A fun little thread for a Monday afternoon. Can you think of brand names that have become so popular that we use them to describe the product group they are in rather than the product? For example:
Frisbee: A trademark name of Wham-o Inc. When was the last time you asked a friend if they wanted to play Ultimate Flying Disc? Or maybe go play some Flying Disc Golf?
Kleenex: Maybe not as in our vocabulary as much as Frisbee. Some people do definitely say, 'please pass me a tissue', but hearing someone ask for a Kleenex is probably just as common.
Dumpster: Yup! A registered trademark name originally owned by 'Dempster-Dumpster or Dempster Brothers Inc., to describe a 'mobile garbage bin'. This difference was popularly satirized once on The Simpsons.
(paraphrased)
Bart: Otto-man, you're living in a Dumpster?
Otto: I wish! Dumpster brand bins are top of the line! This is just a TrashCo waste disposal unit...
Aspirin: This would have been far more in our lexicon 25 years ago, before all sorts of new pain relievers and brands came out and people developed personal favorites. But people still often say 'Do you have any Aspirin?' and of course the popular line, 'take two Aspirin and call me in the morning'. What makes this case especially interesting is that Bayer actually lost their trademark on it after WW1. (They also lost another trademark name for another one of their popular drugs... heroin) Since then they have regained the trademark in many countries. But there are still places where you'll find the word Bayer on the brown shield on the package instead of the word Aspirin.
Band-Aid: Do you ask for a bandage? Or a Band-Aid?
I have a list of others, but I'll throw them in a spoiler tag in case anyone wants to play along.
Brand names more recognizable then their product names..
