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.

Episoder(967)

273 "A Hold" or "Ahold"?

273 "A Hold" or "Ahold"?

"A Hold" or "Ahold"? Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

28 Apr 20115min

272 Do You Capitalize “God”?

272 Do You Capitalize “God”?

Do You Capitalize “God”? Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

21 Apr 20117min

270 Commas With Participial Phrases

270 Commas With Participial Phrases

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

7 Apr 20116min

268 Mixing Verb Tenses

268 Mixing Verb Tenses

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

24 Mar 20116min

267 How to Speak English Like the Irish

267 How to Speak English Like the Irish

How to Speak English Like the Irish Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

17 Mar 20117min

263 How to Write Grammatically Correct Photo Captions

263 How to Write Grammatically Correct Photo Captions

How to Write Grammatically Correct Photo Captions Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

17 Feb 20114min

260 Contractions

260 Contractions

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

27 Jan 20116min

259 First, Second, and Third Person

259 First, Second, and Third Person

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

20 Jan 20117min

Populært innen Fakta

fastlegen
dine-penger-pengeradet
hanna-de-heldige
relasjonspodden-med-dora-thorhallsdottir-kjersti-idem
fryktlos
treningspodden
foreldreradet
rss-strid-de-norske-borgerkrigene
dypdykk
jakt-og-fiskepodden
hverdagspsyken
takk-og-lov-med-anine-kierulf
rss-kunsten-a-leve
sinnsyn
rss-sunn-okonomi
mikkels-paskenotter
gravid-uke-for-uke
rss-impressions-2
doktor-fives-podcast
rss-var-forste-kaffe