LL-L "Idiomatica" 2005.04.15 (07) [E]

[Lowlands-L]

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From: Pat Reynolds <pat at caerlas.demon.co.uk>
Subject: LL-L "Idiomatica" 2005.04.15 (01) [E]

In message <009401c541e6$71693150$29b88e8c at D5SYLB51>, Lowlands-L
<lowlands-l at lowlands-l.net> writes
>an additional question to my last etymological one(and
>probably a more interesting one is) where did this
>'me/my/mi/ma" etc. come from - grammatically it
>doesn't make a lot of sense when saying thing'my'jig,
>wodya'ma'callit etc... are there parallels in other
>lowland languages using a personal pronoun where it
>doesn't really belong - or does it? - I'm willing to
>be proved wrong

I think wodjamacallit could be "what you may call it".  The vowel in
'may' gets expressed as schwa, and written and expressed as a variety of
other sounds.

The 'my' or 'me' in 'thingamy' or 'thingame' seems different - the OED
says the Y is the diminiutive, and the original word is 'thingum' (with
the same meaning), being 'thing with a meaningless suffix'.

The OED thinks 'thingum' may be obsolete (last recorded 1808).  Does
anyone have later usage?

Cheers,

Wotserfeechers (Pat)
--
Pat Reynolds
pat at caerlas.demon.co.uk
   "It might look a bit messy now,
                    but just you come back in 500 years time"
   (T. Pratchett)

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From: Brooks, Mark <mark.brooks at twc.state.tx.us>
Subject: LL-L "Idiomatica" 2005.04.15 (01) [E]

Nominal aphasia.  Okay, so what happens when/if your aphasia gets so bad you
can't even bring the word (?) whatchamacallit to mind?  Do you just invent a
new one on the spot?  Let's see, now, where did I put that...oh you
know...that...

Mark Brooks

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From: Kevin Caldwell <kcaldwell31 at comcast.net>
Subject: LL-L "Idiomatica" 2005.04.15 (01) [E]

> From: Gary Taylor <gary_taylor_98 at yahoo.com>
> Subject: Idiomatica
>
> Me again...
>
> So with regards to our Ron saying 'whatyamacallit'
>
> an additional question to my last etymological one(and
> probably a more interesting one is) where did this
> 'me/my/mi/ma" etc. come from - grammatically it
> doesn't make a lot of sense when saying thing'my'jig,
> wodya'ma'callit etc... are there parallels in other
> lowland languages using a personal pronoun where it
> doesn't really belong - or does it? - I'm willing to
> be proved wrong

I've always understood "whatchamacallit" as being a compressed form of
"what(ever) you may call it".

> From: R. F. Hahn <sassisch at yahoo.com>
> Subject: Idiomatica
>
> Ian wrote above about a Russian word:
>
> > штука ('shtukV),
>
> Apparently it comes from German _Stück_ 'piece', 'item'.
>
> > Incidentally, a synonym of "thingy" in my dialect (Calgary, Alberta,
> > Canada) is "dealie." Do any other dialects have this word?
>
> I've heard my Canadian relatives (in Southern Alberta, who also lived in
> Calgary until recently) use this.  It struck me as only a slightly strange
> the first time I heard it, but it was immediately understandable,
> reminiscent of "dealibob," another such term used in the U.S.

Yes, I've heard "dealie" in the US, as well as "dealiebob" and
"dealiebobber".  Around 1982, a particular type of headgear called
"dealiebobbers" became popular, especially among children - they are
basically two long, stiff springs with plastic balls on one end and attached
to a plastic hairband on the other, so that the springs stick up in the air
like antennae and wiggle as you move your head.  I remember it was 1982
because they were sold in large quantities at the World's Fair in Knoxville
that year.

Seems like I've also heard "jobber" used the same way as "doohickey" or
"gadget".

> The sight of those very ancient Ukrainian
> ladies holding miniscule American flags was an unexpected bonus, as was
> the
> jolly company of my little "sub-possy" (from Canada, Italy, Ethiopia,
> Ukraine, Vietnam, Germany, Argentina, England, Bangladesh and Israel)
> during
> the long waits.
>
> Regards,
> Reinhard/Ron

Surely you mean "posse" and not "possy".

Kevin Caldwell

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From: embryomystic at cogeco.ca <embryomystic at cogeco.ca>
Subject: LL-L "Idiomatica" 2005.04.15 (01) [E]

Ian Pollock wrote:
> Incidentally, a synonym of "thingy" in my dialect
> (Calgary, Alberta, Canada) is "dealie." Do any other
> dialects have this word?

I've heard it once or twice from speakers of my own dialect (Kingston,
Ontario, Canada), but I really associate it with
a particular sort of person(ality). And usually, it comes with a whole
circus of words preceding it. "A really neat
party type dealie," for instance.

I.M. Davis
[Isaac]

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From: R. F. Hahn <sassisch at yahoo.com>
Subject: Idiomatica

Kevin:

> Surely you mean "posse" and not "possy".

I surely did. Shame on me!

> "doohickey"

Oh, yes.  There's another one I hear a lot and sometimes use myself!
(Sorry, Tom ...)

"Jobber" was unknown to me.  Perhaps I need to go out more.

Regards,
Reinhard/Ron

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