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OT: Things we call by one brand name, despite of the actual brand.


Rubbertoe

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I'm not sure how it came up, but some friends of mine were recently discussing things that despite of whatever brand name they might be - they are all referred to as one particular brand's product. Some more often than others, and some terms may be regional, so there may be a bit of debate about these.

 

I'll list the ones we thought of... please add any others that you can come up with.

 

Kool Aid

Cheez Whiz

Band Aids

Q-Tips

Post It Notes

Kleenex

Ziplock Baggies

Tater Tots

Magic Markers

Tupperware

 

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Here are some I've heard people use to mean the category, vs. the specific product:

 

In England, you'll hear "Hoover" for vacuum cleaner.

 

In my grandmother's (RIP) house, you used to hear the "Frigidaire" for the refrigerator - even after hers had long been replaced.

 

In some sense, you could say "Personal Computer" which IBM had at the start, I believe.(I may be wrong here)

 

Caterpillar or "cat" (for construction equipment)

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There is a reason people call it a FRIDGE!

 

Frigidaire is an American icon...a name people instantly recognize and associate with reliability and performance.

 

We invented the first self-contained refrigerator and 100 years later, we are still pioneering the leading innovations in the major appliance industry.

 

Frigidaire has always meant quality and dependability, but today it also means beauty, convenience, and efficiency.

 

Frigidaire...Built for Generations! icon_cool.gif

 

When they want rain, native Americans do a dance. When I go geocaching, it rains. Is there a link?

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Lots of good replies... ones that I hadn't thought of, and some that I was like "DOH! Of course!" when I read it. I mean... Jello, duh... has anyone anywhere ever called it flavored gel dessert product? I can't believe neither me or my friends thought of that one. *laugh*

 

Although... I'm not aware of "chicken" "eggs" and "duct tape" as being trademarked or copyrighted or whatever by a specific company. I'm guessing those were jokes, but "eggs" was mentioned twice. Any further info on those are appreciated. icon_smile.gif

 

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Started searching the web. These things are called proprietary eponyms.

 

An eponym is a general term used to describe from what or whom something derived its name. Therefore, a proprietary eponym could be considered a brand name (product or service mark) which has fallen into general use.

 

Here are a bunch more as well as a list of proprietary terms that lost their trademark status from being used generically too long.

 

Active Trademarks Often Used Generically

 

Alka Seltzer

AstroTurf

Band Aid

Beer Nuts

Benzedrine

Boogie Board

Breathalyzer

Brillo Pad

BVDs

Chapstick (Chap Stick)

Cheerios

Coke (Coca Cola)

Cola (Coca Cola)

Cool-Aid (Kool-Aid)

Cuisinart

Demerol

Ditto Machine

Dixie Cups

Dumpster

Erector Set

Fiberglass (Fiberglas)

Fig Newtons

Freon

Frisbee

Green Stamp

Hacky Sack

Hi-lighter (Hi-Liter)

Hoover

Hula-Hoop

Jacuzzi

Jeep

Jello (Jell-O)

Jockey Shorts

Kitty Litter

Kleenex

Laundromat

Levi's

Life Savers

Mace

Magic Marker

Novocain

Parcheesi (replacing the generic word "Pachisi")

Ping Pong (replacing the generic term "Table Tennis")

Play-Doh

Plexiglas

Polaroid

Pop Tart

Popsicle

Post-It Note

Q-Tip

Rollerblade

Roller Derby

Scotch Tape

Scrabble

Sellotape

Sheetrock

Skivvies

Styrofoam

Super Glue

Teflon

Teleprompter (TelePrompTer)

Teletype

Teva

Thermos

TV Dinner

Tylenol

UNIX

Valium

Vaseline

Velcro

Walkman

Welcome Wagon

White Out (Wite-Out)

Wiffle Ball

Windbreaker

X-Acto Knife

Xerox

 

Defunct Trademarks Used Generically

 

Aspirin

Brassiere

Cellophane

Celluloid

Corselet (Corselette)

Escalator

Granola

Gunk

Heroin

Jungle Gym (Junglegym)

Kerosene

Linoleum

Mimeograph

Pogo Stick (Pogo)

Saran Wrap

Shredded Wheat

Tabloid

Yo-yo

Zipper

 

"We will add your biological and technological distinctiveness to our own. Your culture will adapt to service us. Resistance is futile. We are the Borg."

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quote:
Originally posted by Rubbertoe:

CHEATER!!!

 

icon_razz.gif

 

Actually, thanks for finding that out... I figured that someone, somewhere must have done the same thing we are doing here - and made a web page out of it. I just wasn't sure how to go about finding it.

 

http://home.columbus.rr.com/rubbertoe/flag.gif http://home.columbus.rr.com/rubbertoe/webcam/index.html

 

Did a Yahoo search on "kleenex xerox jello" figuring that any page that was about the topic would have those three examples. From there, I found what they were called and then did a new search on that.

 

"We will add your biological and technological distinctiveness to our own. Your culture will adapt to service us. Resistance is futile. We are the Borg."

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quote:
Originally posted by BrianSnat:

quote:
Durex for any make of condom.

Actually we called any condom a Trojan.

 

_"You can't make a man by standing a sheep on its hind legs, but by standing a flock of sheep in that position, you can make a crowd of men" -Max Beerbohm_


 

what about rubbers?

 

Cache you later,

Planet

 

Two Wrongs Don't Make A Right, But Three Lefts Do.

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quote:
Originally posted by Eeyore/Shadow:

leave it to the borg to define everything and take all the fun out of living. LOL

 

Eeyore

 

It took a GPS to get me away from technology.


 

That's what they all say BEFORE they are assimilated! icon_wink.gif

 

"We will add your biological and technological distinctiveness to our own. Your culture will adapt to service us. Resistance is futile. We are the Borg."

 

[This message was edited by GoldKey on November 28, 2002 at 10:37 AM.]

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GPS. People use 'GPS' a lot to refer to their little hand held receiver. It's pedantic I know, but GPS means Global Positioning System. That little thingie in your hand is not a whole system, just a receiver, so GPSr is a better name.

 

Also petrol over here in the UK (Gas in the states). The stuff we put in our cars is petroleum distillate. Petrol is a trademark of (IIRC) Shell back in the 30's.

 

--

**Mother is the name of God on the lips of all children**

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I used to know a Cathy "Hooker". If you knew her, you'd have no doubt how that would fit in icon_biggrin.gif

 

Also, in the electical field, flexible metal conduit is often called "Greenfield", named either after the original or most popular producer. It's also called "spaghetti" by some people.

 

Some people are like Slinkies . . . not really good for anything, but you still can't help but smile when you see one tumble down the stairs.

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TO be completely pedantic, we use the term "PC" to refer to any Intel (or compatible, like AMD) based computer. The term PC is/was actually a specific IBM model, the IBM Personal Computer. Which later grew up into the Personal Computer XT (for eXtra Technology, like the addition of hard drives, I think), and AT (Advanced Technology).

 

----------

Do not answer a fool according to his folly, lest you be also be like him.

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Many Canadians (my Mom included) refer to their couch/sofa as a Chesterfield. Apparently this was a brand at one time. On that note - how many of you refer to your recliners as Lazy-boys? Quite a few I'll bet. icon_wink.gif

Even more obscure - I referred to my drafting templates as a "Leroy" set even though they were K&E. All draftspeople refer to the lettering as 'Leroy lettering'. (It's a dying art)

 

-Donna G

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