silent stinker
n.— «“There’s a filing deadline when legislative sponsors can propose new legislation,” said Harper. “In order to get around the filing deadline, they can file a shell bill, which is like a placeholder, that they can fill it in at later date.” “We euphemistically refer to shell bills as ‘silent stinkers’ because they’re extremely hard to track,” she said. “A shell bill can, quite literally, turn into just about anything with very little notice. That makes it very hard for citizens to voice their opinions and concerns in a thoughtful, thorough or timely manner.”» —“Foundation targets proliferation of ’shell bills'” by Sara Kennedy Bradenton Herald (Florida) Mar. 15, 2009. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
If you’re looking for a placeholder when you can’t remember someone’s name, there’s always whats-her-bucket. Or try using the Newfoundland catch-all term buddy, as in buddy wasisname. This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Whats-Their...
Don from San Mateo, Florida, recalls that when he asked his mother what he was getting for Christmas, she’d reply with: I got you a fastareus. It’s bigger than a breadbox and smaller than an elephant. His father also used fastareus as a placeholder...