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.

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What is 'versing'? ‘Whatchamacallit' and other placeholder words. Chicken.

Grammar Girl: For Writers and Language Lovers.

What is 'versing'? ‘Whatchamacallit' and other placeholder words. Chicken.