whosis
LowInformal, colloquial
Definition
Meaning
An informal placeholder for a person or thing whose name is unknown, forgotten, or unimportant.
A facetious or casual term used to refer to someone or something whose specific identity is temporarily irrelevant, a 'whatsit' or 'thingummy' for a person.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Often implies slight dismissiveness or forgetfulness. Primarily used in spoken language. Can refer to people or objects, but is more common for people.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Equally informal in both. The form 'whatsis' or 'whatsisname' is perhaps slightly more common in British English, while 'whosis' is a standard US variant.
Connotations
Informal, slightly dated, playful.
Frequency
Relatively rare in both, but more likely found in US comic strips or older dialogue. Not used in formal contexts.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
Referential (noun phrase): [Ask whosis over there.]Appositive: [My neighbour, whosis, said so.]Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “Old whosis (a vague, possibly familiar person)”
- “You-know-whosis (implying shared but unspoken knowledge)”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Virtually never used.
Academic
Never used.
Everyday
Only in very casual, often humorous or forgetful speech among friends/family.
Technical
Never used.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- Hand me the... whosis, the blue thing.
- I saw your friend, whosis, at the shop.
- We need to get a signature from the department head, old whosis.
- "Who delivered the package?" "Oh, you know, whosis from next door."
- The entire plan was the brainchild of some bureaucratic whosis in the planning office.
- He launched into a convoluted anecdote involving his cousin and whatsisname—or whosis—from the rugby club.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: 'WHO is this?' but run together as 'WHO-SIS'.
Conceptual Metaphor
UNKNOWN PERSON IS A PLACEHOLDER TERM
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Not a direct translation of 'кто-то' (someone). It's more specific: a forgotten name, not an anonymous person.
- Avoid using where 'тот самый' (that one) would be used in Russian. It's more playful.
Common Mistakes
- Using it in writing (except dialogue).
- Using it to refer to oneself.
- Pronouncing it as /ˈwəʊsɪs/ (like 'whose').
Practice
Quiz
In which context is 'whosis' MOST appropriate?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, it is informal, colloquial language, bordering on slang. It is not appropriate for formal communication.
Yes, though it is slightly more common for people. For objects, 'whatsit' or 'thingamajig' are often preferred.
It is very rarely used in the plural. If necessary, 'whosises' or treating it as uncountable (e.g., 'all the whosis involved') might be used, but it's highly non-standard.
No, it is quite dated. You might hear it in older films or from older speakers, but terms like 'what's-his-name' or simply 'that guy' are more common in modern informal speech.