thingamajig

or thing·u·ma·jig

[ thing-uh-muh-jig ]
/ ˈθɪŋ ə məˌdʒɪg /

noun Informal.

a gadget or other thing for which the speaker does not know or has forgotten the name.

Origin of thingamajig

1870–75; thingum or thingummy + jig1, metrically patterned like gobbledygook, rigamarole; thingum perhaps orig. from the gradational compound thingum-thangum (based on thing1) with the same terminal syllable as in crinkum-crankum, harum-scarum, trinkum-trankum, the ultimately orig. of which is unclear

Example sentences from the Web for thingamajig

  • By Jove, Madge, I jolly well hoisted him with his own thingamajig!

    The Prodigal Father |J. Storer Clouston