What is the difference between a Gadget, a Gizmo, a Contraption and a Doohickey?
from asg101@lemmy.ca to nostupidquestions@lemmy.ca on 26 Jun 17:52
https://lemmy.ca/post/46884329

Does anyone know?

#nostupidquestions

threaded - newest

originalucifer@moist.catsweat.com on 26 Jun 17:55 next collapse

syn·o·nym
/ˈsinəˌnim/
noun
noun: synonym; plural noun: synonyms

a word or phrase that means exactly or nearly the same as another word or phrase in the same language, for example shut is a synonym of close.

SincerityIsCool@lemmy.ca on 26 Jun 17:59 collapse

Synonyms aren’t necessarily interchangeable. Asking about the distinctions is a good question.

originalucifer@moist.catsweat.com on 26 Jun 18:06 collapse

and yet; sometimes they are 100% interchangeable and asking for distinctions is not a good question.

SincerityIsCool@lemmy.ca on 26 Jun 18:09 next collapse

That is a very sad way to think of language.

originalucifer@moist.catsweat.com on 26 Jun 18:09 collapse

literally

discostjohn@programming.dev on 26 Jun 18:23 next collapse

It’s too bad there isn’t a community where you could ask a question that you realize is probably stupid, but still want an answer for

asg101@lemmy.ca on 26 Jun 18:29 collapse

And yet another yet, the comm description is: “There is no such thing as a Stupid Question!”.

SincerityIsCool@lemmy.ca on 26 Jun 18:05 next collapse

Just going by memory of usage pattern:

Gadget: a small (at least usually small enough to be carried around and utilized by a single person) piece of technology for a specific, often niche use. Eg, “go go gadget shark-repelant spray gun!”

Contraption: a device, often jury rigged or prototyped, built to serve some particular purpose. Eg, “I built this here contraption to dig us a way out of here”

Doohickey: A word used refer to a contraption or other piece of technology that the speaker does not understand, or does not know the purpose of, especially to emphasise that lack of understanding. Eg, “they’re gonna ‘beam’ us out of here with that doohickey.”

Not sure about gizmos.

Edit: examples

asg101@lemmy.ca on 26 Jun 18:25 next collapse

Thank you kind person!

SincerityIsCool@lemmy.ca on 26 Jun 18:36 collapse

It was a fun question! Thanks for asking it

bizarroland@fedia.io on 26 Jun 20:10 collapse

I think gadgets and gizmos are in the same general category, but gadgets tend to be more mechanically operated and gizmos tend to be more electrically operated.

Like a wrist-mounted crossbow would be a gadget, whereas a wrist-mounted laser would be a gizmo.

kamenlady@lemmy.world on 26 Jun 18:28 next collapse

Gizmo is no hydrohomie, that’s all i know.

A Gizmo is also a Gadget, but with a forgotten or unknown name.

2fm@lemmy.world on 26 Jun 22:48 collapse

I may be wrong but I think each of their descriptions scale differently depending on how much skookum they have.