I've long known that the South American animal known in English as a llama was so named as a result of the Spaniards' referring to it as a "Whaddayacallit," but just yesterday discovered that kangaroo is named by the same process. Are there any other animals or inanimate objects whose name derives from its being called a whatchamacalit, thingamajig, or just plain I don't know in another language?

I'd heard that the name "Yucatan" arose similarly, and upon checking found this:

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An hidalgo of Cuba, named Hernandez de Cordova, sailed with three vessels on an expedition to one of the neighbouring Bahama Islands, in quest of Indian slaves. (February 8, 1517.) He encountered a succession of heavy gales which drove him far out of his course, and at the end of three weeks he found himself on a strange but unknown coast. On landing and asking the name of the country, he was answered by the natives, "Tectetan," meaning, "I do not understand you,"- but which the Spaniards, misinterpreting into the name of the place, easily corrupted into Yucatan. Some writers give a different etymology.
--The History of the Conquesti of Mexico (1843) by William Hickling Prescott (1796–1859) Prescott, says bartleby, "is considered to be one of the greatest of American historians."

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Well, Asa, this may be similar--but no cigar!

Gilhoolie: Once a thingamabob, now a patented can opener/sealer.

Well, this comes from my John Train book, which has already been trashed on another site. However, he says that the French word for transom is vasistas, which is German for What's that?
In the same section he also gives the original meaning of nitty gritty--and I don't think I'll ever use that word again!

Well, this comes from my John Train book, which has already been trashed in another thread. However, he says that the French word for transom is vasistas, which is German for What's that?
In the same section he also gives the original meaning of nitty gritty--and I don't think I'll ever use that word again!

Asa muses, "Are there any other animals or inanimate objects whose name derives from its being called a whatchamacalit, thingamajig, or just plain I don't know in another language?"

I can't vouch for the truth of the story of the nineteenth-century immigrant who arrived at Ellis Ilsand so rattled that, when asked his name, he replied, "Ich habe vergessen," (meaning, "I have forgotten.").

He was written down as Ferguson.

"Ich habe
vergessen," (meaning, "I have forgotten.").

He was written down as Ferguson.
***********************************
A friend of Russian descent told me that a great uncle of hers, upon arriving at Ellis Island, was given the name, Seymour Beaver. My friend's husband was a gynecologist, not her great uncle. What a pity!

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Originally posted by Kalleh:
In the same section he also gives the original meaning of _nitty gritty_--and I don't think I'll ever use that word again!

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(Edited to add the bit in itallics)
Assuming that this is the definition that caused all the press interest a few months ago I'd find these invented origins funnier if people didn't actually go around believing them.
This entirely spurious origin for nitty-gritty has resulted in school-teachers being disciplined for using it, police-officers forbidden to use and considerable debate on television and radio a few months ago about how it shows that racism is ingrained in our very language.

When someone invents a spurious and offensive - though admittedly ingenious - origin for a word or phrase it doesn't show a love of language it shows a love of mischief.
I've posted the debunking links several times in several different forums. I don't have the time or inclination to do it again but they're easy enough to find - try snopes as a first stop.

si hoc legere scis nimium eruditiones habes

Read all about my travels around the world here.

Thanks, Bob. Yes, I can see from my other posts on this forum that I am far too gullible in believing what I read. I will check more thoroughly from now on--or if I don't, please call me on it (and that goes for anyone here.) I agree that it doesn't show a love of language. When it comes to etymology, I need to develop a more skeptical attitude.

Don't worry about it Kalleh. We all do it from time to time - especially when we use the internet for our research. That's the big problem with it - anybody can post anything. It's the worlds largest and least accurate source of information.

si hoc legere scis nimium eruditiones habes

Read all about my travels around the world here.

In fairness to Kalleh, it should be noted that the same story of nitty-gritty appears in a different book, published 1982, on my shelf.

I wasn't able to find nitty-gritty in snopes, doubtless because I'm unfamilar with that site and how to use it.

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Originally posted by shufitz:
I wasn't able to find _nitty-gritty_ in snopes, doubtless because I'm unfamilar with that site and how to use it.

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It's discussed on the message board at snopes rather than the main site. Here and mentioned in this thread about the implicit sexism of the word "history".
My debunking and cites can be found there.

si hoc legere scis nimium eruditiones habes

Read all about my travels around the world here.

Interesting discussion, Bob. I notice that they used World Wide Words for their source. I do like that site.