English Explanatory Dictionary

how's your father

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. A whatsit; a thing which the speaker is unable or unwilling to specify more precisely.
  2. Sexual intercourse.

Pronunciation

En-au-how's your father.ogg

Word forms

how's your father how's your fathers

Etymology

A popular catchphrase of the 1910s popularised by music-hall entertainer Harry Tate, who used it for comic effect to change the subject away from one about which his character was ignorant (hence sense 1) or a taboo subject (hence sense 2).

Synonyms

Sorted by number of Google hits widget hickey gizmo thingy gimmick thingie jigger gismo gubbins whatsit thingamajig doodad whatchamacallit doohickey thingo thingamabob thingummy whatsis thingumajig thingumabob whatchacallit Sorted alphabetically affair bazinga bizzo dealie dealy dinglehopper dingus dohickey dojigger dongle doo-hickey doober doodah doofer doohickus doohinkey doohinkus doojigger doovalacky foobar foo frammis frobnitz gadget geegaw gewgaw gingambob gingumbob hodad hootenanny jawn jimbang jobber jobby joint junk kajigger
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