What is 'versing'? ‘Whatchamacallit' and other placeholder words. Chicken.

What is 'versing'? ‘Whatchamacallit' and other placeholder words. Chicken.

1109. This week, we look at why kids and video gamers talk about "versing" someone. Then, we look at the linguistics of placeholder words like "whatchamacallit" and "thingamajig," including some fun international examples and the now-obsolete word "whiblin."

The "thingamajig" segment was by Ursula Kania, a Senior Lecturer in English Language and Linguistics at the University of Liverpool. It originally appeared on The Conversation and appears here through a Creative Commons license.

🔗 Share your familect recording in a WhatsApp chat.

🔗 Watch my LinkedIn Learning writing courses.

🔗 Subscribe to the newsletter.

🔗 Take our advertising survey.

🔗 Get the edited transcript.

🔗 Get Grammar Girl books.

🔗 Join Grammarpalooza. Get ad-free and bonus episodes at Apple Podcasts or Subtext. Learn more about the difference.

| HOST: Mignon Fogarty

| VOICEMAIL: 833-214-GIRL (833-214-4475).

| Grammar Girl is part of the Quick and Dirty Tips podcast network.

  • Audio Engineer: Dan Feierabend
  • Director of Podcast: Holly Hutchings
  • Advertising Operations Specialist: Morgan Christianson
  • Marketing and Video: Nat Hoopes

| Theme music by Catherine Rannus.

| Grammar Girl Social Media: YouTube. TikTok. Facebook.Threads. Instagram. LinkedIn. Mastodon. Bluesky.


Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Jaksot(969)

466 GG Healthy Versus Healthful. The Best SAT Essay Ever. Fast and Loose

466 GG Healthy Versus Healthful. The Best SAT Essay Ever. Fast and Loose

Follow along on the website: Healthy Versus Healthful http://bit.ly/1Hem0wb The Best SAT Essay Ever Article: http://bit.ly/1H4dr4c PDF of the Essay: http://j.mp/1cVMKHV Fast and Loose http://bit.ly/1A1704R Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

14 Touko 201516min

465 GG Two Spaces After a Period?

465 GG Two Spaces After a Period?

Follow Along on the Website: Yay, Yea, Yeah, and Yes. Two Spaces After a Period? http://bit.ly/1IlSO7G English Words from Spanish Grammar Pop iPad http://apple.co/1GRVVA6 Grammar Pop Universal http://apple.co/1Kn9gmZ Sponsor: http://AudiblePodcast.com/GG (Recommended book of the week: Station Eleven) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

7 Touko 201512min

464 GG Weird Conditionals

464 GG Weird Conditionals

Follow along on the website: Fiance or Fiancee: http://j.mp/1HI4wcy If-Clauses: http://j.mp/1DA19Qe Dark Horse: http://j.mp/1Othuk5 Sponsors: http://thegreatcourses.com/grammar http://mprofs.com/grammargirl (code GRAMMARGIRL) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

30 Huhti 201513min

463 GG Most or Almost. Parallel Structure. Follow Suit

463 GG Most or Almost. Parallel Structure. Follow Suit

Follow along on the website: Most or Almost http://j.mp/1bz6joG Parallel Structure http://j.mp/1EwygtV Follow Suit http://j.mp/1yUH2PL Try my iOS game, Grammar Pop http://j.mp/1H5YiSj Sponsor: The Great Courses http://thegreatcourses.com/grammar Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

23 Huhti 201511min

462 GG Everyday. Ain't. Eponyms

462 GG Everyday. Ain't. Eponyms

Follow Along on the Website: Everyday Versus Every Day http://j.mp/1FvEiFz Ain't http://j.mp/1cjF1CP Eponyms http://j.mp/1EjPhGa Try my iOS game, Grammar Pop http://j.mp/1H5YiSj Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

16 Huhti 201511min

461 GG Between You and Me: Confessions of a Comma Queen

461 GG Between You and Me: Confessions of a Comma Queen

Follow along on the website: Smitten http://j.mp/1aLWFyC Between You and Me (Excerpt) http://j.mp/1H6eg0b Spick and Span http://j.mp/1a7LdMr Try my iOS game, Grammar Pop http://j.mp/1H5YiSj Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

9 Huhti 201510min

105 Yoda Grammar (Reissue)

105 Yoda Grammar (Reissue)

Follow along on the website: Yoda Grammar http://j.mp/1P06VCE Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

2 Huhti 20156min

460 GG Global English: Prepone, Do the Needful, and More

460 GG Global English: Prepone, Do the Needful, and More

Follow along on the website: Parentheses and Subject-Verb Agreement http://j.mp/1FWMySM Global English http://j.mp/19U43aG Stand in Line or Stand on Line? http://j.mp/1bxpONX Try our iOS game, Grammar Pop http://j.mp/1H5YiSj Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

26 Maalis 20159min

Suosittua kategoriassa Koulutus

rss-murhan-anatomia
voi-hyvin-meditaatiot-2
psykopodiaa-podcast
rss-valo-minussa-2
rss-vegaaneista-tykkaan
rss-narsisti
esa-saarinen-filosofia-ja-systeemiajattelu
psykologia
rss-koira-haudattuna
rss-vapaudu-voimaasi
avara-mieli
rahapuhetta
queen-talk
rss-niinku-asia-on
filocast-filosofian-perusteet
rss-luonnollinen-synnytys-podcast
rss-ihana-elamani
jari-sarasvuo-podcast
rss-psykalab
rss-honest-talk-with-laurrenna