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
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
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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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
Leaderhosin
Created by: artr
Pronunciation: lēdərhōzən
Sentence: Whenever folks get too uppity the boss administers a good leaderhosin.
Etymology: leader (the person who leads or commands a group, organization, or country) + hose (metaphorical term for screwing someone) a play on Lederhosen
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COMMENTS:
My morning chuckle. Thanks, artr. - mrskellyscl, 2010-01-06: 07:57:00
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Falrientism
Created by: protothor
Pronunciation: fall-ree-int-ism
Sentence: An expert of falrientism, even as the young boy in the back of the opposing car audited his middle finger, his smile led to unspoken compliments.
Etymology: From 'falsity' and 'charientism', a word that means basically the same thing.
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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Irgonogatism
Created by: Zer22
Pronunciation: Ir-Go-Nog-A-Tism
Sentence: The irgonogatism tone in her voice made me feel unworthy.
Etymology:
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COMMENTS:
Etymology = Ignorance + Noggin(Head) + Tism. - Zer22, 2007-06-12: 14:35:00
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Zingersatzpur
Created by: ohwtepph
Pronunciation: zih-nger-zatz-purr
Sentence: Berta fired zingersatzpurs out of his mouth at 200 zingersatzpurs per minute at her lover, just like any professional zingersatzpurs would. She ended her wild volley of insults with, "Keep on doing that and I will love you for the rest of my life."
Etymology: [German... LOL. i keed, i keed] (insult) zinger + ersatz (false) + spur (encourage)
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COMMENTS:
I am both frightened and elated by this word of yours. - Clayton, 2007-06-12: 10:03:00
Glad to know you're having mixed emotaunts! - ohwtepph, 2007-06-13: 08:48:00
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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