Vote for the best verboticism.
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.
Verboticisms
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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:)
Hegglestion
Created by: frenchprof
Pronunciation:
Sentence: Hegglestion noted, the philosopher cracked up.
Etymology: comes from Hegel a famous philosopher.
Scarefication
Created by: artr
Pronunciation: skair-uh-fi-key-shuhn
Sentence: Mother hen believes in the use of scarefication to keep her chicks in line. A little lie here, an exaggeration there, all pecked into their little psyches until they are afraid to do anything wrong.
Etymology: scare (to fill, especially suddenly, with fear or terror; frighten; alarm) Scarification (scratching, etching, burning/branding, or superficially cutting designs, pictures, or words into the skin as a permanent body modification)
Mombombs
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:
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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Yolklaw
Created by: wordslikevenom
Pronunciation: Yolk-law
Sentence: "Cluck, cluck, cluck", mother was laying down the yolklaw yet again.
Etymology: Yolk - middle part of an egg. Law - a rule or the whole system of such rules.
Hyperbmonition
Created by: mrskellyscl
Pronunciation: high-perb-mo--ni-tion
Sentence: Mom could come up with a great hyperbmonition when needed, especially where boys were concerned. As a result of her wise counsel, I haven't worn patent leather shoes since the fourth grade.
Etymology: hyperbole: figure of speech in which exaggeration is used for emphasis or effect + monition: cautionary advice or counsel; admonition
Wisdumb
Created by: scola
Pronunciation:
Sentence:
Etymology:
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COMMENTS:
Loved it! - vixphilia, 2007-09-28: 16:55:00
I love it,too! Potential to fill a whole library section. For starters. what about "The Wisdumb of Pol Pot" or "The Wisdumb Of Jim Jones" & the plethora of political leaders, preachers and philosophers! - OZZIEBOB, 2007-09-30: 18:14:00
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Badmonition
Created by: Mustang
Pronunciation: bad-mo-ni-shun
Sentence: Know for her dark predictions, Grandma offered another of her badmonitions when she told us that eating too much candy would stunt our growth.
Etymology: bad + admonition
Humumbug
Created by: vixphilia
Pronunciation: hum-MUM-bug
Sentence: Mum was feding me her usual humumbug: "If you keep making ugly faces,it will freeze like that!"
Etymology: Humbug: pretentious or silly talk Mum: Mother
Bullfear
Created by: staggolee
Pronunciation: BULL-Fear
Sentence: Grandma's bullfear haunted the child's imaginings for the rest of his life.
Etymology:
Comments:
Today's definition was suggested by remistram. Thank you remistram! ~ James
Today's definition was suggested by remistram. Thank you remistram. ~ James