Wednesday, April 24, 2013

T is for Thingamabob and Thingamajig

Sometimes my brain works far faster then my mouth does. I think a lot of people have this problem. There is actually a word for it…a condition so to speak…that essentially means that your brain searches for a word so quickly that it lands on an incorrect on. Often call Freudian Slips, these mishaps often end in hilarity.

Once, talking to Sara about one of my kittens, I made the statement, “Wouldn’t it be cool if cats had reprehensible tails?”

Clearly, I meant prehensile. Like monkeys. My brain, though, landed upon the first word that sounded like the word I wanted. Sara still gets a good chuckle out of that.

Once, way back when I first started playing D&D with my best friend’s little brother, I made a comment about fighting a Cthulhu-like creature, “I hate all those testicles.”

I really meant tentacles.

So you see my problem. My existential words often get me into trouble or at the very least an awkward, albeit humorous, situation.

I have since utilized a variety of replacement filler words that allow my mouth to catch up to my brain. I use the word “thingy” a lot. As in, “Scott, I need that thingy in the fridge.” Scott, to his credit has gotten to the point of being able to quickly decipher my filler word with a real, tangible object. I use “thingy” like the Smurfs use “smurf.”

Thingamabob and Thingamajig from the 1940s and 1930s, respectively, are both nouns used to name an object for which the name is unavailable or forgotten. Thingy, my go to word, is a derivative of either or both of these old words.

Example: Trudy dug around in the toolbox, becoming more and more troubled. Tristan, trapped under the the Toyota, tried to explain what tool he needed again. “It’s the thingamabob on the tray to the left of that tri-colored thingamajig!” Trudy slammed the toolbox shut. “You’ll need to get it your self if you won’t tell me what you need!”

This post has been brought to you by the Letter T and the fine folks at Blogging A to Z. Check out more A to Z blogs here

10 comments:

  1. I've always been fond of dohicky and whatchamacallit.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dohicky reminds me of old-timey farmers chewing on the end of a straw talked about fixing something in the barn!

      Delete
  2. Love it. I'm always looking for the thingy, whachamacallit and whatsitsname.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I think as I get older I'm more prone to use a thingy, whatchamacallit or a whatshisname.

      Delete
  3. I'm so glad it's not just me! I remember a few years back my friend's dad was commenting about her weight... he said she was becoming far too emancipated! We didn't half laugh. Clearly, the words emaciated had become dislodged from his brain!
    Suzy Turner, YA Author

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. too funny! That's exactly what I do far too often!

      Delete
  4. :)
    I really am enjoying exploring new words with you daily

    ReplyDelete
  5. The other day, I was asking my mom where something was. She said, "Its in there!" and pointed down the hallway (there are three rooms from the hallway). I asked, "In where?" And again, she said, "Its in there!" I had to have her walk over and point to the room it was in and the table the thing was on, because she couldn't even remember the name of the room. It was pretty funny.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yeah. I'm guilty of doing stuff like that too although I am getting better about it now that my husband and girls are starting to do it back to me!

      Delete