Thingamajig

What Is That Thing Called? It has happened to all of us. You want to talk about an object, but you forgot what it's called. Or you never knew the name to begin with. Maybe you are not even sure there is a word for it. For example, that thing that you need to fix your car. Or maybe it is something you need for your computer. What are these things? They are called “doohickies.” A doohickey is a word you use when you do not know, or you have forgotten, the real name of an object such as a small object or tool that you cannot remember the name of.

In this post I have included sentences using common terms for things we don't know the names of. You will probably never see these words in official documents. But you might hear them in informal English, when people are talking to each other. “Hey, what does this doohickey do, anyway?” “Dude, bring me that thingamajig, will ya? “Sarah, can you get me one of those whatchamacallits?”

What is that gizmo called that you use to remove fluff from your clothing?

Hey, can you hand me that thingamabob please? Most English speakers will know what you are talking about if you use one of those words.

Discussion 1. Have you ever heard any of these words before? 2. Do you have words for objects you don’t know or can’t remember the name of in your language? 3. What do you say when you don't know the name of something?

4. Do you think you will remember any of the words from this article?