Category:Metasyntactic words

Definition from Wiktionary, a free dictionary

There are a certain class of words used to refer to items for which we don't know or cannot recall the name. There does not seem to be an accepted term to name these words. The Wikipedia article uses the term cadigan, but it's certainly not established. The name placeholder also seems to be used.

See Wikisaurus:thingy and Wikisaurus:whatsaname.

Contents 1 English 1.1 sorted by number of Google hits 1.2 sorted alphabetically 2 Other languages 3 See also

[edit] English

Here are some such words from English.

[edit] sorted by number of Google hits

widget hickey gizmo thingy gimmick thingie jigger gismo gubbins

whatsit thingamajig doodad whachamacallit whatchamacallit doohickey thingo thingamabob

thingummy whatsis dohickey thingumajig whatsaname thingumabob whachacallit whatchacallit

thingmabob dojigger thingmajig thingummyjig kajigger dooverlacky doovalacky doofer

[edit] sorted alphabetically

dohickey dojigger doodad doofer doohickey doovalacky dooverlacky gimmick gismo

gizmo gubbins hickey jigger jobbyjobber kajigger thingamabob thingamajig thingie

thingmabob thingmajig thingo thingumabob thingumajig thingummy thingummyjig thingy

whachacallit whachamacallit whatchacallit whatchamacallit whatsaname whatsis whatsit widget

[edit] Other languages

• French: machin (Europe), truc, trucmuche (Europe), bidule, engin (mechanical), cossin (Quebec), affaire (Quebec), schmilblick (Europe)
• German: Dingsbums
• Norwegian: dings, greie
• Russian: штуковина
• Swedish: manick, mojäng, grej, grunka, tingest, tjofräs, pryl, pryttel, grejsimoj
• Turkish: dalga

[edit] See also

• Wikipedia article on "cadigans"