English edit

Etymology edit

From oojah + -ma- (probably after thingamabob or whatchamacallit) + flip (perhaps initially with reference to the folding action of a type of collapsible trolley).[1]

Noun edit

oojamaflip (plural oojamaflips)

  1. (informal, uncommon) Something that one does not know the name of.
    • 2001 January 31, Richard, “Re: Ingres II, unable to run mklicense”, in comp.databases.ingres[1] (Usenet):
      "Have you got an oojamaflip for tracing system calls that you could use?"
    • 2003, HunkyMandrake, HunkyMandrake's Review of ‘Scrubs: My Lucky Night’, [2] TV.com, Episode 50, Season 3, First Aired: Thursday October 30, 2003,
      "J.D. needs a recommendation for some hospital oojamaflip. Cox needs a recommendation for some other residency related oojamaflip. They both decide to vouch for each other."
    • 2003, Michael Moore, The Kicking Fraud to Death: And Complaints While Your at It Handbook[3], →ISBN, page 18:
      "And if he gets a follow up call or email asking if everything is okay and did he get his 'ujamaflip' on time and in good condition? You will have an ecstatic customer who will stay with you forever."
    • 2004, Emma, "Re: Moshe + Christianity" [4], in alt.messianic:
      "It's my computer. I can't seem to put the oojamaflips in!" [referring to diacritical marks]

Synonyms edit

Translations edit

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ oojamaflip, n.”, in OED Online  , Oxford, Oxfordshire: Oxford University Press, December 2020: “< oojah n. + -ma- (probably after thingamabob n. or whatchamacallit n.) + flip v. (perhaps initially with reference to the folding action of a type of collapsible trolley: see sense 1).”