The Whatchamacallit: Those Everyday Objects You Just Cant Name (And Things You Think You Know About, but Dont) by Danny Danziger

The Whatchamacallit: Those Everyday Objects You Just Cant Name (And Things You Think You Know About, but Dont) Reviews

• 
  Helen

  This book tells about obscure objects. The best part is the excellent explanation of how a car engine works!
• 
  Charli

  Fun, short explanations of lesser known words like aglet and philtrum.
  Very tongue in cheek, each entry gives a bit of history about the word.
• 
  Ashur

  I learned a number of very important words from this book.
• 
  Amanda

  A fun read
• 
  Shonna Froebel

  This very cool book was recommended by a coworker. I found terms I knew well, and many that I did not. Examples of use or detailed descriptions are given, and many entries also include related terms. My favourites include:
  * tmesis (the separation of parts of a compound word by the intervention of one or more words, such as abso-bloody-lutely)
  * tittle (the dot on top of the lower case i and j)
  * pulicue (the distance between the forefinger and thumb when extended)
  * phosphene (sensation of light caused by excitation of the retina rather than light itself) [This happens to me when I cough in the dark and I never knew it had a name!]
  * noclilucent (particular and unusual high cloud, seen only in the evening)
  * desire line (path more people want to take, despite any existing roads, walks, or tracks).
  As you can see from my list, the subjects are varied and yet I find this sort of thing fascinating.
• 
  Caren

  A lot of fun! This is a great little book to pick up at odd moments. You probably wouldn't want to sit down and read it cover to cover, but it's fun to dip into. It lists names for common objects whose names you probably don't know. It also tells a bit of the history of the object in question. For example, did you know that frisbees were named for pies made in a bakery owned by a Mr. Frisbie in Bridgeport, Ct.? He bought the bakery in 1871 and made the popular pies in tin baking dishes which could be returned to get back a 5-cent deposit. The students at Yale took to tossing the pie tins for fun. The authors go on to tell of the evolution of the toy, and that the ridges along the upper edge are called 'arcuate veins'. Now, this is trivia that no one needs to know, but--hey!--it's interesting and fun!
• 
  M

  Danny Danziger and Mark McCrum set out to accomplish a unique task - find the names of those everyday items that seem to slip from our tongues. The majority of the book is amuzing and informative, offering insights into the punctual interrobang, the noisy borborygmus, the digital dongle, and the interruptive tmesis. While I did find some useful additions to my vocabulary (the cartoony grawlix and the jet-related contrail), I feel the book lacks substance. Considering the variety of verbiage that exists, this tome should be jam-packed with inane trivia. Here's hoping a second volume follows along quickly!
• 
  ♥ Sandi ❣

  Wonderful little book detailing things you may see and use on a daily basis, but have no idea what they are called. This book not only names them but gives you a small briefing about how they came to be and what they are meant to be. A fasinating and fun collection of terms covering just about every word group imagainable. Wonder what a Deely - bopper is or Gluteal crease is....time to read this book! 3 stars
• 
  Kari Eggerling

  Interesting. I did know some of the words listed. I thought at least some of the pictures should have been in color and some should have been a little bigger since it was difficult to read the labels. I also think that more of the words should have had an pronunciation key.
  
  2017 Reading Challenge:
  # A Book with Multiple Authors
  #15 A Book with a Subtitle
  #30 A Book with Pictures
• 
  Roy Murry

  Very interesting book. Now I know what aglet, eylet, burpee,contails, and etc. are. Always enjoy learning. These and many other words defined in this book I will use in my writing.
• 
  Rianna *Hermione* B

  Really great. Fun & informative book of words. Feel smarter because you can name things.. like achenes (ah-keens), the seeds on strawberries.. & so many other words.
• 
  H.L. Burke

  Cute little book with fun facts. A nice assortment of words to learn. Might be a good book for a scrabble player who needs to be able to justify the word "zarf."
• 
  Alissa

  What do you call a vehicle with only one headlight lit? What about those little non-edible bags of stuff found in foods to keep them fresh? Or those little dots on dice? What about those thingies used to measure your feet when shopping for shoes? Or the technical term for the "fist bump" greeting that is so commonly seen among friends?
  
  "The Whatchamacallit," by Danny Danzer and Mark McCrum can answer these questions. This strange and fascinating book is a collection of terms used to describe those things (both unusual and everyday) you just can't name. Whether you skim through its pages or sit down for an in-depth read, you WILL come away from this book knowing something you didn't know before you picked it up!!
• 
  Sarah

  Ok so super cool book. It was a fun little side book to read and I would suggest it. HOWEVER, I would take this book with a grain of salt. They made one mistake that I could notice about their research. Seriously, do your research. Funny me, after years of reading and watching the Harry Potter series I had no idea that Harry got the Firebolt in Goblet of Fire. All of these years thinking it was a present from his godfather Sirius Black and a major plot point in Prisoner of Azkaban -.-* do your research Danny Danziger and Mark McCrum. You should be expecting an angry letter from me, shortly.
• 
  Tegan

  I love reading books like these. Some of the names I already knew, like dongle and umlaut, but most I did not. I will definitely be keeping this book around, and use some of the names when I can in conversation. There's nothing wrong with being the one who sounds smart!
• 
  Leslie

  good stuff!
• 
  Eric

  An excellent fact book detailing the proper names of things we use/see everyday. Very educational (even for those of us who think we know everything)