whatsisname
That guy, um...
Whatsisname is a placeholder for a man's name you can't recall or don't care to specify: I ran into whatsisname from accounting.
The word captures the sound of "what's his name" spoken quickly.
Variants include whatshisname and the feminine whatsername.
All suggest casual speech and mild dismissiveness—you're not bothering to remember.
Placeholder for forgotten name
- thingamajigPlaceholder for unnamed objects
- so-and-soPlaceholder for someone unspecified
- John DoePlaceholder for unidentified males
- Jane DoePlaceholder for unknown woman
Joe Bloggs · such-and-such · blank · fill-in · stand-in · substitute · proxy · dummy
Memory retrieval failure state
- forgottenNo longer recalled
- blankingErasing or forgetting
- memory lapseBrief forgetting episode
- drawing a blankUnable to remember
slipped my mind · recognition · fuzzy · hazy · vague · familiar · niggling · mental block
Casual, everyday language
- casualRelaxed and informal
- conversationalRelating to informal dialogue
- slangInformal in-group vocabulary
- vernacularEveryday regional speech
familiar · chummy · offhand · breezy · relaxed · folksy · everyday · unpretentious
whatshisface
Placeholder for forgotten name
- thingamajigPlaceholder for unnamed objects
- so-and-soPlaceholder for someone unspecified
- John DoePlaceholder for unidentified males
Jane Doe · Joe Bloggs · such-and-such · blank · fill-in · stand-in · substitute · proxy · dummy · filler
tip-of-the-tongue
Memory retrieval failure state
- forgottenNo longer recalled
- blankingErasing or forgetting
- memory lapseBrief forgetting episode
drawing a blank · slipped my mind · recognition · fuzzy · hazy · vague · familiar · niggling · mental block
colloquial
Casual, everyday language
- casualRelaxed and informal
- conversationalRelating to informal dialogue
- slangInformal in-group vocabulary
vernacular · familiar · chummy · offhand · breezy · relaxed · folksy · everyday · unpretentious · friendly