whatchamacallit

英語

詞源

為「what you may call it」或「what you might call it」（「你會怎樣叫它」）的縮短形式。出現於20世紀的美國（1921年的紀錄）。

發音

• (標準英音) 國際音標^(幫助)：/ˈwɒtʃəməkɔːlɪt/
• (通用美式) 國際音標^(幫助)：/ˈʍʌtʃəməkɔlɪt/, /ˈwʌt-/, /ˈwʌtʃməkɑlɪt/

• 音頻 (澳洲)：

  (檔案)

• 斷字：what‧cha‧ma‧call‧it

名詞

whatchamacallit (複數 whatchamacallits)

1. (俚語) （想不起名字的）東西

   近義詞： doodad、gizmo、thingamajig、thingy

   • 1921, Johnny Gruelle, Orphant Annie Story Book, Volume 7，頁號 69:

     The Thingamajig and the Wachamacallit.

     （請為本引文添加中文翻譯）

   • 1969, J[ames] P[inckney] Miller, stage adaptation by F. Andrew Leslie, The People Next Door, New York, N.Y.: Dramatists Play Service, →OCLC, Act II，頁號 42:

     You’re—you must be the whatchamacallit, huh? The peer.

     （請為本引文添加中文翻譯）

   • 1972, Carolyn Lane, Child of Air: A One Act Play, Denver, Colo.: Pioneer Drama Service, →OCLC，頁號 13:

     JESSICA: How many times do I have to say it? We were not stealing, Officer. We were just— / MONAHAN: I know. Performing some kind of whatchamacallit deed. Anyhow, they go to the clink, that's what happens to people who filch city property.

     （請為本引文添加中文翻譯）

   • 1996, Corbett Mack, as told by Michael Hittman, 「Boyhood (1892–1905)」, 出自 Corbett Mack: The Life of a Northern Paiute (Studies in the Anthropology of North American Indians), Lincoln, Neb., London: University of Nebraska Press, →ISBN，頁號 60:

     I'm a boy, so when I'm sick, they can call in poohaghooma, Indian doctor. But not Tom Mitchell! No, sir! [We] won't have Tom Mitchell to doctor me! 'Cause whatchamacallit, he always used to doctor me …

     （請為本引文添加中文翻譯）

   • 1998, David Alan Black, 「There’s No Place Like Rome: The Parts of Speech and Their Function」, 出自 It’s still Greek to Me: An Easy-to-understand Guide to Intermediate Greek, Grand Rapids, Mich.: Baker Books, →ISBN，頁號 19:

     "Think we ought to check this whatchamacallit?" / "No, that doodad over there seems to be the problem."

     （請為本引文添加中文翻譯）

   • 2014 October, Don Pendleton, 章號 15, 出自 Domination Bid (Don Pendleton’s Stony Man: America’s Ultra-covert Intelligence Agency; Gold Eagle Book), Don Mills, Ont.: Worldwide Library, →ISBN，頁號 180:

     As you've said, the safety of the American people is our first priority. We have orders that if these EMP whatchamacallits can't be secured then they must be destroyed.

     （請為本引文添加中文翻譯）

延伸閱讀

• whatchamacallit (disambiguation)在英語維基百科上的資料。維基百科 ^en