different between thingummy vs thingy

English

Etymology

From thingum +? -y. Compare thingamabob and thingamajig.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?????mi/

Noun

thingummy (plural thingummies)

1. Synonym of thingy: something one cannot remember the name of.
2. Synonym of whatshisname: someone one cannot remember the name of.
   • 1991, Stephen Fry, The Liar, pp. 10–11:

     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.’

References

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

English

Alternative forms

• thingie

Etymology

From thing +? -y

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /????i?/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /????i/
• Rhymes: -??i

Noun

thingy (plural thingies)

1. (informal) A thing (used in a vague way to refer to something whose name one cannot recall).
2. (slang, euphemistic) Penis.

Synonyms

• See Thesaurus:thingy

Translations

Further reading

• Wikipedia article on placeholder names

Anagrams

• nighty