Vote for the best verboticism.
DEFINITION: v. To focus on your weaknesses, rather than your strengths. n. A person who is obsessed with their perceived deficiencies, and works hard to ensure that everyone else understands and appreciates their failings.
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.
Flunkard
Created by: Tigger
Pronunciation: /flung-kerd/ (pronounced like 'drunkard')
Sentence: Larry would often set low standards for himself and then consistently fail to meet those standards. As a habitual flunkard, Larry found that there were very few tasks entrusted to him at the office. Management, having noticed this, were quick to assume that he was quite skilled at delegating assignments, and offered him a promotion.
Etymology: Flunk - failure to meet minimum performance standards (English slang, from alteration of British university slang, funk "to be frightened, shrink from") + Drunkard - a chronic, habitual drinker (from Old English, druncen, pp. of "to drink"); Flunkard = a chronic, habitual failure.
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COMMENTS:
great sentence Tigger - Jabberwocky, 2008-04-29: 12:21:00
Great word! - Mustang, 2008-04-29: 23:23:00
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Defectionist
Created by: Mustang
Pronunciation: dee-fekt-shun-ehst
Sentence: Wilbur had at one point in his life been a perfectionist but over time after suffering some setbacks, he became a defectionist, concentrating on his perceived defects rather than building on his strengths.
Etymology: Blend of 'defect' (imperfection) and suffix 'ist' (indicates a person involved in the activity or field)
Degretation
Created by: Mustang
Pronunciation: degh-reh-TAY-shun
Sentence: Carletons sense of self worth was flimsy at best, bordering on nonexistent, and he would frequently abase himself in his self styled degretation, using verbal self abuse and humiliation.
Etymology: Blend of degrade and reputation
Dorkmeister
Created by: metrohumanx
Pronunciation: DORK- my-ster
Sentence: We don’t need convincing – The self- analyzer… Who mocks himself daily’s A real DORKMEISTER!
Etymology: DORK+MEISTER= DORKMEISTER.....Dork: perhaps alteration of dick Date: 1967.....MEISTER: one who is delusionally knowledgeable about something specified; Yiddish mayster & German Meister master, from Middle High German meister, from Old High German meistar, from Latin magister.
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COMMENTS:
I'm not surprised that nobody likes the DORKMEISTER. What's to like? - metrohumanx, 2009-06-10: 05:52:00
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Privatedefective
Created by: Nosila
Pronunciation: pry vat dee tek tiv
Sentence: Yeah, she could not shoot, she did not take great photos and she had great trouble solving cases, but Sue Dopol Eese was a privatedefective. She fell asleep at stakeouts, she lost tails by being distracted with signs of upcoming sales and straying husbands and dishonest employees everywhere knew she was rubbish at her job. She could not find a lost sole in a shoe factory. She was therefore delighted when she was accepted for CIA Basic Training Camp...and she knew she would graduate top of her class.
Etymology: private(concerning one person exclusively or concerning things deeply private and personal) & (defective(markedly subnormal in structure or function or intelligence or behavior) & for rhyming: private detective (you know like Mannix, Magnum PI,etc).
Mignify
Created by: Pyrrhocephalous
Pronunciation: Mig'-nif-ai
Sentence: "Could you wash the dishes for me, dear?" "Sure, Mommy! Hopefully I won't drop any like I did yesterday. Or bend the spoods too hard. Or accidently toss any on Fluffball..." "Actually, Suzie, why don't you go play with your friends? I can wash them" Suzie successfully mignified her way out of doing the dishes.
Etymology: Minimum + Magnify, since a mignifier is magnifying his minimum ability.
Incompetitor
Created by: petaj
Pronunciation: in-COM-pet-it-tah
Sentence: Marty's ambition was to be the incompetitor of the month. So he launched into self-demotion at every opportunity until the entire staff was well aware of his every foible.
Etymology: incompetence + competitor
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COMMENTS:
on a roll petaj - Jabberwocky, 2008-04-29: 12:19:00
thanks jabber. I though blooprint was pretty good, but had my doubts this would be popular - petaj, 2008-04-30: 02:59:00
Nice word. - OZZIEBOB, 2008-04-30: 21:33:00
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Nokwando
Created by: artr
Pronunciation: nōkwändō
Sentence: Nelson is not only a practitioner but is the grand master of a new martial art, nokwando. Rather than teach new skills, this art concentrates on what a student cannot do. His dojo is not finished yet and may not be unless someone else take on the project. Nelson even practices his art at work. When his boss suggests some action that he should be undertaking, he can almost always defer or deflect this effort with phrases like "I'll have take that under study" or "My predecessor never showed me how to do that".
Etymology: no (not any) + taekwando (a modern Korean martial art similar to karate)
Downanshout
Created by: TJayzz
Pronunciation: Dow-nan-showt
Sentence: Mark knew he was a failure from the start, when he was expelled from nursery school at the tender age of three! But could not resist telling all who would listen about them. His reasoning for being a downanshout was that he would rather shout his failings from the rooftops before people around him discovered them for themselves.
Etymology: Down(depressed about ones own failures) an(short for and) Shout(to air ones opinions in a loud manner), down and out (one of lifes complete failures) =Downanshout.
Faulterego
Created by: mweinmann
Pronunciation: fal - tur - ee - go
Sentence: Stephanie has a strong faulterego. Those who know her well realize that she is an intelligent, capable woman. She is so good at downplaying her strengths in favor of her weaknesses that at times, she seems like another person.
Etymology: fault, falter, alter ego (An alter ego (Latin, "the other I") is a second self, a second personality or persona within a person. It was coined in the early nineteenth century when schizophrenia was first described by early psychologists. A person with an alter ego is said to lead a double life)
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COMMENTS:
good one - Nosila, 2009-06-09: 11:08:00
Got my vote - DrWebsterIII, 2009-06-09: 13:33:00
Very good! - Mustang, 2009-06-09: 18:15:00
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Comments:
Today's definition is inspired by Johnny Bunko's Career Secret # 2: "Think strengths, not weaknesses". See: "The Adventures of Johnny Bunko" by Dan Pink. Thanks Dan! ~ James
Today's definition is inspired by Johnny Bunko's Career Secret # 2: "Think strengths, not weaknesses". See: "The Adventures of Johnny Bunko" by Dan Pink. Thanks Dan! ~ James
Today's definition was suggested by johnnybunko. Thank you johnnybunko. ~ James