Vote for the best verboticism.

'It reminds me of when our kids were babies.'

DEFINITION: n. A wayward scent or aroma which invokes distant memories of one's childhood or younger days. v. To be suddenly catapulted into the past by a very strong odor.

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Verboticisms

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Whiffersnapper

petaj

Created by: petaj

Pronunciation: wiff-a-snap-a

Sentence: Mmmm! there's something about the whiffersnapper of packaging materials, that takes me right back to the Christmas parcel Grandma used to send us half way around the world.

Etymology: whiff (scent) + whippersnaper (youth)

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COMMENTS:

love it! - Jabberwocky, 2009-03-23: 12:30:00

Whiffersnapper conjures up the crackle of the enlightening smell in the air! Wheffervescent! - silveryaspen, 2009-03-23: 14:02:00

Enjoyed it...whiff love! - Nosila, 2009-03-23: 23:05:00

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Mnaromonic

Created by: kateinkorea

Pronunciation: NARE oh MON ic

Sentence: When Sally was a child she was locked in a room and nobody could find the key. She had knocked over a bottle of ammonia and the smell took over the room. She cried for hours until finally they were able to break down the door. To this day ammonia causes a mnaromonic reaction in her.

Etymology: MNEMONIC + AROMA MNEMONIC: a word, sentence, poem, etc. that helps you to remember something AROMA: a smell

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COMMENTS:

using mnemonic to show that smells, like letters, can trigger memory was very clever! - silveryaspen, 2009-03-23: 13:34:00

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Nosetalgia

artr

Created by: artr

Pronunciation: nōstaljə

Sentence: Charlie went out for a walk. As he approached a patch of woods he caught the unmistakable scent of skunk. In a case of nosestalgia, he flashed back to his first encounter with one of these odoriferous creatures. It was quite a shock for a puppy to think that something he saw as a possible playmate would do something so rude. His current walk quickly took a new direction.

Etymology: nose (the sense of smell, esp. a dog's ability to track something by its scent) + nostalgia (a sentimental longing or wistful affection for the past)

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COMMENTS:

terrific - Jabberwocky, 2009-03-23: 12:24:00

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Nosetalgia

Created by: galwaywegian

Pronunciation: nohs tahl jeea

Sentence: One is capable of experiencing nosetalgia right up to the moment of death. they say that the scent is the last thing to go, or is that grow?

Etymology: nostalgia, nose

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Reodorized

Created by: abrakadeborah

Pronunciation: ree-oh-door-rized

Sentence: Mr. Peaew a reodorized the room with his body stench everytime he talked or lifted his arms.

Etymology: re-odorized - To bring back a bad smell or odor.

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Smemories

artr

Created by: artr

Pronunciation: smem(ə)rēz

Sentence: While Bubba was touring the Everglades, somebody popped the top on a can of Red, White & Blue. Suddenly the smemmories flooded back. The combination of the fragrance of brackish water and cheap beer was almost too much for him. The mere thought of using kids as gator bait still makes him shudder. As bad as it is for him, it’s double for his buddy Lefty.

Etymology: smell (an odor or scent) + memories (something remembered from the past; a recollection)

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COMMENTS:

mrskellyscl very funny - mrskellyscl, 2010-10-05: 06:18:00

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Olefactory

Created by: Banky

Pronunciation: /ohl-fak-torr-ee/

Sentence: Ron's nose smelled heated metal and stinging welled in his eyes. The punch had landed squarely on the bridge of his nose, and had trigged an olefactory reaction. He remembered the first time his stepdad had hit him. The terror as he grabbed him by the back of the shirt, the smell of red iron, a mouth full of blood, and his stepfather writhing and clawing at the side of his own head. He snapped out of the memory with a mouth full of salt and rubber, and there lay the mugger doubled much the way John was, years ago. He spat, and the ear landed askew on the ground, like a fallen leaf.

Etymology: ole - colloquial version of "old"; olfactory - relating to the sense of smell

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COMMENTS:

pretty graphic but a terrific word - Jabberwocky, 2009-03-23: 12:28:00

Your sentence ranks right up there with the best of Steven King! - silveryaspen, 2009-03-23: 13:41:00

Really good word and terrific sentence. - kateinkorea, 2009-03-23: 23:29:00

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Yesterwhiff

Created by: remistram

Pronunciation: yess-ter-wiff

Sentence: Whenever she ate at the local diner the yesterwhiff of bacon & eggs aroma made her smile.

Etymology: yesterday + whiff

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Remimisscents

mrskellyscl

Created by: mrskellyscl

Pronunciation: rem-i-miss-scents

Sentence: The sweet fragrance of sticky buns and coffee propelled Sue into remimisscents of a childhood spent with her grandmother, whose baking prowess was legendary. She yearned for those happy, carefree days when she could eat as many sweet treats as she wanted to without gaining an ounce. She missed Grandma, too.

Etymology: reminiscence: an experience or event recollected; an event that brings to mind a similar, former event + miss: to long for + scents: aroma; fragrance

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Reminessence

Created by: Nosila

Pronunciation: rem in ess sens

Sentence: Howard was completing the Circle of Life. He had started out as a baby, grew through childhood to adulthood and now as a senior was regressing back to needing the care one gives an infant. His wife Margery tended his needs and the odors of caring for another human took her back to her own child-rearing years: the feedings, the changings, the bathing and looking after an increasingly helpless person. Sometimes the scent of adult diapers were reminessence of those she had put on her own children. The scent took her back to a time when she and Howard had worked hard and enjoyed the rewards of a growing family. Who says you cannot go back again? Margery did it every day now...

Etymology: Reminiscence (a mental impression retained and recalled from the past;the process of remembering (especially the process of recovering information by mental effort) & Essence (a toiletry that emits and diffuses a fragrant odor)

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COMMENTS:

like it - galwaywegian, 2009-03-23: 11:07:00

You have captured that cradle-to-the-grave, circle of life, with reminissence. Powerful word! - silveryaspen, 2009-03-23: 13:47:00

Your word is beautiful - I didn't realize mine starts the same way (remin. from reminisce/reminiscence). - splendiction, 2009-03-23: 16:43:00

Captured perfectly! - kateinkorea, 2009-03-23: 23:34:00

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Comments:

Verbotomy Verbotomy - 2009-03-23: 00:01:01
Today's definition was suggested by metrohumanx. Thank you metrohumanx. ~ James

silveryaspen - 2009-03-23: 14:34:00
The score details are a great enhancement and have helped me understand them. Thank you!

metrohumanx metrohumanx - 2009-03-24: 09:28:00
Wow! This phenomenon seems to be more widespread than i thought! Apparently it's one of our more primal instincts.

Verbotomy Verbotomy - 2009-03-24: 11:59:00
RE: Score Details. I am still looking for a bug where it fails to add some votes to our weekly totals. Hopefully the score details page will help us find it. ~ James

Verbotomy Verbotomy - 2010-10-05: 00:16:00
Today's definition was suggested by metrohumanx. Thank you metrohumanx. ~ James