1232 What’s-its-Fritz

I was looking for a word in the dictionary the other day and another caught my eye. Thingamabob.
First, I was amazed it was in the dictionary and second, happy to see they had agreed on a spelling. Because I’ve also heard it as thingabob.
Kind of like the media can’t decide whether certain factions of the Tea Party are made up of white supremists or white supremacists.
Thingamabob, like most nonsense words, does have variations. Perhaps because people named Bob protested. The dictionary also listed thingamajig.
But to me a thingamabob is more of an idly hanging sort of can’t-remember-the-real-name-for-it thing. That thingamabob on your granny’s charm bracelet for instance.
A thingamajig is more of a machine. “Did you-all see the weird shaped marshmallow peeps that thingamajig popped out? I’d swear they were shaped like the baby Jesus.”
Then there’s thingamadoodle. A thingamadoodle is a thingamabob described by one of those people who put hearts instead of dots on their I’s and fill in all their O’s with happy faces.
Indeterminate names are fun though. They come in so handy when you can’t remember specifics. Can’t remember his name is Fred? The tried and true “what’s-his-name” will work just dandy. Even more vague in the memory department? “what’s-his-face” may work even better. “What time’s ol’ what’s-his-face comin’ to the party?” will not only convey your contempt or disdain for said what’s-his-face it’ll keep the apostrophe makers in business.
Speaking of names in vain. There’s poor Fritz. As in “on the Fritz,” “what’s-his-Fritz,” and the ever popular “dingle-Fritz.” Bob may hate thingamabob, but I’m guessing Fritz really hates dingle-Fritz.
Thingamabob sounds like a general indeterminate thing.
Dingle-Fritz sounds like a place where you get kicked.
America, ya gotta love it.