Dictionary

oojah en · NOUN

Etymology

Unknown. Perhaps formed in English from a similar term; compare whosit, whaddayacallit. Perhaps coined as an exotic-sounding nonsense word. Perhaps from Persian or Urdu حجت (hujjat, “argument”), from Arabic حجة (ḥujja, “argument; pretext”). Attested from the early 20th century.

Meanings

1. (slang) Something whose name is unknown or unimportant; a thingy; a whatsit.
   • DAPHNE. I say, old bean, where’s the oojah? MARK. The oojah? DAPHNE: The om-tiddly-om-pom. 1951, Terence Rattigan, “Who is Sylvia?”, in The collected plays of Terence Rattigan, published 1953, page 211:
   • Expect I shall get a raspberry from the old Oojah if I arrive (with the milk) blotto. Never mind, I have not had a backshee binge for years! 1919, P.H.M., “Our Translation Prize”, in The Educational Times, page 470:
   • Oh, look! your bag's opened itself wide and all the little oojahs have gone down the steps. 1935, Dorothy L. Sayers, Gaudy Night:
   • I’ve seen blokes in hot countries go clean round the oojar because of the perverted practices of native women. 1971, Brian Aldiss, A Soldier Erect, page 94:
   • CUT-THE-RASHER: Aye, indeed – Mary Doyle’s missing her bit of comfort. MRS DOYLE: G’long you dirty-minded ould hoojah. That’s one thing anyway: we won’t have to be putting up with you once we leave the lane. 1951, Maura Laverty, “Liffey Lane”, in Cathy Leeney, Deirdre McFeely, editors, The Plays of Maura Laverty, published 2023, page 90:

Forms

Deriveds

oojamaflip · oojah-cum-spiff · oojah capivvy

wikipedia: Persian language