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.
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)
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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Disfable
Created by: patb
Pronunciation: dis-fay-bull
Sentence: Roger used disfables about his childhood to discourage his children. It worked
Etymology: dis + fable + disable
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)
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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Reminosence
Created by: Jabberwocky
Pronunciation: re/mi/no/sens
Sentence: Whenever she tried to have a meaningful chat with her boyfriend about where their relationship was headed he would veer off topic with crazy reminosenses.
Etymology: reminiscence + no sense
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COMMENTS:
Very good word. - OZZIEBOB, 2008-06-25: 09:37:00
Why is it that the road to ruin is the future part of the stroll down memory lane? - Nosila, 2008-06-25: 21:55:00
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Pastifist
Created by: javex
Pronunciation: pah-stih-fist
Sentence: By using her upbringing in a small Mexican village as an excuse for why we couldn't buy our kids a Wii, my wife outed herself as a total pastifist.
Etymology:
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COMMENTS:
cute - Nosila, 2009-11-05: 00:23:00
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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.
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
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