Vote for the best verboticism.
DEFINITION: n. A self-deprecating computer virus which is constantly changing its identity due to problems with its logic and/or self-confidence. v. To randomly change your tune, just so you can bug other people.
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.
Zigfrag
Created by: artr
Pronunciation: zigfræg
Sentence: Jim's computer is infected with a virus. He never knows how it will show up as it zigfrags its way through the operating system. He'll type a command, watch the spinner and see what happens this time. Yesterday it erased most of his family photos. Today it emailed a porn link to everybody in his address book. Can't wait to see what tomorrow brings.
Etymology: zigzag (with frequent sharp turns from side to side) + frag (fragment)
Morphection
Created by: artr
Pronunciation: môrfekshən
Sentence: Allen’s life became a nightmare when his computer was beset by a morphection. This nasty little gremlin would alter its function every day. On Monday the chime that announced new e-mail was replaced by the theme from Green Acres. On Tuesday anything he tried to put in the trash was rejected by Oscar the Grouch. Wednesday brought with it a multitude of NSFW images to his desktop background. Thursday’s treat was a pop-up advertising Viagra that wouldn’t be deleted because it floated around the screen just ahead of the cursor. Friday was the scariest of all. When he opened his backpack to retrieve his laptop, Allen’s ThinkPad had replaced itself with a Commodore C64. AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!
Etymology: morph (to change from one form to another) + infection (the presence of a virus in, or its introduction into, a computer system)
Chromotose
Created by: Mustang
Pronunciation: KROME-eh-tose
Sentence: Luckily for Wanda, the virus that had infected her unprotected computer was basically chromotose, it's underlying logic distorted and it was basically a dormant program that devolved rather than evolving.
Etymology: Blend of 'chromosome' (One of the minute bodies into which the chromatin of the nucleus is resolved during mitotic cell division) and 'comatose' (in a state of deep and usually prolonged unconsciousness; unable to respond to external stimuli)
Chameleonline
Created by: Nosila
Pronunciation: kam mee lee on lyne
Sentence: As if trying to learn and keep up with modern computer technology is not hard enough for older people, every now and then some punk, somewhere in the world, throws out a morphing virus or bug. These types change constantly and therefore are called chameleonline viruses. Maybe we will eventually have the technology to track these viral vandals down and make them pay for the inconvenience and damage done to other people's PC's. In our lifetime...
Etymology: Chameleon (lizard of Africa and Madagascar able to change skin color; a changeable or inconstant person) & Online (controlled by or connected to a computer(of an activity or service) available on or performed using the Internet or other computer network)
Fickon
Created by: kateinkorea
Pronunciation: FICK ON
Sentence: I heard a group of guys in the computer lab talking about making viruses. They were arguing over what they would call it, and they all had these clever names lined up one after another. I think these intellectual bullies should grow up and quit trying to complicate other people’s lives. So I stood up and told them that they should call their disasterpiece FICKON…named after the fickle, con artists that started it. To my chagrin I found out later that they liked the name because viruses changed often and they felt like they were pulling off a con.
Etymology: FICKLE: changing often and suddenly CONFICKER VIRUS: CON : a trick; an act of cheating
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COMMENTS:
Oh my! And if you don't like it you can just Fickoff???? - readerwriter, 2009-04-01: 10:11:00
Oh my is right! - kateinkorea, 2009-04-01: 10:47:00
Love the word and story, kate, and it isn't even a ficktional one! - Nosila, 2009-04-01: 22:25:00
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Variabuggle
Created by: petaj
Pronunciation: vairy-a-bug-l
Sentence: I wish you would make up your mind. I am so tired of your variabuggling.
Etymology: variable + bug
Metamorviruse
Created by: silveryaspen
Pronunciation: met ah more veer ruse
Sentence: Of course, today being April 1, it is the day for the conficker virus to mutate and do its thing. No matter what we discover today, it will go down in history. Will it do so as one of the greatest April Fool's Day Johoax (jokes/ hoax) of this new century? Or for being the worst computer terminal illness ever caused by a metamorviruse?
Etymology: METAMORPHOSIS - to undergo marked or complete change. VIRUS - a corrupting, damaging computer program. RUSE - a clever plot or dirty trick that will deceive and take advange of others.
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COMMENTS:
Song of the day: Glow Worm !!! Glow little glow worm, glimmer, glimmer! Glow little glow worm shimmer, shimmer! Glow little glow worm, go go go ... and shall we have a beserking computer soon? My apologies for changing the last two lines! - silveryaspen, 2009-04-01: 01:01:00
great word Silvery - Jabberwocky, 2009-04-01: 14:37:00
the ruse is the thing....good word! - mweinmann, 2009-04-01: 17:02:00
Excellent! - splendiction, 2009-04-01: 21:44:00
Great word, silvery...it's a metaforgone conclusion that some tomfoolery happened today! - Nosila, 2009-04-01: 22:22:00
Great word....best of the day. - Mustang, 2009-04-02: 00:52:00
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Metamorphasses
Created by: artr
Pronunciation: metəmôrfasəz
Sentence: When Judy went to college there was a group she referred to as the metamorphasses. This consisted of a bunch who was willing to jump into any new cause or trend. They would be environmentalists one day, guns-rights activists another. They could stage a food fight this week and collect goods for the food bank the next. Whatever rally or social gathering that was going on, they were there especially if it meant missing classes or if there was food to be had.
Etymology: metamorphosis (a change of the form or nature of a thing or person into a completely different one) + asses (stupid, irritating, or contemptible people)
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COMMENTS:
Did my verbotomy inspire you to create this one? Imitation is the highest form of flattery. You flatter a lot of people quite often. - silveryaspen, 2009-04-01: 11:11:00
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Frozentagalong
Created by: Jabberwocky
Pronunciation: frozen/tag/a/long
Sentence: When Sally got her first computer it developed a virus that seemed to follow her wherever she went, corrupting any electronic functions. No matter how many times she changed her password it still caught her unawares. She referred to it as her frozentagalong.
Etymology: frozen tag ( a children's game where you can freeze a player by touching them) + tag along
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COMMENTS:
Mabye Sally should've used Babelfish to translate her password into TAGALONG! - metrohumanx, 2009-04-01: 14:53:00
"it still caught her unawares"< LOL!!! :) - abrakadeborah, 2009-04-01: 16:42:00
great word for those frozen screens that force you to tagalong ... until close the window and start over. - silveryaspen, 2009-04-01: 21:34:00
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Hackmasker
Created by: mweinmann
Pronunciation: hak + mask + ur
Sentence: When I brought up today's word in Verbotomy, I encountered a virulous hackmasker. I saw that I had to enter my credit card number to continue playing my beloved Verbotomy and if I did not, my hard drive would be immediately erased. What was this world coming to? But after performing scans for malware and trying to find the process that was driving this pesky "pop-up", I finally realized that it was just a mask for a real hack....
Etymology: Hack (fix a computer program piecemeal until it works) Hacker (In common usage, hacker is generic term for a computer criminal, often with a specific specialty in computer intrusion), Masker (One who wears a mask; one who appears in disguise) Also play on "taskmaster" (one who keeps others on task to complete a mission or project)except in this case, it is a masked hacker....without a pal named Tonto.
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COMMENTS:
excellent - Jabberwocky, 2009-04-01: 14:38:00
Sentence, etymology, word - all three are outstanding! - silveryaspen, 2009-04-01: 21:40:00
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Comments:
Today's definition was suggested by abrakadeborah. Thank you abrakadeborah. ~ James
silveryaspen - 2009-04-01: 11:21:00
Great definition for today, Abrakadeborah and James! Good April Fool's joke to put that pay window into your cartoon James. It fooled me ... and perhaps a few others, too. I laughed harder when i realized it was all part of today's funny fool's day cartoon!
Thank you for sending in your credit card info! ~ James
abrakadeborah - 2009-04-01: 15:33:00
Thanks James :) Great cartoon! I LOVE it! I had forgotten about my definition until Metrohumanx pointed it out and I had already made a word today :)) I'm stoked! You all are supercalifragilisticexpialidocious! :)
It's funny how ideas come and grow. The good ones keep gnawing at the back of your mind. ~ James
Today's definition was suggested by abrakadeborah. Thank you abrakadeborah. ~ James