VOA慢速英语2015 What Is That Thing Called?

What Is That Thing Called?

Now, the VOA Learning¹ English program Words and Their Stories.

It has happened to all of us. You want to talk about an object, but you forgot the name of it. Or you never knew the name at all. Maybe you are not even sure there is a word for it.

For example, that thing that you need to fix your bicycle. Or perhaps it is something you need for your computer. Or that part on your motorcycle that never, ever seems to work.

What are these things?

They are called “doohickies.” A doohickey is a word you use when you do not know, or you have forgotten, the real name of an object.

The MacMillan Dictionary defines² doohickey as “something such as a small object or tool that you cannot remember the name of.” The American Heritage³ Dictionary says it is “something, especially a small device⁴ or part, whose name is unknown or forgotten.”

Language experts say the word first started being used in the United States in the early 1900s. But other experts say they have seen examples of words like these in writings from the middle 1800s.

The Merriam-Webster Dictionary for Learners of American English gives this example of how native speakers might use doohickey: “I need one of those doohickeys, you know, with the long handle.”

Merriam-Webster adds that doohickey may be a combination⁵ of two other words: “doodad” and “hickey.” Strange as it may be, both of these words mean the same as doohickey. The dictionary lists a lot of strange words as synonyms⁶ for doohickey. The most common are whatchamacallit, whatnot and whatsit.

You will probably never see these words in official documents or newspaper reports. But you might hear them in informal American English, when people are talking to each other.

“Hey, what does this doohickey do, anyway?”

“Dude, bring me that thingamajig, willya?

“Janine, can you get me one of those whatchamacallits?”

Most Americans will know what you are talking about if you use one of those words. Just point at the object, use one of these words, and they will bring it to you.

Doohickey and words like it have their own page on the Wikipedia website. Wikipedia calls them “placeholders.” It says words like these are usually nouns⁷ and “can be used for people, objects and places.”

Unofficial studies show Americans are using words like doohickey less than they once did. The decline⁸ seems to have started a few years ago. Still, a recent search of Google News showed the word was used in more than 1,000 news articles in just a couple months.

One story told about a store where you can buy a cable⁹ that connects a thingamajig to a doohickey. Another told about a doohickey for eggs and even a doohickey that connects to a camera.

Workers who repair Kawasaki motorcycles use the word doohickey to describe the vehicle’s “counter balancing chain adjustment mechanism¹⁰.”

Words in This Story

motorcycle – n. a vehicle with two wheels that is powered by a motor and that can carry one or two people

synonym(s) – n. a word that has the same meaning as another word in the same language

handle – n. a part of something that is designed to be held by your hand

informal – adj. not formal, such as having a friendly and relaxed quality

cable – n. a strong rope made of wires that are twisted together

1 learning   

n.学问，学识，学习；动词learn的现在分词

参考例句：

• When you are learning to ride a bicycle,you often fall off.初学骑自行车时，常会从车上掉下来。
• Learning languages isn't just a matter of remembering words.学习语言不仅仅是记些单词的事。

2 defines   

规定( define的第三人称单数 )； 使明确； 精确地解释； 画出…的线条

参考例句：

• This name defines us all. 这个名字造就了我们。 来自演讲部分
• The range of incomes over which this happens defines the 'poverty trap'. 发生在这种情况的收入范围，称为“贫困陷阱。”

3 heritage   

n.传统，遗产，继承物

参考例句：

• The ancient buildings are part of the national heritage.这些古建筑是民族遗产的一部分。
• We Chinese have a great cultural heritage.我们中国人有伟大的文化遗产。

4 device   

n.器械，装置；计划，策略，诡计

参考例句：

• The device will be in production by the end of the year.该装置将于年底投入生产。
• The device will save much time and effort for us.这种装置会使我们节省大量时间和气力。

5 combination   

n.组合，合并，联合；

参考例句：

• He carried on the business in combination with his friends.他与朋友们合伙做生意。
• The materials can be used singly or in combination.这些材料可以单独使用也可以混合用。

6 synonyms   

同义词( synonym的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• If you want to grasp English, you must carefully discriminate synonyms. 如果你想掌握好英语，你必须仔细区分同义词。
• Study the idioms and synonyms l wrote down before your test. 学考试前我给你写的习惯用语和同义字。

7 nouns   

n.名词；名词( noun的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• French differs from English in having gender for all nouns. 法语不同于英语，所有的名词都有性。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Nouns join to form compounds. 名词和名词结合构成复合词。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 decline   

n.衰微，跌落，下降；vt.使降低，婉谢；vi.下降，衰落，偏斜

参考例句：

• I must decline to show favour to any of the candidates.我必须拒绝偏袒任何一位候选人。
• The birthrate is on the decline.出生率在下降。

9 cable   

n.缆绳，索；电缆；电报；vt.电汇，打电报

参考例句：

• Don't forget to cable us as soon as you arrive.别忘了一到就给我发个电报。
• The worker attached a cable.工人连接电缆。

10 mechanism   

n.机械装置；机构，结构

参考例句：

• The bones and muscles are parts of the mechanism of the body.骨骼和肌肉是人体的组成部件。
• The mechanism of the machine is very complicated.这台机器的结构是非常复杂的。