Thingamajig, whatchamacallit and hoojamaflip
We might use “thingamajig”, “whatchamacallit” or “hoojamaflip” when we don’t know – or have forgotten what something is called:
- I’ve lost the thingamajig that goes on top of the motor.
- You need a whatchamacallit to go with that.
- Pass me the hoojamaflip.
Or even:
- I can’t find the thingamajig that fits between the whatchamacallit and the hoojamaflip.
To pronounce these words, try breaking them down into separate parts:
- Thing – a – ma – jig.
- What – cha – ma – call – it (Think: what do you call it?).
- Who – ja – ma – flip.
There are variations to these words, such as:
- Thingy
- Thingummy
- Thingamabob
- Whatsit
- Hoojamathing
When it’s a person whose name we don’t know or can’t remember, we might use “whochamacallit”, or “whatisname” (what’s his name?), or “whosit” (who is it?).
Knowing these words extends you vocabulary, particularly of informal spoken English, but we wouldn’t normally use them in formal situations.
Posted by Graham
