Genericide

[Arch Stanton]

Always described as sticky back plastic on Blue Peter

Nope, that was Fablon.

 

 

[Cardinal Richelieu]

15 hours ago, Gnash said:

'chapstick' (lip balm stick)

 

Does that mean @djchapsticks is going to have to change his name to djlipbalmsticks? Doesn't have quite the same ring. 

Also, I'd argue that the opposite happens to what Aim Here is suggesting. Having your trademark name synonymous with your type of product, I'd imagine, is pretty much the pinnacle of marketing. 

Just as an aside, I wonder if Microsoft employees are required to use the word Bing as a verb instead of Google? 

[Mark Connolly]

1 hour ago, Cardinal Richelieu said:

Does that mean @djchapsticks is going to have to change his name to djlipbalmsticks? Doesn't have quite the same ring. 

Also, I'd argue that the opposite happens to what Aim Here is suggesting. Having your trademark name synonymous with your type of product, I'd imagine, is pretty much the pinnacle of marketing. 

Just as an aside, I wonder if Microsoft employees are required to use the word Bing as a verb instead of Google? 

Having read his posts, djbamstick would suffice.

[Gnash]

2 hours ago, Cardinal Richelieu said:

Does that mean @djchapsticks is going to have to change his name to djlipbalmsticks? Doesn't have quite the same ring. 

 

He doesn't have to, but he's going to look damned foolish if he doesn't.

[coprolite]

When I was a child, parents would offer children "coke", by which they meant generic own brand cola.

I would never do this to my kids but will call their generic tablets "ipads".

I'm also disgracefully cavalier about geographical origin marks and will refer to Italian style hard cheese as "parmesan" without batting an eyelid. 

Society is broken

[Sortmeout]

20 hours ago, Gnash said:

Being a pedant I always like to pick people up on their use of trademarked names in a generic way (for example, doing the 'hoovering' rather than vacuum cleaning).  So I was disgusted with myself when I slipped into the trap myself, looking for 'lycra' shorts, only to find that Lycra is a brand name and the correct generic name is spandex.

Without much else to do on New Year's Day morning, before the rest of the family were up, I had a think about other examples of this creeping moral degradation, and came up with:

'to google' (internet search)

'xerox' (photocopy)

'biro' (ball point pen)

'band aid' (plaster)

'poma' (a type of ski tow)

'velcro' (sticky, rippy fastener things, you know what I mean)

'photoshop' (amend digital images)

'post-it' (sticky note)

'bubble wrap' (air-padded wrapping)

'jacuzzi' (hot tub)

'chapstick' (lip balm stick)

'roller blades' (in line skates)

'tipp-ex' (correction fluid)

'frisbee' (flying disc)

'plasticine' (modelling clay)

That's just what I came up with in 15 minutes of boredom.  What other examples of genericide can you think of?  Let's spread the word so as many people as possible know the correct generic term and can avoid embarrassment.  Or some pedantic busybody like me poking their nose in.

 

I’ve only read down to Miguel Sanchez’s (??) fantastic reply but I assume someone has already touched on the point you’ve clearly copy/paste this from an American website?

Who the f**k says Xerox instead of photocopy in the UK? 

[SlipperyP]

Tarmac & Philips screwdrivers

 

[Shotgun]

1 hour ago, Sortmeout said:

Who the f**k says Xerox instead of photocopy in the UK? 

I can't remember the last time I heard anyone say Xerox in the US, tbh. People either say photocopy or scan.

[BFTD]

4 hours ago, SlipperyP said:

Tarmac & Philips screwdrivers

I thought Philips was the generic term for a cross-cut screw head. Obviously patented too, but is there another term?

Don't say Posidrive; that's different again.

[D.A.F.C]

I thought Philips was the generic term for a cross-cut screw head. Obviously patented too, but is there another term?
Don't say Posidrive; that's different again.

Yeah, I guess they're not actually made by Phillips but I've always called them this.
Pozi has added wee notches between the four main slots dont they?

[Gnash]

7 hours ago, Sortmeout said:

I’ve only read down to Miguel Sanchez’s (??) fantastic reply but I assume someone has already touched on the point you’ve clearly copy/paste this from an American website?

Who the f**k says Xerox instead of photocopy in the UK? 

Where did I say this was limited to the UK?  I've picked up 'xeroxing' from American TV.  

[Sortmeout]

2 hours ago, Gnash said:

Where did I say this was limited to the UK?  I've picked up 'xeroxing' from American TV.  

Seems legit.

[Venti]

5 hours ago, D.A.F.C said:

Yeah, I guess they're not actually made by Phillips but I've always called them this.
Pozi has added wee notches between the four main slots dont they?

Illuminati!

[Theroadlesstravelled]

“Google it”.

I use the superior Bing search engine.

[SlipperyP]

7 hours ago, BigFatTabbyDave said:

I thought Philips was the generic term for a cross-cut screw head. Obviously patented too, but is there another term?

Don't say Posidrive; that's different again.

cruciform, cross-head, cross-point, yep nobody calls them that.

Edited January 5, 2020 by SlipperyP