thingummy

English

Etymology

From thingum +‎ -y. Compare thingamabob and thingamajig.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈθɪŋəmi/

Noun

thingummy (plural thingummies)

1. Synonym of thingy: something one cannot remember the name of, or is unable to or does not care to specify precisely.
2. Synonym of whatshisname: someone one cannot remember the name of.
   • 1991 September, Stephen Fry, chapter 1, in The Liar, London: Heinemann, →ISBN, →OCLC, section I, pages 7–8:

     Once, in his first term, Cartwright had been bold enough to ask him why he was so clever, […]
     ‘It’s memory, Cartwright, old dear. Memory, the mother of the Muses . . . at least that’s what thingummy said.’
     ‘Who?’
     ‘You know, what’s his name, Greek poet chap. Wrote the Theogony . . . what was he called? Begins with an “H”.’
     ‘Homer?’
     ‘No, dear. Not Homer, the other one. No, it’s gone. Anyway. Memory, that’s the key.’

Synonyms

• See Thesaurus:thingy

Translations

thingy — see thingy

References

• “thingummy, n.”, in OED Online ⁠, Oxford, Oxfordshire: Oxford University Press, 2008.