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...
You have two votes. Click on the words to read the details, then vote your favorite.
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
Illustrationgist
Created by: Jabberwocky
Pronunciation: ill/us/tray/shun/jist
Sentence: Her dad was the ultimate illustrationgist - he reduced every conversation to taking a walk down memory lane
Etymology: illustration (example) + gist (meaning)
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COMMENTS:
Ooh, this is an interesting spin on the definition. - playdohheart, 2007-04-18: 07:37:00
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Wrang-wrang
Created by: vonnegut
Pronunciation: rang-rang
Sentence: There was a sign around my dead cat's neck. It said, "Meow." I have not seen Krebbs since. Nonetheless, I sense that he was my karass. If he was, he served it as a wrang-wrang.
Etymology: Created by Kurt Vonnegut Jr., for Cat's Cradle, published in 1963.
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)
Abswervist
Created by: petaj
Pronunciation: ab-swerve-ist
Sentence: The repertory group had come to be known as the Theatre of the Abswerve. Since Eugene, a playwright, kept banging on about his past productions, they could not settle on a script.
Etymology: absurd, swerve
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
Redialongate
Created by: mana1066
Pronunciation: re-dile-on-get
Sentence: every time i mention rings, or chappels, my boyfriend becomes a redialongate and tells me about how silver and gold are really a conspiracy
Etymology: redirect + language + elongate
Tangentvangelist
Created by: porsche
Pronunciation: tan/jent/van/jel/ist
Sentence: My sixth grade teacher was a tangentvangelist who answered every question with a reference to the black plague
Etymology: tangent + evangelist
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COMMENTS:
Probably the best use of "evangelist" outside occult circles (or should that be pentagrams?). - Bulletchewer, 2007-04-18: 12:14:00
Good word. Also made me think of that SNL sketch, "In a vannn down by the rivvver". That guy was a tangentvangelist if anyone ever was. - playdohheart, 2007-04-18: 15:09:00
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Disingenue
Created by: Koekbroer
Pronunciation: dis-in-jen-oo
Sentence: Doug really believes that by being a disingenue he can make people change their viewpoints.
Etymology: a contraction of "disingenuous" (not candid or sincere, typically by pretending that one knows less about something than one really does) and "ingenue" - a harmless, naive character
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.)
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