Vote for the best verboticism.
DEFINITION: n. A person who, using an example from their own life, steers people away from a line of speculation by reducing it to an absurdity. v. To dismantle a logical argument with piles of passionate incoherence.
Verboticisms
Click on each verboticism to read the sentences created by the Verbotomy writers, and to see your voting options...
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Anecdotophile
Created by: zrotv
Pronunciation: ăn'ĭk -dŏt'ə-fīl
Sentence: I try to have logical conversations with people who don't read, but they are always such anecdotophiles. They never have any sources for information, just nebulous myths and stories.
Etymology: anecdote and phile (New Latin -philus, from Greek -philos, beloved, dear, from philos, beloved, loving.)
Manicdotal
Created by: rikboyee
Pronunciation: man-ik-doe-tul
Sentence: In order to get the upperhand in this argument he was going to need to provide some pretty persuasive manicdotal evidence
Etymology: manic, anecdote
Rationalbatross
Created by: Nosila
Pronunciation: ra shun al bit ross
Sentence: When Penelope asked her father, Gordie, for a computer (or anything that cost money), he had his usual rationalbatross excuse ready. On this occasion it was about the fact that when he was young, computers were a science fiction story, not reality. So he had to develop his super brainpower to get through all eight of his years of school. Of course, he then went into his old "I walked through five feet of snow for eight miles without boots or a winter coat, carrying a raw potato for my lunch at school, after I had milked the cows, fed the pigs and chickens and brought in a bucket of snow to melt for water" schtick.
Etymology: Rational (logical) & Albatross (figurative) something that hinders or handicaps)
Prepostulate
Created by: Mustang
Pronunciation: pre-PAWST-yew-layt
Sentence: In giving reasons to others in defense of his sometimes goofy notions, Elmer would regularly prepostulate, rambling on with odd and sometimes even bizarre rationale.
Etymology: Blend of the words 'preposterous' (adj. contrary to nature, reason, or common sense) and 'postulate' (to claim or assume the existence or truth of, especially as a basis for reasoning or arguing)
Ergocentrist
Created by: karenanne
Pronunciation: er go SEN trist
Sentence: He is such an ergocentrist. Basically, his attitude is, "This is how I did it thirty years ago and it worked for me; therefore, this is how it should continue to work." He says he never gets vaccinations because when he was 17, he got one, and the next day, he broke his ankle. Therefore, he would never get a vaccination again because he is sure it makes people's bones turn brittle. Since then, he has never broken a bone, which just "proves" his theory. But he does get the flu almost every year. (Which he blames on computer viruses, because he never got the flu until he was 18, and hey, that was RIGHT AROUND the time that computers really hit the popular market, so therefore,....)
Etymology: ergo (therefore) + egocentric
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COMMENTS:
ergological word - Nosila, 2009-11-05: 00:24:00
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Focalrecoiliot
Created by: Bulletchewer
Pronunciation: fo-cull-re-coyl-ee-utt
Sentence: Tony was a focalrecoiliot, citing his days in "Ugly Rumours" as the definitive evidence that we ought to go to war with Iraq (I mean, with America, against Iraq)instead of investing in our hospitals and schools.
Etymology: From that film (sorry, movie) Total Recall, "focal" meaning "nothing", "recoil" meaning "backward jerk of a gun" and "idiot" meaning "Governator". Who else wants some acid?
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COMMENTS:
don't atke this the wrong way Bulletchewer but I think focalrecoil might have worked better because it's the same number of syllables as total recall - Jabberwocky, 2007-04-18: 13:28:00
I meant don't take but you probably figured that out - Jabberwocky, 2007-04-18: 13:30:00
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Duhbate
Created by: libertybelle
Pronunciation: duuh - bate
Sentence: When I told my brother that I was going to take a little time to travel across the Midwest, he launched into a duhbate about how unsafe it was and roving bands of renegade rodeo stars that wander the streets. He told me he had spent some time there during his own rodeo days and he had first hand experience; i know better- that he's never left the New York Metro area.
Etymology: duh + debate
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COMMENTS:
i wish i could say that this wasn't based on a true story... - libertybelle, 2011-03-24: 10:14:00
Love it...sounds like your brother is a rodeo clown! - Nosila, 2011-03-25: 00:45:00
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Discouragent
Created by: galwaywegian
Pronunciation: disk urr a jent
Sentence: He respectfully suggested that the laws of physics would have to be rewritten in order for that particular position would prove successful (in terms of a non lethat outcome), proving that he was a complete discouragent
Etymology: discouragement, gentleman
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COMMENTS:
oops, i meant non- lethal. - galwaywegian, 2007-04-18: 05:09:00
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Philosophistry
Created by: CharlieB
Pronunciation: fill-oh-sof-is-tree
Sentence: George Osbourne's sense of his place in the world was completely dement-Id. 'The bankers' failure should be rewarded with more perks, because they're from Eton and will do the right thing,' he rationa-lies-ed to the country.
Etymology: philsophy (system of personal beliefs) + sophistry (a false argument)
Backinthedayser
Created by: jedijawa
Pronunciation: back-in-the-days-er
Sentence: Bill was such a backinthedayser with his irrelevant stories about his youth growing up in the "school of hard knocks."
Etymology: some moron talking about "back in the days" when things were better than they can ever be again
Comments:
Today's definition was suggested by Kurt Vonnegut and first appeared in his novel Cat's Cradle.
Thank you Mr. Vonnegut! ~ James
Today's definition was suggested by Kurt Vonnegut and first appeared in his novel Cat's Cradle.
Thank you Mr. Vonnegut! ~ James
Today's definition was suggested by vonnegut. Thank you vonnegut. ~ James