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Something important

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Why you can trust SCMP
John Millen

'What's the name of the thingummybob you use for pulling nails out of wood?' I've forgotten the word!

It happens to us all. You are in the middle of explaining something important and you suddenly can't remember the name of the thing you are talking about. Don't panic! In English, there are a group of lovely words that we can use when we can't remember a particular noun.

Imagine the scene. You are in a pharmacy and you want to buy one of those things that clip your nails. But you just can't remember the word. You turn to your friend.

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'What's the name of the thingummybob you use to clip your nails?'

'What? Do you mean a pair of nail clippers?'

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The right thingy

You can use these words when you have forgotten the name of something temporarily.

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