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

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.

Sublimhate

Created by: mplsbohemian

Pronunciation: SUHB-lihm-hayt

Sentence: Alex, unaware of the powers of sublimhation, couldn't understand why he always felt worse after his boss's "pep talks".

Etymology: subordinate + subliminal + sublimate + hate

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COMMENTS:

oooo, an irony fisted word! - purpleartichokes, 2007-06-12: 13:19:00

Excellent word. - ErWenn, 2007-06-13: 00:34:00

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Slamaid

sanssouci

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.

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Dozenator

Created by: readerwriter

Pronunciation: duz-en-ate; duz-en-a-tor

Sentence: She came on like she was from the hood, street-smart, street-wise, getting it on, taking us down with her tongue. Man, she thought she was original Dozenator, the Queen of Put Downs. But, it was all a show. "Heh, heh...Just jivin' ya," she always said in quick retreat.

Etymology: From the slang, "dozens," meaning to put others down + ate/ ator, giving action and/or title

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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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Lambastard

Created by: galwaywegian

Pronunciation: lamm bass tarrred

Sentence: He had the smile of an angel as he chaired the weekly meetings, but as the new recruit Ida Lovett was to discover, beneath the smarmy exterior, he was a complete and utter lambastard!

Etymology: lambast, to loudly criticise, bastard

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COMMENTS:

petaj He was much worse after a few glasses of Italian red wine. Then he was lambrusqueo - petaj, 2007-06-12: 07:52:00

petaj Also a wolf in sheep's clothing? - petaj, 2007-06-12: 08:02:00

Damn, I didn't see yours before I posted mine. Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain. Good word there, too. - Clayton, 2007-06-12: 08:27:00

And the ignoramus who put BBQ sauce on the mutton chops. - purpleartichokes, 2007-06-12: 08:31:00

Hahaha! "Lamb baster." Incidentally, the Basters of Namibia get their name from the Dutch word for "bastard." - Clayton, 2007-06-12: 09:05:00

Maybe he had the smile of an angel because he was really 'Tiny Tim' in disguise and he was a lamebastard as well as a lambastard - Jabberwocky, 2007-06-12: 10:44:00

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Goaddigger

Created by: Jabberwocky

Pronunciation: gode/dig/ur

Sentence: Our new MD is such a goaddigger that he simultaneously hurls insults and backslaps with lightening speed, "Builds moral" he screams as he steps over a flattened colleague

Etymology: goad + digger (supervisor) + gold digger (bully, vixen, tease)

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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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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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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

petaj 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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Middleearth

Created by: nynaeve

Pronunciation:

Sentence:

Etymology:

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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