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'All I had was a wooden brain...'

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.

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Verboticisms

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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

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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:

playdohheart 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.

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Philosophistry

CharlieB

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)

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Abswervist

petaj

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

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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

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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

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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

playdohheart 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

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Anecdotophile

zrotv

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.)

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Comments:

Verbotomy Verbotomy - 2007-04-18: 02:13:00
Today's definition was suggested by Kurt Vonnegut and first appeared in his novel Cat's Cradle.
Thank you Mr. Vonnegut! ~ James

Verbotomy Verbotomy - 2008-06-25: 00:01:00
Today's definition was suggested by Kurt Vonnegut and first appeared in his novel Cat's Cradle.
Thank you Mr. Vonnegut! ~ James

Verbotomy Verbotomy - 2009-11-04: 00:33:00
Today's definition was suggested by vonnegut. Thank you vonnegut. ~ James