What is 'versing'? ‘Whatchamacallit' and other placeholder words. Chicken.
Grammar Girl Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing19 Aug

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)

201 Is “Ain't” a Word?

201 Is “Ain't” a Word?

Is “Ain't” a Word? Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

25 Des 20095min

199 "Alternate" Versus "Alternative"

199 "Alternate" Versus "Alternative"

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

5 Des 20095min

197 "Where" Versus "In Which"

197 "Where" Versus "In Which"

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

19 Nov 20094min

196 Adverbs Ending in -ly

196 Adverbs Ending in -ly

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

13 Nov 20096min

193 "Diffuse" Versus "Defuse"

193 "Diffuse" Versus "Defuse"

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

16 Okt 20093min

191 How to Write a Complaint Letter

191 How to Write a Complaint Letter

How to Write a Complaint Letter Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

2 Okt 20095min

190 Ellipses Spurned

190 Ellipses Spurned

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

25 Sep 20094min

188 "Comprise" Versus "Compose"

188 "Comprise" Versus "Compose"

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

18 Sep 20095min

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
rss-kunsten-a-leve
hverdagspsyken
takk-og-lov-med-anine-kierulf
sinnsyn
rss-sunn-okonomi
mikkels-paskenotter
gravid-uke-for-uke
branncast
rss-impressions-2
rss-var-forste-kaffe