Vote for the best verboticism.

'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.

Create | Read

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.

Bullfear

Created by: staggolee

Pronunciation: BULL-Fear

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

Etymology:

| Comments and Points

Awedition

Created by: Stevenson0

Pronunciation: aw/dish/un

Sentence: Parents awedition their children because it is a fast, easy way to get the behaviour they expect. Unfortunately, when children are put through too many aweditions and are older, they do not trust anything their parents tell them.

Etymology: awe (fear)+ condition

----------------------------
COMMENTS:

sounds like something a teacher might do - Jabberwocky, 2007-09-28: 11:59:00

----------------------------

| Comments and Points

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

----------------------------
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

----------------------------

| Comments and Points

Imparable

Created by: porsche

Pronunciation: im/par/a/bul

Sentence: A typical imparable would be the story of the bogeyman

Etymology: impair (damage) + parable (short story used to teach a lesson)

| Comments and Points

Paranting

hooterbug

Created by: hooterbug

Pronunciation: pâr'ran-ting

Sentence: Due to my childhood and unique blend of "Paranting" from my mom and pops, I will be appearing on the Jerry Springer show one day soon.

Etymology: Blend of "Parent" (One who begets, gives birth to) and "ranting" (to scold vehemently)

----------------------------
COMMENTS:

I think I will be on the same show. :) - lumina, 2008-08-29: 15:28:00

So many great words today! - Nosila, 2008-08-29: 20:11:00

----------------------------

| Comments and Points

Rugrant

Created by: purpleartichokes

Pronunciation: rug-rant

Sentence: To be an effective scarent, one must concoct enough plausible rugrants to guide the child safely to adolescence, such as the once popular "if you don't eat your crusts, you won't grow hair on your chest."

Etymology: rug rat, rant

----------------------------
COMMENTS:

Fortunately I ate my crusts. Great word! - Scrumpy, 2007-09-28: 07:46:00

scarent's a good word too - Jabberwocky, 2007-09-28: 15:16:00

Great word. - OZZIEBOB, 2007-09-30: 18:04:00

----------------------------

| Comments and Points

Dominprations

Created by: readerwriter

Pronunciation: DOM-in-pray-shuns

Sentence: Mother Hen, like most parental units, was given to dominprations whenever she got the chance, so worried was she that Little Clucky wouldn't make it to 12 weeks, his age of personal acountability. But, what did L.C. know--he was an adolescent and a major risk taker.

Etymology: From dominate, Latin domis, to exert supreme control + prate, idle chatter

| Comments and Points

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")

----------------------------
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

----------------------------

| Comments and Points

Hegglestion

Created by: frenchprof

Pronunciation:

Sentence: Hegglestion noted, the philosopher cracked up.

Etymology: comes from Hegel a famous philosopher.

| Comments and Points

Yarnstay

Created by: jimtastic

Pronunciation: Yarn (as in barn)...stay (as in may)

Sentence: The yarnstay of going blind from playing with one's own thingamabob or puffinstuff has been passed on from older generations to younger generations for centuries.

Etymology: yarn: a word only used by grandmothers relating a tale, esp. a long story of adventure or incredible happenings / stay: to suspend or delay (actions, proceedings, etc.).

----------------------------
COMMENTS:

Great blend of Old English words. - OZZIEBOB, 2007-09-30: 18:07:00

----------------------------

| Comments and Points

Show All or More...

 

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