GWD: Doodad and Doohickey

A doodad (and its cousin, the doohickey) are so fucking gnomish that you're likely to sprout a pointy hat just saying them.

doo·dad

Pronunciation: \ˈdü-ˌdad\

Function: noun

Etymology: origin unknown

Date: 1888

1 : an ornamental attachment or decoration
2 : an often small article whose common name is unknown or forgotten: gadget

doo·hick·ey

Pronunciation: \ˈdü-ˌhi-kē\

Function: noun

Inflected Form(s): plural doo·hickeys also doo·hickies

Etymology: probably from doodad + hickey

Date: 1914

Again, we see the evolution of the language, with Victorians to blame for the "doodad" and then some whimsical gnomish linguistic dead-ender coming up with "doohickey" in a vain attempt to keep the word alive to vex and confound the 20th Century (which, all things being said, wasn't necessarily the most whimsical era in human history).

You can already see a pattern with the gnomish words -- an emphasis on gadgetry and a kind of addle-brained forgetfulness, like pointing at some arcane object and stammering out with increasing exasperation: "Fetch me that whatchamacallit! You know, the doodad! The thingamajig! The doohickey!"

Also, notice the ineffably ornamental quality of "doodad" -- it's a tip of the pointy hat to pointlessness, which is, and always will be at the heart of the gnomish soul.