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.
Emotionull
Created by: artr
Pronunciation: iˈmō sh ənəl
Sentence: Rudy is the perfect person to work the exchange desk. He is absolutely emotionull. He doesn*t get rattled by angry, screaming customers because doesn*t understand those feelings. He never learned to read expressions. To him jovial looks just the same as irate. He has been taught to tense certain muscles in his face when working. He has been told that doing this looks something like a smile and that it will help in his job. Most of his clients leave semi-satisfied but creeped out by the look on his face.
Etymology: emotional (arousing or characterized by intense feeling) + null (lacking distinctive qualities; having no positive substance or content)
Missedemeanour
Created by: CharlieB
Pronunciation: miss-duh-mean-er
Sentence: As Bill threw his paper aeroplane across the classroom, Mr Smith frowned. Bill mistook his stern expression for one of delight, promptly grinned and set about making an entire air force from his maths text book. He wasn't being naughty, it was just an unfortunate missedemeanour.
Etymology: Missed (failed to notice or understand) + demeanour (facial appearance) + Misdemeanour (misbehaviour)
Mienblind
Created by: OZZIEBOB
Pronunciation: MEEN-blahynd
Sentence: Roxie was certain that she had found the fountain of youth (or, perhaps, just Dani Minogue's Beauty Guide) when she came across an advert featuring the "Prosopial Pill," a startling, C21th make-over breakthrough, whereby one could look just look like he or she wanted to: having any skin, eye, or hair colour, and facial expressions, by simply taking this pill. Bob, upon hearing all this, became deeply concerned with the prospect of Roxie frequently changing her appearance, wondering whether he would be able, in future, to read her prosopialities. Seeking help, he immediately began flicking through "The Dictionary of Verbotomy" and for a while little interested him, and was about to put the book down when one word arrested his eyes: the word Mienblind.
Etymology: MIEN: facial expression, demeanour, bearing, appearance,aspect; air; manner; carriage; bearing or manner, especially as it reveals an inner state of mind & BLIND: unwilling or unable to perceive or understand; not having the faculty of discernment; destitute of intellectual light; unable or unwilling to understand or judge. PROSOPIAL: From Gk, Prosop meaning face & PILL.
Visagegoth
Created by: porsche
Pronunciation: viz/aj/gahth
Sentence: Jack was a noted visagegoth who had the manners to match his multiple faux pas
Etymology: visigoth + visage
Kissermisser
Created by: Stevenson0
Pronunciation: kiss/er/miss/er
Sentence: He confused a smirk for a scowl, fear for friendliness, a grin for a grimace. He was a socially inept kissermisser.
Etymology: kisser + miss
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COMMENTS:
He wouldn't be the Kidderminster kissermisser, would he? - galwaywegian, 2007-05-09: 07:48:00
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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
Misconflidiot
Created by: brucee10
Pronunciation: mis - con - fli - de - ot
Sentence: Jason is a misconflidiot if he thinks he has a chance with Gwen.
Etymology: Misconstrue + Flirting + Idiot
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COMMENTS:
That really refers to the individual who has the difficulty, but it still has an great ring to it! Nice one! - Jocoman, 2007-05-09: 21:41:00
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Misinherpret
Created by: lumina
Pronunciation: miss/in/her/pret
Sentence: Todd was one of those guys who was a "legend in his own mind." He believed all the ladies were so into him that they couldn't look at him...sometimes even pretending he didn't exist. He was know to misinherpret the facial expressions once a woman was forced as he was known to stand blocking the doors. Yeah...that was his "best move."He was sure the white as a ghost paleness and the just on the horizon retch meant she was "totally into" him.
Etymology: Derived from the word misinterpret, but only applies to misreading a woman.
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COMMENTS:
like it - Jabberwocky, 2008-07-09: 13:49:00
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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