Names that become the product

[SwarfnStuff]

Reading the Sod/Silicate Bodge thread got the old grey matter wandering off on a tangent.
      Here's the gist of my mental meanderings,
  We refer to 'Masonite' when we mean compressed hardboard, the 'Thermos' when we mean a vacuum flask, 'Biro' when we mean ball point pen. Here in OZ Hoover is usually referred to as, 'the Vac', the motor mower will often be called, 'the victor'.
     There are obviously many others that will vary with country of postee but why not toss em in here and see what eventuates? I won't mention 'Nylon' when we mean polyamide. Oh, I just did  .

[appletree]

Conversely here in the UK vacuum cleaners are often referred to as Hoovers

[Will_D]

Nylon is named after New York and London as the polymer was discovered almost simulltaneously in those two cities.

[philf]

Nylon is named after New York and London as the polymer was discovered almost simulltaneously in those two cities.

An 'Urban Myth' I'm afraid. Invented (or discovered by Wallace Carothers working for Dupont) and no-one seems to be able to give a definite explanation for the name nylon.

Hoover is now in the dictionary with a small 'h' as a generic term for a vacuum cleaner but in a local shop I saw this taken a bit too far - they had in the window a vacuum cleaner with a price tag titled "Dyson Hoover".

Phil.

[Will_D]

Thanks Phil! There goes another cherished memory.

[lordedmond]

Biro  UK name for a ball point pen French I think

There are loads but most tend to be local



But the one that winds me up is the use of bulb for lamps , bulbs go in the garden lamps go in lamp holders

Have fun looking forwards to greater enlightenment

Stuart

Ps don't ask someone in the USA for a rubber    they know them as erasers not a London rubber product

[shipto]

Stanley knife means just about any utility knife with changeable blades

[shipto]

Nylon is named after New York and London as the polymer was discovered almost simulltaneously in those two cities.

An 'Urban Myth' I'm afraid. Invented (or discovered by Wallace Carothers working for Dupont) and no-one seems to be able to give a definite explanation for the name nylon.

Hoover is now in the dictionary with a small 'h' as a generic term for a vacuum cleaner but in a local shop I saw this taken a bit too far - they had in the window a vacuum cleaner with a price tag titled "Dyson Hoover".

Phil.

I was going to add in previous thread that Dyson may be taking the honours from Hoover but bet some will still say Dyson hoover lol

[vtsteam]

Scotch tape, generic here, though obviously of proprietary ancient Hibernian origin. 
saran wrap, hershey bar, vise-grips, kleenex, band-aid, xerox, photoshop, aspirin, dumpster, weedwhacker, crockpot, thermos, q-tip......

Though Stuart has meandered OT with illogical non-proprietaries, I won't stoop to that level myself by bringing up cramps, banjos, wireless sets (containing wires), or at least I'll claim not to...
Stuart, you must also hate the generality of the term "bulbous" even in your fair land. 

[wgw]

Just before someone else jumps in- Biro invented by Lazlo Biro.

[vtsteam]

I first heard Biro in Portugal, when someone asked me if I had one. I had absolutey no idea what he was talking about. 

If he'd only asked for a Bic! 

[appletree]

Stillsons or Stillies for any make of pipe wrench used in that way in the UK I rate "Record" Stillsons.

Mole Grips are the generic term for self grip locking pliers as in "Pass the Molies" my preferred make are Vise Grip as they are well made and have a good release mechanism. I have some Facom ones with a movable pivot point which are brilliant. 

[mcostello]

"Rubber" in America also means "Something for the weekend,Sir?" Your English is rubbing off on Me.

[NormanV]

I'll need to google that!

[awemawson]

I'll need to google that!

Best not to Norman, you'll be led astray 

[AussieJimG]

I just feel sorry for poor old Thos. Crapper and Co.

Jim

[SwarfnStuff]

Since I started this waffle I should comment a little perhaps? Vsteam, Scotch Tape - here the predominant brand was Durex which I am informed does not equate nicely in the USA, now it is usually, "pass the sticky tape".  Saran Wrap, - guess that would be Glad Wrap here, generic term = cling wrap, (Hang on, Not sure 'cling wrap' is not another brand?)  Kleenex, band-aid, are the same here, aspirin = generic term for "Aspro" the proprietary brand common here.  Appletree, Stillsons are the same here. NormanV. Google is now a verb as in, your post. Guess it's easier than saying, "I will have to put that into my favourite search engine"??           OH,  what have I started? 

[Lew_Merrick_PE]

My father was an Anglican Canonical Bishop.  We spent much of my very early childhood in England courtesy of an assignment.  When we returned to the U.S. we had to wait quite a while for our "stuff" to come across the pond by ship.  My sisters had been sent to stay with a family in my father's new parish during this period.  On the night before her first day of school, my sister asked to be knocked up at 6:30 -- and was sooo grateful when my father was assigned to a different parish a month or so later!

When I was working on a NASA project in the 1970's, requisitioning a Crescent wrench forced the purchasing department to buy only a Crescent brand wrench.  You quickly learned to order an adjustable wrench...

[vtsteam]

jello, super glue, post-it, simonize, spam, brillo pad, mickey mouse.....

[SwarfnStuff]

Ha, someone said - not sure whether here or another forum that we are people separated by a common language. It shows. Lew, knocked up here in OZ seems to equate with the US term. Steam, I guess jello = jelly = glutinous shimmery shivery desert? I do know that what you call jelly is jam to us = the result of boiling fruit, sugar and water till it sets on cooling. Super glue and post-it are the same. Simonize you will have to explain whilst spam could be either the tinned meat (a product) or unwanted electronic junk mail. I'm also guessing that a brillo pad is steel wool?  Mickey mouse?? Here, if something is Mickey Mouse it would be considered dodgy, iffy or susso = not up to acceptable standard.

[S. Heslop]

It gets weirder because a jelly is a kind of jam. Specifically a jam sieved to remove the lumps. And cookies are a kind of biscuit. And fries are a kind of chip!

[awemawson]

And marmalade in the UK is a jam made from oranges, whereas in France from whence the name comes, it is any fruit preserve.

[mattinker]

And marmalade in the UK is a jam made from oranges, whereas in France from whence the name comes, it is any fruit preserve.

Andrew,

Although marmelade is the French for marmalade, it's not very often called that. You can now buy marmalade in most large supermarkets, but this is relatively recent. In general, it is sold as "confiture d'orange", with the name marmalade in English on the label, it's a bit exotic. I might point out that marmalade can be other things in English lemon, ginger and mixes of the same. In France if you ask for "marmelade"  they will look at you strangely as it is a kind of "confiture" (jam) for the majority of people!

Regards, Matthew.

[AdeV]

For as long as I was at school in the 1980s, Liquid Paper was the generic term for correction fluid, until we caught up with the rest of the world and started using Tippex.

Around the same time, Uhu was synonymous with any kind of liquid glue, and a Pritt Stick was any kind of solid stick of glue, with a knob on the packet you turned to get more glue out. Sellotape still refers to any kind of sticky tape. Bic is either a ball-point pen, or a disposable safety razor.