subs. (common).—1. Used for the proper name of a person or thing, (a) when forgotten; or (b) when it is not desired to specifically name. Variants are numerous: e.g., THINGUMAJIG, THINGUM, THINGUMMY, THINGAMY, THINGUMBEE, THING-A-MERRY, THINGUMMITE, THINGOMIGHTUM, etc. (GROSE and BEE). See JIGGUMBOB and WHAT’S-ITS-NAME.
1751. SMOLLETT, Peregrine Pickle, ii. In a laced doublet and THINGUMBOBS at the wrists.
1831. BULWER-LYTTON, Eugene Aram, I. ii. You will then see in the middle of a broad plain a lonely grey house, with a THINGUMBOB at the top; a servatory they call it.
1861. THACKERAY, The Adventures of Philip, I. 101. What a bloated aristocrat THINGAMY has become since he got his place.
1883. H. S. EDWARDS, A Born Inventor, in The Century Magazine, xxxvii. 913. He got ther critter propped up an’ ther THINGERMAJIG stropped on ter ’im.
1890. W. JAMES, Principles of Psychology, I. 463. A polyp would be a conceptual thinker if a feeling of ‘Hollo! THINGUMBOB again!’ ever flitted through its mind.
2. (venery).—Euphemistic for (a) the penis: see PRICK; and (b) the female pudendum: see MONOSYLLABLE. Also (3) in pl. = the testes: see CODS.
