Meaning of oojah capivvy | Babel Free

Definitions

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

archaic, dated, informal

Examples

“Birkinshaw: I suppose⟳ you ’aven’t time to help⟳ me with the post⟳, have⟳ you? I’d like⟳ to get⟳ off to time to-night. Pat: All right. Birkinshaw: There’s a whole lot in the Oojah Capivvy now. If you’d just take⟳ ’em and fold⟳ ’em and stick⟳ ’em in the envelopes, and bung ’em across to me, I’ll enter⟳ ’em up.”

“If that’s what you want⟳ to work⟳ for, right, let’s start⟳, get⟳ the bibles out. ―Ooja ka pivi! commented Barnes, and added as an afterthought: Spas!”

“One might observe⟳ what usually happens to people who by chance listen⟳ to radio news in a foreign language: folk-etymological re-interpretation sets in immediately after apperception of the unfamiliar sound⟳ chain. The Sunday Times (11.2.62) had the example UJAHKAPIV (from Napolitanian AGIO CAPIT = HO CAPITO ="I've understood" which with British soldiers came to denote "anything of which the name⟳ was unknown").”

“It's a bit like⟳ a ujakapivi, only they copy⟳ that idea from the wigwam for a goose's bridle.lol”

CEFR level