Is anyone here a linguist?

[Watcher]

Ok, this might be easier to ask if I preface this with portmanteau, which is the term that describes a word made by sticking two other words together, like "motel" (motor-hotel) or "brunch" (breakfast-lunch).  But what I want to know is if there is a term for the words you use to substitute for something you don't know?

For example, "Doohicky" or "Flappy-doodle."

I was trying to ask a convenience store attendant if they stocked the candy bar "WhatChaMaCallIt", and she kept thinking I just forgot the name of the candy bar and was asking me to describe it.  It took me longer than you'd think to explain that "WhatChaMaCallIt" was the name of the candy-bar, not a ____________ (a substitution for the name of the candy-bar).

Does anyone know this?

[qcbaker]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Placeholder_name

I know you might be looking for something more "formal" sounding, but placeholder names are what I've always called them and that seems to be what Wikipedia calls them too. However, these types of words could also be considered Nonce Words, since they most likely originated as one-off words or phrases to solve a problem of communication (the problem in this case being that you don't know the actual noun for the thing you wish to refer to).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nonce_word

[ShowBizWolf]

I'm guilty of saying silly crap like, "I was in my garage looking for the uhm... whatsitcalled... thingy-thing... you know..." and then I think of what it is

[yamahonkawazuki]

Called oldtimers disease. Aka a brain fart. The dumaflotch etc.
Aaron

[jpfeiffer14]

a cunnilinguist? 

[ShowBizWolf]

hehehe... 

[Watcher]

I know you might be looking for something more "formal" sounding, but placeholder names are what I've always called them and that seems to be what Wikipedia calls them too.

That's disappointing.  None the less, thanks for the help 

a cunnilinguist? 

Well, you may be a "cunning linguist" but I'm a "master debater"...

[ShowBizWolf]

lolololololololololol