Finnegan pin

n. a non-existent part or tool; a thing whose name is forgotten or unknown; a doo-dad or thingamajig. Subjects: English

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Citations: *1938-39 A.T. Rosen @ Brooklyn, N.Y. Lexicon of Trade Jargon “Gas Station Slang”: Finegan pin…[struck] a vague expression to cover the fact that something in the car in [ sic] wrong but not yet exactly known, a whosis, etc. Its [ sic] akin to the slang expression, A paper-stretcher, or left-handed pencil.[end struck text] Non-existent auto part which mechanic blames for trouble he cannot locate. 1941 Los Angeles Times (Jan. 13) “Psst…Here’s That Man Again” (in advert.) p. A12: It seems they wanted to remove my carbon and install new Finnigan pins all around and now I’m so healthy I’ve got Johnny Weissmuller scared striped about his Tarzan work. 1968 @ DARE (1991) Frederic Cassidy, Joan Houston Hall, et al. p. 420-21: Finnegan pin…A nonexistent object used as the basis of practical jokes.…A finnegan pin in the muffler gear. 1998 Merton R. Hubbard Choosing a Quality Control System (Dec. 9) p. 75: Don’t pay any attention to any of that fun stuff. We’re here tomake Finnegan Pins; if they want fun, they can do it on their own time. 1999 Denis Hamill N.Y. Daily News (June 29) “Nuts Over Assembly Instructions At My House” p. 5: To put the fan together, first you must hacksaw through the bolts of an overhead grate, crawl through the 18-inch rat-infested duct, attach the back fan guard to the steel Finnegan pin, descend a six- story greased drainpipe, outrun six Rottweilers.

Posted 22 Aug 05 | Permalink | Tell a Friend