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Recently a friend of mine was telling me that he loves sushi; it’s his favorite food, he said. So I said, what kind of sushi? Oh, he said, y’know, negamaki, udon, shabu-shabu, avocado rolls…
As you smart readers probably know, none of what he rattled off is technically sushi. Sushi is rice topped with raw fish. I guess it could be a roll, too, but even sashimi, which is the fish without the rice, isn’t really sushi.
This got me thinking how we often use one word as a substitute for another. Sushi has come to mean Japanese. Likewise, people will ask for a Kleenex when they want any old tissue, or a Q-tip when they’ll really take any cotton swab you offer them.
It’s an interesting phenomenon. If you go to a dinner party and ask for a Coke, you’ll get whatever cola they’ve got in the fridge. Chances are, you won’t ask for a cola, right?
What other words stand-in for a host of other words? It’s the interactive part of the Wrap, folks. Have fun with it…
“Popsicle” is one.
It’s less common than it used to be, but people sometimes say “Xerox” instead of “photocopy.” So, that’s an interesting one since the noun became both a generic term and a verb.
posted by Seth on 7-6-2007 at 2:25 am
And “Band-Aid.”
posted by Seth on 7-6-2007 at 2:27 am
Google. People will say they are googling something, even if they use another search engine.
posted by megaera on 7-6-2007 at 2:31 am
“Thermos” and “Scotch tape” come to mind.
posted by Karen on 7-6-2007 at 2:52 am
Your sushi example is quite different from all the other examples here, because sushi isn’t a trademark. In this case, it’s either laziness or ignorance that means that people use the term inappropriately (or the fault of people who have marketed all Japanese finger food as “sushi”).
There are millions of examples where people use a trademarked term in place of the generic term: Hoover, Rawl plugs, Internet Explorer is “the internet” for most people, and all of the other examples above. We could be here all day.
posted by Pete on 7-6-2007 at 3:00 am
“Zip-lock”
“coffee” for just about any caffeinated beverage in a take out cup -espresso, tea, mocha, blended drinks.
posted by Liz on 7-6-2007 at 4:15 am
“Xerox” for any copy machine.
Also, in some parts of the world, “Frigidaire” (General Electric’s first refrigerator) is used as a generic name for a fridge.
posted by Zzzbla on 7-6-2007 at 5:06 am
“Ski-Doo” in reference to any snowmobile
posted by Frank S. Besner on 7-6-2007 at 5:30 am
“Weed Eater” gets used for any string trimmer. And in my house, any small disposable cup, no matter who manufacturers it, is a “dixie cup”
posted by Corey P on 7-6-2007 at 5:45 am
“Pampers” for diapers.
I’ve weaned myself off many of these, but I have a hard time asking for an “adhesive bandage” when I am bleeding.
In Italian, “Scotch tape” has become so ingrained in the language that the word for such tape is “lo scotch.” Same with cream cheese; it’s called “philadelphia” in Italy.
posted by Pica on 7-6-2007 at 6:18 am
After reading Writers Digest for many years I have developed the habit of using the generic term for things. You can’t imagine the looks when I ask for a cross-tipped screw driver or a facial tissue. Try it sometime. Try NOT using the brand names.
posted by Vince on 7-6-2007 at 7:01 am
As a kid, the jingle went….
“I am stuck on Band-Aid and Band-Aid’s stuck on me”.
Now the jingle goes…
“I am stuck on Band-Aid brand and Band-Aid’s stuck on me”.
It’s all about the trademark.
posted by KJ on 7-6-2007 at 7:06 am
From my youth: Magic Marker for any felt-tip pen, Sanka for any decaf coffee; nowadays: Rollerblades for any inline skates, iPod for any mp3 player.
posted by Karen on 7-6-2007 at 7:19 am
Q-tips for cotton swabs. and in the South: if you ask for a Coke at someone’s house, you will be asked what kind (i.e. Sprite, Dr. Pepper, Pepsi, whatever, they’re all Coke.)
posted by mri on 7-6-2007 at 7:32 am
Jet ski for personal water craft (pwc). Tupperware for any plastic container that holds leftovers. Also, I think the British use “hoover” for any vacuums, and it’s a verb there too. At least, that’s what I remember from Bridget Jones’ Diary.
posted by lebetho on 7-6-2007 at 8:25 am
How about Aspirin, probably the original brand name but was taken away when it became the word for that little white pill.
posted by j34567 on 7-6-2007 at 9:10 am
Sushi is ALL about the rice, properly prepared, it need not be topped by “raw fish” or anything else, to be sushi.
posted by JB on 7-6-2007 at 9:12 am
Vince- my Japanese coworker refers to screwdrivers as “plus” and “minus” rather than cross-tipped or flat head. So simple, but no one here does it.
posted by lebetho on 7-6-2007 at 9:24 am
Bubbler for water fountain. Bubbler was a brand name of water fountains made in southern Wisconsin. It’s still used in Milwaukee, as well as a few other far flung places (I can vouch for Milwaukee, the rest you’ll have to trust Wikipedia on.)
posted by frumpiefox on 7-6-2007 at 9:30 am
Curry. I guess it’s the opposite from the other examples, but curry means “sauce.” Yet it’s used to describe a specific style of sauce.
And I guess the same can be said for “salsa.” The word means sauce, not specifically the style of salsa gringos are used to. In Latin America, if you want ketchup, you can ask for “salsa de tomate.”
posted by Jenny on 7-6-2007 at 9:46 am
A few years ago I got sick of servers at restaurants asking me if “Pepsi is OK” when I asked for Coke. Now I always order “Cola”. Trouble is, staff usually still confirm that the brand they have is acceptable. I just can’t win!
posted by Mike D on 7-6-2007 at 10:19 am
Jell-O for any kind of gelatin. Polaroid for any automatically produced photograph.
Wikipedia has some other examples of “Genericized Trademarks.”
posted by Chris on 7-6-2007 at 10:49 am
The oddest one that I know of is Dumpster. Yep, its a trademark.
posted by Simon on 7-6-2007 at 11:25 am
I don’t know if I believe all the stuff I’ve heard over the years about every soft drink being called “Coke” in the South. While that brand is certainly the most prevalent (and the best, and I’m including Coca-Cola Classic and all of its children and cousins), I always hear people asking for (and this is phrase I use myself) “soft drinks” for general usage and specific names for the specific drinks. “Soda” is unwelcome, and “pop” is downright strange.
And of course, the best pronunciation of “Coca-Cola” is “Co-cola,” which is rare but well-liked, at least by me.
posted by Drew on 7-6-2007 at 12:14 pm
Most of mine are covered above.
Don’t forget Jacuzzi for a hot tub.
posted by priscilla on 7-6-2007 at 12:20 pm
Eh, I live in the South and we very much use Coke for every soda. For example:
“Hey, can I have a coke?”
“Sure. What kind?”
“I’d like a Sprite.”
It works perfectly well down here.
posted by Aemi on 7-6-2007 at 12:50 pm
I didn’t know that about bubblers! I was born in Wisconsin, and moved to New Hampshire as a kid. I know that my parents, and others from WI, call drinking fountains Bubblers. And in New England people call them Bubblahs (with the accent, of course). But I now go to school in Ohio and everyone looks at me like I’m crazy when I say I’m going to get a drink at the bubbler.
posted by Amy on 7-6-2007 at 1:05 pm
The process you described is called ‘genericide’ and it’s the bane of trademark lawyers everywhere.
posted by Melissa on 7-6-2007 at 1:36 pm
Sharpies for felt-tip markers.
posted by Ryan on 7-6-2007 at 2:49 pm
Well I use “Rubbermaid” for any large plastic storage container.
And as a cheapo…all noodle soup things are “Ramen”
And the whole southern way of asking for a soda by asking for a “Coke” is just annoying…ask for exactly what you want!
posted by Jesse on 7-6-2007 at 3:37 pm
La-Z-Boy is used to describe just about any type of Recliner…
posted by Liz on 7-6-2007 at 3:59 pm
On a note more akin to the original example, I call all pasta spaghetti, regardless of shape (except all elbow-shaped pasta is macaroni). Likewise, I’ve noticed many people calling any Chinese noodle chow mein.
posted by Amanda on 7-6-2007 at 8:21 pm
Don’t forget Elevator and Escalator - both brand names.
posted by Catherine on 7-6-2007 at 9:18 pm
Many people use trademark switching for all their hygenie products….
I.E.
Tampax for any tampon
Maxi Pad for any panty liner
Scope for any mouthwash
Also true of foods…….
I.E.
Cool Whip for any whipping cream
Mac N’ Cheese for any brand elbow noodles with cheese
Jiffy for any peanut butter
And clothes…..
I.E.
Hanes for underwear
I don’t think this list will ever end….
posted by goodgriefgirl on 7-7-2007 at 7:50 am
Dumpster is a little-known trademarked term.
posted by Audrey on 7-7-2007 at 10:17 pm
Along the lines of “salsa” and “curry” being specific rather than a general term for sauce: “Queso” - means cheese, but in the States it’s just that stuff we occasionally put on tortilla chips.
posted by Holly on 7-7-2007 at 10:55 pm
Dang it. Dumpster was mine.
posted by Pointy-Hatted Geek on 7-8-2007 at 2:18 pm
In Egypt all soft drinks are called Peps (as in Pepsi).
posted by Begora on 7-8-2007 at 5:59 pm
At my first newspaper job, I was surprised to get a stern letter from the Jaws of Life company after I wrote a caption saying EMTs used the Jaws of Life to rescue two car accident survivors. I did know that Jaws of Life is a trademark, and I capitalized it; what I didn’t know is that there are knockoffs, and the gizmo in the photo was a knockoff. They weren’t happy I’d applied their trademark to a knockoff.
To this day I don’t know what to properly call the generic versions. “Auto-accident extraction devices”?
posted by Karen on 7-8-2007 at 7:08 pm
Being from Michigan, we always called our soft drinks “pop” which works great for me, but living in the South now I’m always at a loss for what to ask for. Because of the ‘all soft drinks are Coke’ phenomenon I’ve taken to asking “do you have Coke or Pepsi” before making my decision, as I like Diet Coke and not Diet Pepsi…
And the iPod thing drives me nuts, being one of the people who has an MP3 player that is NOT made by Apple. I love my Nomad and it drives me nuts if people say “iPod” for all players.
posted by SB on 7-8-2007 at 7:21 pm
A couple people have said that ‘Coke’ is used for all soft-drinks in the south. I live in NC, and I’ve never heard it used in that context. The general term around here is ’soda’ (never ‘pop’), and when you ask for a Coke, you get a Coca-cola. If a restaurant carries Pepsi products, they’ll tell you.
Same with say, Sprite and Sierra Mist. My brother usually orders Sprite, and the last several times we’ve eaten out, he’s been told all they had was Sierra Mist. So, yesterday he ordered a SM, and was asked if Sprite was okay.
Others:
~Jell-o for any gelatin dessert
~Advil for any brand Ibuprofen (Motrin is another, but it is a generic name as well as a brand name)
~Benadryl for anything with diphenhydramine in it (the trademark is owned by Pfizer)
Also worth noting is the difference between a taco in the States and the original Mexican taco, which is supposed to be on a soft tortilla shell.
posted by scoobnut on 7-8-2007 at 11:26 pm
I went to my garage to get a certain tool and realized “Hey, Channellocks fits this thread!”
What my dictionary calls “arc joint pliers” are commonly called “Channellocks” which is a brand name.
Then there’s “Vise-Grips” (a brand name) that everybody seems to call their locking pliers.
posted by Tdave on 7-9-2007 at 3:15 am
“Coke” isn’t used as a generic term for soft drinks as often (or as widely) as it once was in the south. I grew up in Georgia in the 1970s, and it was widespread. But by the time I moved north in the 1990s, it wasn’t as common.
I presume it was more common in Georgia since that’s where Coca-Cola was invented, and thus the oldest people might have remembered a time when Coke was the only carbonated beverage available (or at least the predominant one).
But yes, I remember this type of conversation many times growing up:
“I’m fixin’ to run down to the store. Can I get you something?”
“Sure, a Coke.”
“What kind?”
“Mountain Dew.”
posted by Sandy on 7-9-2007 at 6:04 am
Just to add my vote to the poll, I grew up & still live in Texas, & I’ve always called all softs drink cokes. If I want an actual Coca-cola, I’ll ask for a Coca-cola (although to be honest, RC is way better).
posted by Evan on 7-9-2007 at 10:31 am
On the Southern “Coke” thing: If what you want is the actual brand, just ask for a “Co-Cola” (its how we hayseeds pronounce Coca-Cola)
Duck Tape is a brand of duct tape. But how can you tell to which a person is referring when speaking? Yellow pages is another. They keep trying to differentiate brands, but everyone says yellow pages.
Completely off topic - Thanks for using my quote for the “Happy Hour” post. I feel kinda honoured to have helped inspire the new name, : )
posted by Allison on 7-9-2007 at 9:57 pm
The favorite swimsuit of men who should not wear them, aka the Speedo, is trademarked; as is the Drumstick ice cream cone.
posted by Sarah on 7-9-2007 at 11:53 pm
Whoever left the explanation of “bubbler,” thank you! I started going to school in Milwaukee last year, and the bubbler phenomenon totally baffled me. It all makes sense now!
posted by Kaitie on 7-16-2007 at 2:10 pm
How about Levi’s for any kind of jeans?
posted by Kim on 8-28-2007 at 1:57 pm