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.
Snideypraise
Created by: TJayzz
Pronunciation: Sny-dee-pray-ze
Sentence: Rebecca thought she was a great boss, she didn't even realise by the way she encouraged her staff by mixing encouragement and insults in the same sentence, her staff could actually see right through her and knew all along that she was using the snideypraise method.
Etymology: Snidey(derogatory or mocking in an indirect way) + Praise(to express warm approval of) ORIGIN preiser Old French to prize, from Latin pretium 'price' = Snideypraise
Ensluragement
Created by: mrskellyscl
Pronunciation: en-slur-age-ment
Sentence: Margot was always ready to give ensluragement whenever someone got above their raisin by thinking they could do her job as well as she did. That way she could eliminate the competition and still sound like she was trying to help her underlings.
Etymology: encouragement: to inspire hope, courage or confidence + slur: to talk about disparagingly or insultingly; to cast a disparaging remark
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COMMENTS:
It takes slurrage to stand up to your subordinates. - artr, 2010-01-06: 09:20:00
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Philantriolic
Created by: OZZIEBOB
Pronunciation: f'-lan-TREE-uhl-ik
Sentence: Although seemed always seeming warm and friendly, it was not her mellow mien, but her canditoxic philantriolic tongue that told the true tale of her feelings.
Etymology: Blend of PHILANTHROPY: Love of humankind in general. Something, such as an activity, intended to promote human welfare; thoughtfulness; benvolent. & VITRIOLIC: Biting, bitter or caustic; having or expressing strong and unpleasantly negative feelings; -- of speech or feelings.
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COMMENTS:
Yikes! Bad Candy kills. - metrohumanx, 2008-08-05: 07:14:00
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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
Scofficer
Created by: petaj
Pronunciation: SCOFF-i-sir
Sentence: MEMO To: All Staff From: Scofficer Martin %%%%%%%% It is with great pleasure that I can tell you all about Mary Jane's excellent performance. Due to her repulsive smell brought on by inadequate personal hygiene, she has single handedly reduced the number of complaints submitted at the customer service desk to zero. Congratulations Mary Jane.
Etymology: scoff + officer + sir
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COMMENTS:
HA! - purpleartichokes, 2007-06-12: 07:51:00
This one's excellent, too. So many good words today. - Clayton, 2007-06-12: 08:31:00
that mary jane must have nulfactory senses! - jadenguy, 2007-06-12: 10:02:00
Great sentence! - mplsbohemian, 2007-06-12: 14:00:00
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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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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
Meanager
Created by: pungineer
Pronunciation: Meanie + ger
Sentence: Tarquin pondered whilst refrying the fries, he was on a fascinating 'Work your way round the Deep South' US gap year, the Himalayas had been fully booked, unfortunately... yes absolutely he though to himself, yes the OED have really missed a trick there, because, right, Bubba, is quite mean, I mean you could call him a meanie even, and he's my manager, well it says so on his badge so, right, well, actually he should be called a Meanager, because that's absolutely so what he is! Maybe i will study classics at Oxford next year, I've certainly got the language skills he ruminated further as he scrapped the grits off the gumbo....
Etymology: Just like Tarquin said in the story Mean or Meanie + Manager = Meanager
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COMMENTS:
When there was no crawdads, we ate dirt. - metrohumanx, 2008-08-06: 16:33:00
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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
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