82 Whatchamacallit: being indirect

A

B

C

D Vague and general words

In informal speech, we make frequent use of rather vague words and words with many different or rather general meanings, like thing or get. That’s one of the things I want to talk to him about. [thing = subject]

Laura has got a thing about mice. [she either really likes or dislikes them] Don’t make such a big thing of it! [Don’t make so much fuss about it!] There wasn’t a thing we could do about it. [a thing = anything] For one thing, I haven’t got time. For another thing, I can’t afford it. [Firstly …, secondly …] The thing is, I have to take my car for a service tomorrow morning. [used to introduce a topic or a

problem, or to provide an explanation] As things are at present, … [as the situation is] I don’t get what you’re saying. [understand] We must get that parcel in the post today. [send] She had big plans to travel the world but she just never got it together. [took positive action or

organised herself] Jill will get things sorted (out) today. [organise things so that the problem is solved] I hope I can get her to myself this evening. [be alone with her]

When you can’t think of the word

When we can’t remember a word or name, we often replace it with a vague word. For objects: thingy, thingummy /ˈθɪŋəmi/, thingumijig /ˈθɪŋəmədʒɪg/, thingamibob /ˈθɪŋəməbɒb/, whatsit, whatchamacallit /ˈwɒtʃəməˌkɔːlɪt/, whatnot Have you seen the thingy we use for keeping the door open? For people: whatsisname /ˈwɒtsɪzneɪm/ (for a man); whatsername /ˈwɒtsəneɪm/ (for a woman) Did you see whatsisname today? Note that these words can be written in different ways. It is also possible to use thingy for either a man or a woman: I was talking to thingy about that yesterday.

Quantifiers

Some quantifiers are common in informal speaking but are rare in formal writing. For example, the following expressions mean a lot of:

bags of a load of loads of a mass of masses of dozens of tons of umpteen

I can help you – I’ve got bags of time. They can afford to go on expensive holidays as they’ve got loads of money. I’ve tried phoning her umpteen times but she never seems to answer her mobile. These expressions mean a little or some: a bit of, a scrap of. I’ve got a bit of a headache. You’ve been sitting there all day but you haven’t done a scrap of work.

Being indirect and less threatening

Here are some expressions which we can use in speech to make what we are saying sound less threatening and potentially offensive to the person we are talking to. It’s not the most practical/sensible/intelligent/appropriate thing you’ve ever done. [it’s impractical /

not very sensible / rather unintelligent / inappropriate] It’s not the most practical idea – and I mean that in the nicest possible way. No offence intended, but I think you’ve misunderstood the basic problem. If you don’t mind me/my saying so, I think that you could have handled that better. I gather you feel upset by the recent changes in the office. [I’ve heard it from someone] Incidentally, have you paid your money for the club outing yet? [often used to introduce a new subject

into the conversation in an indirect way] What a load of idiots – present company excepted, of course. [not including you or me] The staff here, myself included, have not been working quite as hard as we should.

82.1

82.2

82.3

82.4

82.5

82.6

Look at A opposite. Explain what the underlined expressions with thing and get mean

in the following sentences.

1 Don’t make such a big thing about it. I’m only going for a few days. 2 Jess has got a thing about wanting straight hair, but her natural frizz suits her much better. 3 The thing is, I don’t know when we’ll be at home. 4 Unless things change, we won’t be able to get away for a holiday. 5 We have a number of things to get through before lunchtime. 6 I don’t get on with them very well. For one thing, we like different things. For another, I find them quite rude. 7 Did you get what the lecturer was saying? I didn’t get a thing. 8 I hope we can get everything sorted out today. It’s time we got it together!

What words do you think the speaker is looking for in each of these sentences? Choose from the words in the box.

colander hammer rolling pin protractor sieve Daniel Craig

1 Where’s the thingummy for sifting the flour so there aren’t any lumps in it? 2 Look, isn’t that whatsisname? The actor who was in the latest James Bond? 3 I can’t find the thingumibob for measuring angles. 4 Have you got a whatsit, you know, for bashing in nails? 5 Where’s the thingy for draining potatoes? 6 I need a whatchamacallit – you know, one of those things for flattening pastry.

Look at the sentences in 82.2 again and find a different vague word from the one used

in the exercise, e.g. Where’s the whatchamacallit for sifting the flour so there aren’t any lumps in it?

Look at C. Rewrite the underlined parts of these sentences in a more informal style.

1 The garden had great numbers of pink and yellow flowers. 2 I’ve asked her out a great many times, but she’s always got some excuse. 3 He hasn’t done any useful work here since he first got the job. 4 I’ve got a large number of papers I want to get rid of. 5 Alice invited a great many people to her party at the weekend. 6 Yasmin’s got a great deal of energy – I don’t know where she gets it all from! 7 A great many people were turned away because the lecture room was full. 8 She was told many times not to leave any valuables on her desk.

Look at D, and then fill the gaps in this text.

This is a very boring party, present 1 excepted, of course.

No one, myself 2 , seems to be making much of an effort to

chat. I 3 a lot of people couldn’t come. 4

, no 5 intended, but don’t you think you could have dressed a bit more smartly? If you don’t 6 me saying so, I think you should have changed out of your gardening clothes. I mean that in the nicest

7 way, of course!

Over to you

• Have you got a thing about anything? • Is there anything you need to get sorted out this week?