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'Eat! Or you'll turn into a boneless chicken.'

DEFINITION: n., Cautionary advice provided by parents to their children, often makes no logical sense but carries enough emotional weight to affect the child's behavior. v. To warn of danger through the judicious use of exaggeration.

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Verboticisms

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Mythconduct

Created by: Tigger

Pronunciation: /mith-kon-dukt/

Sentence: Donna stared wistfully at her friends splashing in the pool, and glanced up at the clock again — it'd been only 53 minutes since she'd eaten that banana — seven more minutes before she could go back in the pool. Her mother had warned her many times that going into the water less than an hour after eating would inevitably cause cramps, which were somehow always fatal. 'Would she die from drowning or from the cramps themselves?' she wondered. What if she just dangled her legs in the water? No, it was just too risky. She couldn't overcome the mythconduct her mother had instilled into her. Six minutes and forty five seconds to go...

Etymology: Myth - any invented story, idea, or concept (from Greek, mythos "speech, story") + Conduct - personal behavior; way of acting (from Latin, conductus "to lead or bring together")

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COMMENTS:

metrohumanx I always doubted this prohibition. I even sent it in to "Mythbusters"....to no avail. - metrohumanx, 2008-08-29: 06:00:00

Well, Mythbusters did prove that you shouldn't spin around in a makeshift wirlpool too soon after eating pizza. Funny episode. But I'm convinced that the 1-hour 'no swimming' rule is nonsense. But I knew kids whose mothers wouldn't even let them stand in the wading pool because of that rule. - Tigger, 2008-08-29: 10:12:00

Good word - TJayzz, 2008-08-29: 13:43:00

Welcome back, Tigger, we mythed you! - Nosila, 2008-08-29: 20:09:00

This one is my favorite, well done! - Rehlit, 2008-09-01: 00:50:00

Good word there Tigger, it has a nice ring to it! I like the way you think :) - abrakadeborah, 2009-03-14: 19:07:00

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Causham

Created by: Rehlit

Pronunciation: kaw-sham

Sentence: Many parents use an insidious causham to frighten their naughty children. Such as "If you eat watermelon seeds, a watermelon will grow in your stomach!"

Etymology: Caution(a warning against danger or evil; anything serving as a warning) + sham (something that is not what it purports to be; a spurious imitation; fraud or hoax; pretended; counterfeit; feigned:)

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Lorewarning

Created by: Jabberwocky

Pronunciation: lor/war/ning

Sentence: Lorewarning is the practice of raising children by indoctrinating them with urban legends

Etymology: lore (myths) + forewarning

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COMMENTS:

Or suburban legends. Excellent! - Scrumpy, 2007-09-28: 07:50:00

I fought the lore and the lore won! splendid word. - OZZIEBOB, 2007-09-30: 18:16:00

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Improverbs

Created by: rikboyee

Pronunciation: im-prov-erbz

Sentence: my parents kept us in line with a never ending stream of improverbs

Etymology: improv, proverbs

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COMMENTS:

Evcellent! - Scrumpy, 2007-09-28: 07:42:00

Fantastic words- Just what those mischievous imps need! - OZZIEBOB, 2007-09-30: 18:02:00

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Animaliplify

Created by: Nosila

Pronunciation: an eemal plee fye

Sentence: Henrietta Capon had a lesson for her son, Alfonso, the heir to the Capon di Tutti Capon title. She tried to animalipify that if he made a wrong decision, without his consigliere, he would suffer the consequences. Without a peep or a chirp he would find himself the victim of fowl play. With his weapon cocked, he was a poultry excuse for his roost hero, Gary Cooper. Eggsistentialism eluded him, he became a Friar, gave and tried to pullet into a chickmonaskstery...without being hendered. The cluck stops here...

Etymology: Animal (creature;a living organism characterized by voluntary movement) ^ Amplify (exaggerate or make bigger; to enlarge beyond bounds or the truth)

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Mombombs

artr

Created by: artr

Pronunciation: mom-bomz

Sentence: She had tried chiding. She had tried guilt. Finally Mom went to the scarsenal and started lobbing mombombs. Scientists aren't sure how deep the psychological scars go but, like a black hole, the light of logic rarely escapes from this abyss.

Etymology: Mom (noun: informal, one's mother) + bomb (noun: incendiary material or other destructive substance)

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COMMENTS:

metrohumanx Fire in the hole! - metrohumanx, 2008-08-29: 06:05:00

We usually hid for cover up in the Dadic. - lumina, 2008-08-29: 15:38:00

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Bullfear

Created by: staggolee

Pronunciation: BULL-Fear

Sentence: Grandma's bullfear haunted the child's imaginings for the rest of his life.

Etymology:

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Guidunce

Created by: remistram

Pronunciation: ghy-duhns

Sentence: "Do as I say, not as I do" was the most important guidunce her Mum ever gave her.

Etymology: guidance + dunce

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COMMENTS:

great word - Jabberwocky, 2007-09-28: 12:06:00

Great Word! Accurate sentence in a lot of cases! - Scrumpy, 2007-09-28: 13:22:00

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Pambea

Created by: ericsimmons39

Pronunciation: Pam-bee-a

Sentence: Mom and Dad keep telling me to eat my vegetables or I'll turn into a license plate. I'm so sick of all their pambea!

Etymology: Parental+ Advice+ Meaningless+ But+ Emotionally+ Affecting

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Hegglestion

Created by: frenchprof

Pronunciation:

Sentence: Hegglestion noted, the philosopher cracked up.

Etymology: comes from Hegel a famous philosopher.

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Comments:

Verbotomy Verbotomy - 2007-09-28: 00:01:00
Today's definition was suggested by remistram. Thank you remistram! ~ James

Verbotomy Verbotomy - 2010-01-20: 00:25:00
Today's definition was suggested by remistram. Thank you remistram. ~ James