ODDS 'N' ENDS

See that brownish thing-a-ma-bob there on the left of the dish of doorknobs? I cannot for the life of me remember what it’s called. I want to say "corbel" but those are more for holding curtains, I think. It’s upside down now, and I suppose it’s some kind of little wall bracket---I just liked the look of it, the heavy heft of it and all the pale pastel edgings. I think I grabbed it for a dollar at a Yard Sale, thinking I might use it in a little mini-canopy over the daybed when Our Girl graduates from her high-sided baby bed.

And the little Baker’s rack that holds all the mementoes---the original Fairy Tea set, a hanging box of all my Scotland/England pictures---nine times out of ten, I can’t think what to call it, either. “Have you seen my keys?” Chris says. “Over there on the ----(wildly pointing) ---- Tea Cart!” I’ll finally come up with.

If it’s an adverb or adjective, I’ll fish around up there til I can find a passable one, but still there's that little nagging tickle of dissatisfaction which sends me pondering or running the alphabet, hoping to unearth the right word. Those tip-of-my-tongue moments populate more of my time now than in the past, for I’ve a tiny person to converse with and teach and lead-up-in-the-way-she-should-grow.

But nouns, now---nouns are easy. No matter the use, the name, the actual title, a lifetime in the South has given me a vast lexicon of possibles to insert into my talk, with nary a pause save to choose from the long list. In hearing them in MY locale for so many years, I sometimes think them universal, and other times find them to be Dixie-driven in all respects.

I DO tend to point toward the general area of the Thing, in a little ridiculous flutter, my point-finger growing a bit more agitated as I delve for the word, but failing, I blurt out whichever of the old Tried-and Trues hits my tongue first.

In Random Order, and with no particular purpose, here is a quick-list of WORDS WHICH WILL SERVE when you either don’t KNOW the name of a thing, or just can’t dredge it up from your brain right now:

Doo-Dads
Doo-Hickeys
Thing-a-ma-bobs
Bits and Pieces
Whatcha-ma-callits
What-have-yous
Gee-gaws
Thinga-ma-jigs
Kit-n-kaboodles

Pee-willies
Pee-winkles
Who’da-thought-its
Sump’n-nothers
Gee-Whillikers
And-so-ons
Thus-and-sos
Whatevers
What-nots
Whats-its
Rattle-tattles
Odds ‘n’ Ends
To me, they’re all Southern, for that’s my frame of reference. To YOU, they may be a part of your own vocabulary from the place of your own raising.

All comments, additions, definitions, and remembrances gladly received and enjoyed.
What words do YOU use?