Vote for the best verboticism.
DEFINITION: v. To have difficulty recognizing, and correctly interpreting, human facial expressions. n. A person who cannot read faces.
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.
Ungesticate
Created by: mishmish
Pronunciation:
Sentence: - I was winking at him all night, but he didn't get it . - Well, maybe he's just ungesticate.
Etymology: from "gesto", Italian/Spanish/Portuguese etc. for gesture
Misinterpotato
Created by: purpleartichokes
Pronunciation: miss-in-tur-pah-tay-toe
Sentence: My boss is one of those people who has a permanent grin affixed to his face, which is why I always find myself in hot water for committing misinterpotato.
Etymology: misinterpret, potato (slang for head), Mr. Potato Head (a toy with easily discernable facial expressions)
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COMMENTS:
I like this one, too. Silly, but descriptive. - Clayton, 2007-05-09: 19:00:00
Thanks. I had words that would probably be better liked by the consensus, but this one looked like misterpotato(head). I love Mr. Potatohead! And I loved the way it sounded. Mis-in-ter-po-ta-to. It's benign and semi-comical (in my humble potato-head's opinion). - purpleartichokes, 2007-05-09: 20:14:00
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Confround
Created by: Discoveria
Pronunciation: con-FROWND
Sentence: Mick tended to confround around new people, especially when seeing smiles and shocked expressions.
Etymology: confound (to confuse) + frown
Misface
Created by: autophile
Pronunciation: miss-FACE
Sentence: Ever since Myron realized that he misfaced regularly in face-to-faces, his prefered interface space was the clean textual context of instant messaging.
Etymology: "Mis-", prefix meaning bad, wrongly, failure, and "-face" from both "interface" and plain ol' "face".
Physiognomuddle
Created by: Clayton
Pronunciation: fiz-ee-OG-nuh-MUHD-l
Sentence: Clarence's frequent physiognomuddling was only compounded by his wife's tic.
Etymology: physiognomy + muddle
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COMMENTS:
Had to run to the dictionary. Great word! - purpleartichokes, 2007-05-09: 06:49:00
Thanks a lot! I'm new to this game, but having a blast. - Clayton, 2007-05-09: 14:27:00
Welcome aboard, verbmatey! - purpleartichokes, 2007-05-09: 14:54:00
Thanks. Joined too late in the week to win anything, though. - Clayton, 2007-05-09: 14:56:00
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Discognify
Created by: jonobo
Pronunciation: dis-cogni-fy
Sentence: He completely discognified her defensive monkey-smile for an open invitation into deeper conversation. She discognified my looks on her T-Shirt for interest in her *oops*, but actually i was only interested in the printing-technique of the message on her chest.
Etymology: dissonance = reduced to "dis" cognitare = latin for recognize identify dissonance + cognitare + identify = discognify.
Converbal
Created by: Osomatic
Pronunciation: con + verb + ull
Sentence: I used to be converbal enough that I thought a big smile meant "I'm not interested."
Etymology: Like non-verbal, only with "con."
Kissermisser
Created by: Stevenson0
Pronunciation: kiss/er/miss/er
Sentence: Joe confused a smirk for a scowl, fear for friendliness, a grin for a grimace. He was a socially inept kissermisser.
Etymology: KISSERMISSER - noun - from KISSER (an informal term for the human face) + MISS (to fail to perceive, or understand)
Transubpsychoation
Created by: Kurisu
Pronunciation: TRANS-sub-siko-ation
Sentence: I thought I was just being friendly, but his behavior revealed transubpsychoation.
Etymology: Trans: of, relating to, or characterized by + Sub: to act as a substitute + Pyscho: a deranged or psychopathic person + Ation: action or process : something connected with an action or process
Misblunderstand
Created by: TJayzz
Pronunciation: Miss-blun-der-stand
Sentence: No wonder Greg never got a girlfriend, whenever he approached a girl he fancied with one of his cheesy chat-up lines, he would completely misblunderstand that a cringe meant 'GO AWAY' and not a smile and a green light to carry on.
Etymology: Blunder (a mistake + Misunderstand (fail to understand correctly) = Misblunderstand
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COMMENTS:
Very good! - Mustang, 2008-07-09: 07:10:00
Love it...will use it myself! - Nosila, 2008-07-09: 20:43:00
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Comments:
Today's definition was inspired by Cory Doctorow's short story "I, Row-Boat", where a sentient, and very sensitive Row-Boat has some difficulty reading a woman's facial expressions. See the full story in Overclocked. Thank you Cory! ~ James
MIENBLIND is very good- and far more cerebral than my entry. Good work, Ozziebob.
MaybeLater_x - 2008-08-19: 19:10:00
Visagenary is also a play on Imaginary, nay?
Today's definition was suggested by doctorow. Thank you doctorow. ~ James
ldikarev - 2012-09-06: 16:44:00
ldikarev - 2012-09-06: 16:45:00
Prosopagnosia -http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prosopagnosia Prosopagnosia (Greek: "prosopon" = "face", "agnosia" = "not knowing") is a disorder of fa