Vote for the best verboticism.
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.
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.
Smelementary
Created by: artr
Pronunciation: smel-uh-men-tree
Sentence: When Larry watched his grandchildren for the weekend they had a great time doing an art project together. As he caught a whiff of crayons and white paste he had a true smelementary moment.
Etymology: smell (to perceive something by its odor or scent) + elementary (of or pertaining to an elementary school)
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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Retrostench
Created by: mrskellyscl
Pronunciation: re-tro-stench
Sentence: Wandering through the empty bingo hall, Jean soon became aware of a retrostench that was clearly that of an old lady marinated in Lilly of the Valley toilet water perfume. "It couldn't be," she thought, "Grandma's been dead for 20 years."
Etymology: Retro--involving, relating to or reminicent of things past Stench--an offensive smell or odor
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COMMENTS:
super word - Jabberwocky, 2009-03-23: 12:25:00
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Scentiment
Created by: Nosila
Pronunciation: sen tim ment
Sentence: When Barbie was tending her sick husband,Ken, the smell of changing diapers took her back to t he days when she tended her babies. It was a lovely scentiment for her, an empty nester...a reminder that she was still needed by someone. Of course the outlook in those days was different. She knew that they would soon outgrew their bad habits and become productive citizens...just the opposite of now. Oh well, in sickness and in health... Or like her friend told her, "Marriage is like a deck of cards, it starts with 2 hearts and a diamond and in the end you just want a club and a spade"!
Etymology: Scent (an odor left in passing by which a person or animal can be traced) & Sentiment(tender, romantic, or nostalgic feeling or emotion, particularly of bygone days)
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COMMENTS:
nice - galwaywegian, 2010-10-05: 04:36:00
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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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Rejujubevenated
Created by: Jabberwocky
Pronunciation: ree/ju/jub/ee/ven/ay/ted
Sentence: Walking through a candy store and smelling the fresh jujubes instantly rejujubevenated me. Unfortunately it also resulted in pulling out a filling which brought back other childhood memories, not so sweet, of sitting in a dentist's chair.
Etymology: rejeuvenated + jujube
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COMMENTS:
I laughed out loud good one! I used to love those :) - abrakadeborah, 2009-03-23: 06:51:00
And the movies, a double feature, to go with them were about 25 cents! - readerwriter, 2009-03-23: 09:43:00
Captures the heart and sweetness of youth and childhood ... so very very good! - silveryaspen, 2009-03-23: 13:50:00
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Reminiscent
Created by: Negatrev
Pronunciation: rem-uh-nis-uhnt
Sentence: The bakery made bob reminiscent over his mothers baking as a child.
Etymology: reminiscent(awakening memories of something similar; suggestive (usually followed by of ): His style of writing is reminiscent of Melville's.) AND scent (to perceive or recognize by or as if by the sense of smell: to scent trouble.)
Smemories
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:
very funny - mrskellyscl, 2010-10-05: 06:18:00
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Historeek
Created by: galwaywegian
Pronunciation: hisss tor eeeek
Sentence: the historeek led to hystereeks
Etymology: historic reek
Nosetalgia
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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Comments:
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!
Wow! This phenomenon seems to be more widespread than i thought! Apparently it's one of our more primal instincts.
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
Today's definition was suggested by metrohumanx. Thank you metrohumanx. ~ James