Reply
Sun 24 Aug, 2003 08:34 am
English has a slew a words that are used to define something whose name we either don't know or can't remember. For example:
thingamajig, thingamabob, whatchamacallit, whatsit, doohickey, thingie.
I'm wondering if we use these words interchangeably. Or are there specific kinds of things that go with different words?
Scenario 1--You are not at all mechanical. You have a stationary bike that your friend assembled for you. A small part falls off the bike. You pick it up, stare at it for a while, turn it around in your hand. You start to worry. This one small piece may be the linchpin of the bike. Without it the whole thing could come crumbling down. You call the friend who assembled the bike, and you say, "Hi Joe. A ---------- fell off the bike. What should I do?"
Scenario 2--You are threading your shoelaces back in your sneakers. The little plastic thing at the end of one of the laces comes off. You know that there's probably a name for the little plastic thing, but you don't know what it is. From another room your significant other calls out, "What's taking you so long?" You say, "The -------------- came off the lace."
Would you use the same term in both situations? If not, why not?
1: Doohickey.
2: Thingamajig.
But - are they metric or imperial?
Deb, Metric shmetric. I would have said exactly the reverse. Thingamajig for the bike part and doohickey for the shoelace tip. But why?
Hmm - actually, I say dooverhickey! The shoe thingy could be a whatsit, too.
Why? Hmmmmmmmm.
Dooverhickies sound mechanical to me - sort of complex and crucial. Computers and jet aircraft have dooverhickies.
Thingamajigs and whatsits are more passive - and less important.
Does that help?
I thought this type of language application was regional.
All right, I admit it, I think most language use/misuse/abuse is regional.
They're pretty much interchangeable. Gizzerblinker, of course, is always an electronic doohickey.
Gizzerblinker?
Definitely must be electronic!
Ahem -- I think whatsit is spelled with a "z" as in whatzit.
Did I see that you've missed dealiewhopper which is sometimes shortened to "dealie" or even "deal"? (As in, get that dealie over here so I can finish putting together the whatzit.)
Ro-what-was-the-name-berta
It's quite funny that the same 'problems' seem to be in other languages (here: German) as well :wink:
The whatsit on the end of shoelaces is called an aglet
Germans have doohickeys and whatchams? I KNEW I liked you!
We have 'Dingsbums' and 'Dingens' and ...
(Just translate the English words :wink: )
Dingens? <contented sigh> Thingens!
Here's a tangent (I don't know if it is really related)... Did you know that the early Icelandic people had something called Althing, which was an annual event where people would get together for community relations and judicial/parliamentary proceedings?
Thingvellir
The Althing is the Icelandic parliament, the oldest still consiting in Europe (first mentioned in 930).
....and doflip - I think mostly applied to people
is doflip coming as well?
in England whatsit isn't spelt with a z but maybe over your side of the pond it is.
oh and there is whatnot - which is even the name of a Victorian plant stand thingy as well
Do you think it is related to the word "Thing"?
Certainly! ding > thing > assembly.
Goddess! I am awake, and the thingummybob in the sky hasn't even gone on yet!
Oh good, Walter, it was a tangent, but had a point of contact.
Vivien... the whatnot! It might even need to be capitalized... a Whatnot! Never heard of a dorflip (a dork, yes) but we've got whosits, they're generally human, or at least something with a personality.
Deb-- it doesn't seem like you've slept nearly long enough!
Hi Margo! G'day!
I vote for doodad and somethin'-or-other, words that I seem to be saying more and more as I get older. Hmm.
)
Stumble It!
Tweet This
Bookmark on Delicious
Share on Facebook
Share on MySpace