English Explanatory Dictionary

oojah capivvy

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. Something that one cannot name or does not know the name of; a whatsit.

Pronunciation

/ˌuːdʒɑː kəˈpɪvi/ /ˌudʒə kəˈpɪvi/

Word forms

oojah capivvy

Etymology

Unknown. Perhaps from Urdu ḥujjat kāfī fīhi (“argument is sufficient”); compare oojah. Sornig (see quotations below) suggests derivation from Neapolitan agio capit (“I've understood”), but seems to be alone in this suggestion. Attested from the 1910s, often described as soldiers’ or sailors’ slang.

Synonyms

oojah

Related words

oojah-cum-spiff wigwam for a goose's bridle
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