Da kine is an expression in
Hawaiian Pidgin (Hawaii
Creole English), probably derived from "the kind", that usually functions
grammatically as a
placeholder name (compare to
English "whatsit" and "whatchamacallit"), but can also take the role of a
verb,
adjective, or
adverb. Unlike other placeholder names in English, however, which usually refer specifically to a device ("gizmo" or "
widget"), person ("so-and-so"), or place ("Anytown, USA"), "da kine" is general in usage and could refer to anything from a person to an abstract concept. It can be used to refer to something nonspecific, or given enough context (especially when used in conversation between native speakers of the dialect) to something very specific. As such, it appears to be unique among
English dialects, at least in its centrality to everyday speech.