something unpleasant or being two-faced, not showing what you really feel) & sadist (someone who obtains pleasure from inflicting pain on others)
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COMMENTS:
Latent loathing lingers. - metrohumanx, 2008-08-05: 07:17:00
Spot On ! - Wordotwist, 2008-08-05: 09:34:00
Great word AND soap opera sniglet! - lumina, 2008-08-05: 12:26:00
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Mastard
Created by: Clayton
Pronunciation: MAS-terd
Sentence: H. Clancy Pettigrew was a mastard of insultimate penuriousadism. His misanthrapaciousness was rivaled only by his truculentertaining friendishness.
Etymology: master + bastard
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COMMENTS:
Interestingly, there is a rhetorical term for the art of insulting people without them knowing it: Charientism. Traditionally it means "the act of stating something objectionable in an agreeable manner." - Clayton, 2007-06-12: 08:25:00
I love this sentence. It's a cornucopious assemblerection of tonguetwisting verbsmithery. - petaj, 2007-06-12: 08:41:00
I get it from years of reading Sir Thomas Urquhart of Cromarty. Please don't tell anyone! - Clayton, 2007-06-12: 08:48:00
you're secret's safe with me. - jadenguy, 2007-06-12: 10:01:00
Nooooo! The only way three people can keep a secret is if two of me are already dead! Now I'll have to start reading other lunatics with undying affinities for pointless displays of frantic hippopotomonstrosesquipedalianism. - Clayton, 2007-06-12: 10:11:00
Wow! love the sentence - Jabberwocky, 2007-06-12: 15:00:00
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Criticer
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
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
Slamaid
Created by: sanssouci
Pronunciation: Slam ayd
Sentence: "The best way to get the most out of your new employees is to slamaid them right from the start, if they are strong minded and determined then they will make it to the end of their training without running a mile."
Etymology: Slam - to criticize harshly; attack verbally: He slammed my taste mercilessly. Aid - to offer encouragment and motivation.
Comments:
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...)
Today's definition was suggested by ohwtepph. Thank you ohwtepph. ~ James