Newsgroup: it.cultura.linguistica.inglese
Titolo: thingumybob

Greetings Realmers,
A proposito di niente.. is there an italian equivalent to this type of
word?
"I'll just go get the thingumybob for whatsername."  The words you use
when you can't remember the word you need. 
Pearls of wisdom gratefully collected.
Cheers,
Loki
-- 
lo...@REMOVE-ASGARDclear.net.nz

 when you can't remember the word you need.
Coso
Ciao,
Ron
USA

The most common equivalent expression is "coso/cosa", used for both things
and persons. Referring to people you can also say "tězio/tězia". If you are
talking about a person you will of course omit the article:
"I'll just go get the thingumybob for whatsername."
"Vado a prendere il coso per tizia/cosa."
You can also use some "fantasy words" for thingumybob, like "piripěcchio"...
I can't think of others just now, hope someone will help me to post some
more.
Ciao
Anna
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 more.
Si dice anche "comesichiama" ("come-si-chiama", like in "whatsername")
Ciao
Anna
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Posted from 
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


Ciao
Cristina

 when you can't remember the word you need.
coso, affare, roba, ambaradan (this one is to be discussed)
per
comesichiama, pinco pallino, tizio/tizia, quel tipo,/quella tipa
ciao,
PEltio

 wrote in message
005001c064e6$f25cd640$7b74abd4@ibxum...




For both? And plural is cosi, or not?
cheers,
Loki
-- 
lo...@REMOVE-ASGARDclear.net.nz

 capire senza contesto...emotivo!:-)
Sounds like the type of usage I'm thinking of. Does it have any literal
meaning? And would anyone out of Napoli understand it?
I think I'll use it in the next class when I can't think of lo zucchero,
il latte or il cucchiaino. 
Thanks to all for their suggestions.
Loki
-- 
lo...@REMOVE-ASGARDclear.net.nz

 For both? And plural is cosi, or not?
ya... indeed! ;) and
cazzabubbulo/i
come_diavolo_si_chiama/chiamano
_quite_ used all
I remember a English SF novel titled something with all the three terms;
will try to find it out and report.

 meaning? And would anyone out of Napoli understand it?
I'm not sure that they would.
Besides the literal meaning may be mistaken for something somewhat... mean...
try scomposing the term in three parts
cazz in bocchio
Perhaps in Naples this word has an innocent connotation.
In the rest of Italy I guess this scomposition would prevail (prevail???)
cheers,
Peltio

 "I'll just go get the thingumybob for whatsername."
pero' in rete non trovo la "Y"
thingamabob
thingumabob
A thingamajig ;)
Alteration of thingumbob: thingum (from thing) + bob
e concludo con due domande:
Why does thing become thingum?
What's a bob in this contest?

 ^^
as I pronounce 'nglish! ;)

 In the rest of Italy I guess this scomposition would prevail (prevail???)
I don't know the term, but... "prevails" for sure, dear Monica ;)
The only unclear part is this new but strange merge between mouth and
eyes!?!?!?!?!?!?

 meaning? And would anyone out of Napoli understand it? (...)
...mhhh... I wouldn't give it for granted...
It's my grandmother's and mine typical saying, and it is not so widespread,
even in Naples.
But it's very cool, isn't it? If you find it suitable to your purposes, why
don't you try and use it, I don't thik they will try to catch its literal
meaning (and I wouldn't be so sure that it means "cazz-in-bocchio"...or at
least I never figured it out...too innocent?)
Bye!

 least I never figured it out...too innocent?)
Beh, io non intendevo dire che significa quello.
Solo che l'assonanza è forte.
: )
saluti,
Peltio

 ...scomposition ...
er...
perhaps
decomposing, decomposition are a better choice of terms?
: )
saluti,
Peltio
language breeder

 il latte or il cucchiaino.
<>I use cazzzimpocchio (with a p) every day and my northern born wife
understands it (but then she has lived with me for 7 years ).
I don't advise you to use it with non neapolitans .
Yours
Sal

 decomposing, decomposition are a better choice of terms?
"Try decomposing the term into three parts" is fine, if a bit intellectual
sounding. Given your computerish inclinations, I'm surprised you didn't think of
"parsing." You could also say "splitting" or "separating" if you want to impress
us with your easy, casual flair. Then again, you could say "disassembling" if
you want to display your mechanical aptitude, or "deconstructing" to show off
your semiotic inclinations. I think "splintering" would demonstrate your manly,
woodsman's charm, while "dismembering" would give us a glimpse of your hidden
dark side. "Breaking down" would offer a hint of your psychological
insightfulness. And, "resolving" would calm us with your scientific air.
Instead, you said "scomposing." Beh, č inutile piangere sul latte versato.
Regarding "I guess this decomposition (scomposition?) would prevail," the word
"prevail" is indeed appropriate. However, "decomposition" is not appropriate.
(Ask yourself, would you use "scomposition" in an Italian version? That is, if
the word existed.) I suggest you use the word "interpretation" which richly
describes both the analysis and signification applied by those non-Neapolitan
Italians.
Ciao,
Ron
USA

 What's a bob in this contest?
Bob : an 'armless, legless man floating in a pond ;-))))) I've no idea
really.
I've never heard 'thingum' on its own. I suspect , since my American
dictionary says the same thing, that this is a regional variation.
Here we call things "thingie", or my friend does - which is so unhelpful
when the subject is a 'thingie' in his conversation and one has no idea
what he's talking about.
Not all English is logical, it just is. ;-))
cheers,
Loki
-- 
lo...@REMOVE-ASGARDclear.net.nz

 I don't advise you to use it with non neapolitans .
I'm beginning to develop the impression that Neapolitans make all their "p's"
sound like "b's." As a child I wondered if the word that my parents used (while
conversing in their mutant mixture of southern Italian dialects only to deceive
me) to refer to a woman of ill repute, had a relationship to that hot, portable
source of heat and flame we know as "butane gas."
Ciao,
Ron
USA

least I never figured it out...too innocent?)
I believe the correct spelling is "cazzimpocchio," although the sound
is indeed "cazzimbocchio."  My thesis, if correct, would have the
additional benefit of outruling any kinky decomposition, parsing,
breakdown or whatnot.
	Riccardo

source of heat and flame we know as "butane gas."
:-) were they from Sicily perhaps?
Ron, frequent problem solver for all matters American,
I feel you deserve as good an explanation as I am able to produce.
This risks being mildly OT in an English linguistics NG, but here
goes...
Here are the consonantic groups where voicing occurs in Neapolitan:
MP -> MB
NT -> ND
NC -> NG ("k" sound) 
NS -> NZ
NF -> NV
NC -> NJ ("ci" sound) [weaker effect]
e.g.,
cazzimpocchio -> /kazzimbocchio/
Antonio -> /andonio /
insegna' -> /inzegna`/
have fully voiced 'b', 'd' and 'z',
while
steve `nciuciann' -> /stev*ncjiuciann*/ (* = schwa)
has only a slightly voiced sound (here rendered with "cj").
I.e., the voice-ization (how do you say THAT in English?) only happens
when a nasal sound (N or M) precedes the voiceless consonant.
In all the above cases, the consonantic group comes before the tonic
accent. I suspect that the effect is somewhat weaker if the group
comes after the accent, as in
"banca" and "attento" (che poi si direbbe "accorto")
but I might be wrong about this distinction.
I hope you find this discussion useful,
	Riccardo

 versato.
But I quite liked scomposing. Decomposing is what bodies in the ground
do.
cheers,
Loki
-- 
lo...@REMOVE-ASGARDclear.net.nz

 don't advise you to use it with non neapolitans .
I don't think the kiwis will be upset.  ;-)
cheers,
Loki
-- 
lo...@REMOVE-ASGARDclear.net.nz

 I hope you find this discussion useful,
It was not only interesting, but also nostalgic for this 'gavone' to recognize
some of the transposed pronunciations.
Chi gentilizza, milli grazii, addiu,
Ron
USA

 I hope you find this discussion useful,
Dear Riccardo,
Whilst you addressed your  post to Ron, the undersigned would like it known
that she at least, did find the discussion very useful indeed - the subject
not being too OT at all. Having Neapolitan relatives, I have not
infrequently, some slight  problems fully understanding what is being said,
and not only because of the actual Neapolitan vocabulary but also because of
their distinctive pronunciation.
With thanks,
--
I remain, as always, ecc., ecc.,
Bambi
dtb

 breakdown or whatnot.
Dear Riccardo,
Can we not rule out _all_ 'kinky decomposition'? After all, we must have
some in life, must we not and a little kink goes a long way....


Bye!
ciao
Gennaro
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Per rispondere eliminare ".HELL" dall'indirizzo.
To reply remove ".HELL" from the end of the address.
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Cristina,
I tried responding to your email a couple of times, but each
time I received a notice of non-delivery. Just so you know
I'm not being rude. :-)
Ciao,
Ron
USA