Yoke

/joʊk/ · noun

Slang All-Ireland

Any object whose name escapes you at the moment. A versatile placeholder noun that can refer to literally anything when the proper word won't come.

EXAMPLE USAGE

"Pass me that yoke there - no, the other yoke, the one for opening bottles."

ETYMOLOGY

Extended from the farming implement meaning, likely through metaphorical use in rural communities.

HISTORICAL NOTES

An extraordinarily flexible word in Irish English, capable of referring to anything from a remote control to a person, depending on context and tone.

RELATED WORDS

thingamajigwhatsitgadget