DO-DADS,THING-A-MAH-JIGS, AND WHAT-CHA-MAH-CALL-ITS!
The English language is a wonderfully expressive mechanism!
It has unbounded allocations of space for all possible lanes of learning to flow into it's welcoming warmth and fullness and bring with them, oft times, some uniquely devised expressions which are used to better understand subtle differences among culture son this planet Earth. English seems to welcome new words,whereas, so many other language attempt to repel the expressions pundits feel might dilute or destroy the imagined purity of their own spoken and written tongue.
Even “nonsense” language in English has special meaning for specific people of various ages. The current :rock” and “rap” age lingo terms often meaningless to those of us not yet initiated into the mysteries of modern music.
We grew up with a generous fund of such exotic words.
What,for example, was,or is, a “do-dad?” Or, how about a “thing-a-ma-bob(or,jig?”
And, there's one which seem to have come out of World War II language mutations – a “gizmo”.
If you have been busy at one task and then caused to do,another it may well be that you cannot remember,for the moment, the exact name of the tool you needed, so you might say “Hey! Hand me that what “wha-cha-mah-call-it” from the work bench! No, not that one! The other “do-dad” there!”The remarkable thing is that you will handed the proper tool - a “monkey wrench” or a “spanner” you intended to ask for - themselves, you see, at one time,lowly slang words.
Some such terms take on other meanings, as they mature. “Do-Dad” is used today in the medical field. It applies to a young father who experiences pains and change in his nature along with those of his pregnant wife. It' been happening for years,doctors agree,but he have finally decided that word to designate such a husband who echoes his wife's sufferings in such a personal manner is “doing” things,hence he is called a ”do-Dad.” as oppose, I assume to a non-do one,
So, don't expect today' slang usages to disappear. The may take on new, more sensible meanings as time goes by, but they will hold fast as part of our linguistic heritage used to express desires, emotions and and frustrations.
And,be patient. Try not to be too upset when the other person does not hand you the tool you asked for.
How is he or she to know you really wanted the other do-hickey?
A.L.M. October 1, 2002 [c413wds]
