Word Strategies For Speaking

In spontaneous speech we make frequent use of unclear words like thing or get.

Here are some examples of how they are used:

 That’s one of the things I want to talk to him about. [thing = subject].

 Zaid has got a thing about cockroaches. [He either really likes or dislikes

them]

 Michel has a thing for feet.

 Don’t make such a big thing of it! [Don’t make so much fuss about it]

 There wasn’t a thing we could do about it [a thing = anything]

 For one thing I haven’t got time. For another thing, I can’t afford it

[firstly… secondly…]

 The thing is, I have to get the essay in by tomorrow morning. [used to

introduce the topic or provide an explanation]

 As things are at present… [as the situation is…]

 I don’t get it [understand]

 We must get that parcel in the post [send]

 Tarek had big plans to buy us a kebab but he just never got it together

[took positive action or organised himself]

 Amer will get things sorted out today [organise things so that the problem

is solved]
Word Strategies For Speaking

When we can’t remember the word for something we often replace it with a

vague or unclear word. There are different words for objects are and for people.

For objects:

 Thingy  Whatsit

 Thingummy  Whatitsname

 Thingumajig  Whatchamacallit

 Thingumabob  Whatnot

For people:

 whatsisname (for a man)

 whatsername (for a woman)

Examples

 I can’t find the thingy we use for crushing garlic

 Did you see whatsisname today

Word Strategies For Speaking
Certain quantifiers are common in speaking though rare in writing. For example,

the following expressions mean a lot of:

 Bags of  Oodles of

 Loads of  A load of

 Masses of  A mass of

 Buckets of (bucket loads of)  Umpteen

 I’ll help you – I’ve got bags of time

 They can afford to go on exotic holidays as they’ve got oodles of money

 I’ve tried phoning her umpteen times but she never seems to be at home.

 Samer has buckets of bullshit coming out of his gob every time he opens it.

 There were masses of people at the mall this morning.

These expressions mean a little or some

 A bit of  A touch of

 A scrap of  A slight

 You have been sitting there all day but you haven’t done a scrap of work.

 Adam’s got a touch of the flu but he should be fine by next week

 I’ve got a bit of a headache.

 He’s got a slight problem.

Word Strategies For Speaking
Here are some expressions which we can use in speech to make what you’re

saying sound less threatening and potentially less offensive.

 It’s not the most practical idea – and I mean that in the nicest possible

way.

 It’s not the most practical/sensible/intelligent/realistic thing you’ve ever

done. [it’s impractical/ not very sensible/ rather unintelligent/ unrealistic]

 What a load of idiots – present company excepted (excluded) of course.

[not including you or me]

 I think a lot of the staff here, myself included, have not been working quite

as hard as we should.

 No offence intended, but I think you’ve misunderstood the basic problem.

 If you don’t mind my saying so, I think that you could have handled that

better.

 That’s true up to a point, but I think it’s giving them a wrong picture
Word Strategies For Speaking
Explain what the expressions with thing and get mean in the following

sentences

 Don’t make such a big thing about it. I’m only going for a few days.

 He has got a thing about Madonna. He plays her music all the time.

 The thing is, I don’t know when we’ll get back.

 Unless things change, we won’t be able to get away for a holiday.

 We’ve got a number of things to get through before lunchtime

 I don’t get on with them very well. For one thing we like different things.

For another, I find them quite rude. (Another thing…)

 Did you get what are the lecturer was saying? I didn’t get a thing.

 I hope you can get everything sorted out today. It’s time we got it

together.
Word Strategies For Speaking
Explain these sentences.

 Where’s the thingummy for opening wine bottles

 Look isn’t that whatisname? The actor who was in Titanic. You know, the

one that saved whatsername???

 I can’t find the thingumabob for measuring angles.

 Have you got the whatsit for pulling out nails?

 Where’s the thingy for draining potatoes.

 Where that thingumajig for putting on the bar?

Rewrite these example to make them formal.

 There’s no need to rush – we’ve got oodles of time.

 I have asked her out umpteen times but she’s always got some excuse.

 He hasn’t done a scrap of useful work here since he first got the job.

 I’ve got a load of papers I want to get rid of.

 The organisation asked for masses of people to attend the protest at the

weekend.

 He’s got bags of energy –don’t know where he gets it all from.