An Incomplete List of Eponyms

An eponym is proper noun that is used to refer to generic items. My recent blogs about Q-tips and Kleenex are prime examples of this.

In my opinion, the fact that we use a brand name as a generic term says a lot about the brand. It means it is ubiquitous, it is everywhere, it has clogged our brains to the point that we can’t even think about what the generic term is anymore!

For some companies, though, this is upsetting because it becomes more and more difficult to defend their trademark of the brand name. An interesting article on this can be found at the Vitamin IMC blog (which is written by students in the integrated marketing communications program at Northwestern).

Below are several examples of brand names and their generic counterparts. You can also test your knowledge of several eponyms by taking a brief quiz at Funtrivia.com.

The Semi-Official List of Eponyms
• Chapstick (lip balm)
• Xerox (copy machine)
• Band-Aid (adhesive bandage)
• Fridge or Fridgedaire
• Hoover (vacuum)
• Levis (jeans)
• Rollerblades
• Escalator (power-driven stair system)
• Coke (cola)
• Tampax (tampon)
• Kotex (tampon)
• Trojan (condom)
• Binki (pacifier)
• Post-its (self-stick removable reminder note)
• Jell-o (gelatin)
• Visine (eye drops)
• Frisbee (toy flying saucer)
• Google (to perform a web-based search)
• Kool-Aid (instant lemonade, soft drink mix)
• Scotch tape (cellophane adhesive tape)
• Popsicle (colored ice candy on a stick)
• White-out (typographical correction fluid)
• Styrofoam (extruded polystyrene foam)
• Velcro (hook and loop fastener)
• Thermos (thermal insulated flask)
• Hi-lighter (pen-style highlighting marker)
• Listerine (antiseptic mouth wash)
• Saran wrap (plastic food storage wrap)
• Jeep (compact sport-utility station wagon)
• Vicks (nasal decongestant cream)
• Webster’s (pocket or desk reference dictionary)
• Alka-Seltzer (effervescent antacid)
• Spam (smoked pork and ham loaf)
• Bisquick (instant pancake mix)
• Cheerios (toasted oats)
• Rice Crispies (toasted rice cereal)
• Twizzlers (strawberry-flavored licorice)
• Lycra (nylon spandex)
• Cool-whip (whipped cream topping)
• Pepsi (soda pop)
• Tylenol (acetaminophen tablets)
• Halls (cough drops)
• Lego (plastic building blocks)
• Rolodex (rotary card file)
• Vaseline (petroleum jelly)
• Muzak (elevator music)
• Pop Tart (toaster pastry)
• Walkman (handheld radio cassette player)
• Aspirin
• Yo-yo
• Zipper
• AstroTurf (fake grass)
• Breathalyzer (device to test level of drunkenness)
• Brillo Pads (cleaning pads)
• Hula-Hoop
• Jacuzzi (whirlpool hot tub)
• Jockey Shorts (underpants)
• Magic Marker (semi-permanent marker)
• Ping-Pong (table tennis)
• Play-doh (modeling clay)
• Slim Jim (packaged beef stick)
• Super Glue (adhesive glue)

Related Links
Vitamin IMC blog
FunTrivia.com
Answerbag.com
Database of American Proprietary Eponyms
The Straight Dope

Cotton swabs, tissue and shortening - Part I

There are many products called only by their brand name, even if we’re buying generic. This includes Q-tips, Kleenex, and Crisco, among others. Is it the ubiquitous nature of the brand and its advertising or something yet more sinister at work here?

Q-tips

The name “Q-tips” came from the inventor of cotton swabs, Leo Gerstenzang. Few people know, however, that the original name of the product was Baby Gays. In 1926, Gerstenzang changed the name to Q-Tips Baby Gays to make it more marketable.

Eventually, the “Baby Gays” portion of the name was dropped to promote the idea that cotton swabs are for the whole family, not just babies. Maybe it’s a good thing they dropped that part of the name, too. Just imagine if we called all cotton swabs “Baby Gays!”

But what does the “Q” stand for? According to many sources, the Q in “Q-tips” stands for quality. The company later took advantage of this (for a very limited time) with the marketing of a kit of baby-care products called “Q-things.” These included “Q-Talc,” “Q-Soap,” “Q-Oil,” “Q-Cream,” and “Q-tips.”

A 1953 lawsuit filed by the Q-tips company against Johnson & Johnson argued that J&J’s use of the term “Johnson’s Cotton Tips” violated the Q-tips trademark. Although no money was awarded to Q-tips for this suit, it was deemed that Q-tip is a trademarked term and cannot be used in any shape or form in the name or packaging of a product developed by another company.

The report from this case states that

“there is no doubt that “Q-tips” is a proper trademark unless it [serves] as either a generic name for the goods or a designation descriptive of them.”

Although the general public uses “Q-tips” as a generic term for cotton swabs, the term itself is unique enough to maintain its “trademark” status.

Next time, I will go more into tissues and shortening. For the sake of shortness, of course, I end here.

Related Links
Pitara Kids Network
Q-tips.com
Openjurist.org
Answerbag.com