Thingo is Australian and New Zealand slang for an unspecified object, like "thingamajig." "Pass me the thingo." Not concerning, just regional vocabulary. If your kid uses it constantly, ask them where they first heard it, not to police their speech but to understand which online community they are in. Most slang of this kind moves through TikTok and group chats, so seeing it in your child's vocabulary just means they are plugged into normal teen internet culture.
thingo
(Australia) A thingamajig; something the name of which is unknown or cannot be recalled.
ˈθɪŋɡoʊDocumented since 1980s1980sGen XhistoricalHistorical322 viewsLast reviewed Jun 29, 2026＋ Add a definition
Etymology timeline
Born ~1980 · 1 year of recorded useGen X eraSee decade cohort →
Definitions
Australia
#1·Apr 27, 2026AUS
(Australia) A thingamajig; something the name of which is unknown or cannot be recalled.
For parents
Thingo is Australian and New Zealand slang for an unspecified object, like "thingamajig." "Pass me the thingo." Not concerning, just regional vocabulary. If your kid uses it constantly, ask them where they first heard it, not to police their speech but to understand which online community they are in. Most slang of this kind moves through TikTok and group chats, so seeing it in your child's vocabulary just means they are plugged into normal teen internet culture.
For ESL learners
Thingo is Australian and New Zealand English informal noun meaning an unspecified or unnamed object. Use in casual Antipodean contexts. Formal equivalents: "thing," "thingamajig," "whatchamacallit." Common non-native mistake: confusing with the standard "thing" (which is more general). Thingo specifically signals "I don't remember the name" or "the thing I'm gesturing at." Read or listen to the word in context several times before trying it yourself; the right register is harder to learn than the dictionary meaning.
Heard in the wild
“[Skip to main content](https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/dec/20/the-teenies-the-worst-decade-in-history-what-was-the-defining-thingo#maincontent) [Skip to navigation](https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/dec/20/the-teenies-the-worst-decade-in-history-what-was-the-defining-thingo#navigation) This article is more than **6 years old** # The Teenies: the worst decade in history?”
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For specific readers
Why is this section here?
Slang is read by different audiences for very different reasons. The For parents view re-explains the term in plain, non-judgemental language so a caregiver can understand what their child means without needing the surrounding subculture. The For English learners view focuses on register (when it's safe to use), formal alternatives, and common mistakes — what a textbook won't teach you.
Used in
Australia
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🇦🇺About Australian & NZ slang slang
Aussie and Kiwi vocabulary — bogan, daggy, brekkie, sheila, bach, jandals — the whole Antipodean lexicon, including outback dialect, surf and beach culture, and Sydney/Melbourne street slang.
See all Australian & NZ slang slang on Slangora.
Tags
Other words near "thingo" (T)
thickiethickshakethigthighed upthingthingmything of nothingthink the sun shines out of someone's arsethird-date rulethird island chainthird wheelthirlage
Browse all slang words starting with T.
Related terms
People also read
Semantically related
- thingmy69%
(informal, chiefly, _, Scotland) A thingy; a non-specific object or gadget.
- bizzo67%
(AU, NZ, countable, slang) An item whose name has been forgotten; a thingumajig.
- object thingy64%
(Internet slang, chiefly, _, object show or logo community) A word found in a username where a user appears to have an objectsona, or a slang term described for a new object character.
- gizmo62%
(slang) Something, generally a device or gadget, whose real name is unknown or forgotten.
- doober61%
(US, slang) A thingamajig; a whatchamacallit.