# Brand names that changed in everyday usage **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 26, 2024, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brand-names-that-changed-in-everyday-usage/998123 "2024-02-26T22:02:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![commasense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/commasense/32/3017_2.png) [@commasense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/commasense)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2024, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brand-names-that-changed-in-everyday-usage/998123/63 "2024-02-28T00:28:50Z")
> [@Happytree](#): > > The other cheap beer, "Natural Light(Lite?), is referred to as “Natty Light”. I think they did embrace the nickname and print “Natty” on the cans at some point. It’s been a while since I’ve had to buy a beer that cheap, and memories from that era are foggy. Ha! Newcomers! Baltimore’s native beer, [National Bohemian](https://nationalbohemian.com/pages/our-story), has been called [Natty Boh](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Bohemian) for a century or more. It’s not clear from my brief Googling when it started, but it definitely originated with consumers, not the company. And the company, while acknowledging the term, doesn’t see to have firmly embraced it officially. This sticker is the only Natty Boh product i could find on the official website. None of their clothes there seem to use it. So I think Natty Boh meets the OP’s criteria. [![](https://nationalbohemian.com/cdn/shop/products/NBSTICKERSHEET2_900x.jpg?v=1653608603) ](https://nationalbohemian.com/cdn/shop/products/NBSTICKERSHEET2_900x.jpg?v=1653608603) ---
**Author:** ![SuntanLotion](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/suntanlotion/32/16165_2.png) [@SuntanLotion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SuntanLotion)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2024, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brand-names-that-changed-in-everyday-usage/998123/64 "2024-02-28T00:37:08Z")
You drink it and lose an eyeball? ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2024, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brand-names-that-changed-in-everyday-usage/998123/65 "2024-02-28T01:43:20Z")
Coca-Cola was trademarked in 1893. The nickname Coke wasn’t trademarked until 1945. For a half-century the company resisted using the nickname because they didn’t want their soft drink to be confused with the coke used in blast furnaces. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Bredin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/96bed5/32.png) [@John\_Bredin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Bredin)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2024, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brand-names-that-changed-in-everyday-usage/998123/66 "2024-02-28T02:15:10Z")
> [@aurora\_maire](#): > > The founder, Fred Smith, absolutely positively hated that. ISWYDT ---
**Author:** ![aurora\_maire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aurora_maire/32/328_2.png) [@aurora\_maire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aurora_maire)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2024, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brand-names-that-changed-in-everyday-usage/998123/67 "2024-02-28T03:15:38Z")
> [@John\_Bredin](#): > > ISWYDT I wondered if anyone would remember that. 😃 [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/G0_NAWMJL8Q/hqdefault.jpg "1981 Federal Express When it absolutely, positively has to be there overnight" TV Commercial") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G0_NAWMJL8Q) ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2024, 4:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brand-names-that-changed-in-everyday-usage/998123/68 "2024-02-28T04:48:40Z")
There’s a brand of malt liquor, Haffenreffer, whose bottles and cans designate their brew as “PRIVATE STOCK”. I have had occasion to hang out with people who drink it (although I don’t greatly care for it myself). Nobody calls it Haffenreffer. It is always, invariably, referred to as Private Stock. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2024, 11:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brand-names-that-changed-in-everyday-usage/998123/69 "2024-02-28T11:02:29Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > Depending on whether your were a kid when your nearest park was named “[Whatever]”, was recently renamed to “Six Flags over [Whatever]”, or had been called “Six Flags over [Whatever]” since before you knew they existed will determine what you think the “correct” name is. Magic Mountain in California became Six Flags Magic Mountain (no over). As I recall they were in bankruptcy over someone dying on one of the coasters because they were very overweight and the safety bar couldn’t be locked down and they flew off from a great height. Six Flags bought them out. Maybe not totally in the spirit of the OP but how about The Dope? ---
**Author:** ![74westy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/74westy/32/3950_2.png) [@74westy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/74westy)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2024, 12:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brand-names-that-changed-in-everyday-usage/998123/70 "2024-02-28T12:46:44Z")
> [@AHunter3](#): > > There’s a brand of malt liquor, Haffenreffer, whose bottles and cans designate their brew as “PRIVATE STOCK”. > > I have had occasion to hang out with people who drink it (although I don’t greatly care for it myself). Nobody calls it Haffenreffer. It is always, invariably, referred to as Private Stock. That reminds me that Jackson Browne’s eponymous album was not called “Saturate Before Using”. > **[Jackson Browne (album)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jackson_Browne_%28album%29)** > > Jackson Browne (also known, mistakenly, as Saturate Before Using) is the debut album of American singer Jackson Browne, released in 1972. It peaked on the Billboard 200 chart at number 53. Two singles were released with "Doctor, My Eyes", which peaked at number 8 on the Pop Singles chart, and "Rock Me on the Water", which reached number 48. > Browne had found minor success as a songwriter but had not yet obtained his own recording contract. After he sent a demo of "Jamaica Say You Will" to David... ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2024, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brand-names-that-changed-in-everyday-usage/998123/71 "2024-02-28T13:18:30Z")
> [@aurora\_maire](#): > > I wondered if anyone would remember that. 😃 That “absolutely, positively” tag line is utterly embedded in corporate-speak even to this day. And is also heavily used in the transportation industry, usually ironically about some clusterf\*\*\* of delay and confusion. It may well outlive FedEx itself. ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2024, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brand-names-that-changed-in-everyday-usage/998123/72 "2024-02-28T17:10:52Z")
How about Datsun turning into Nissan? ---
**Author:** ![furryman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/furryman/32/99_2.png) [@furryman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/furryman)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2024, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brand-names-that-changed-in-everyday-usage/998123/73 "2024-02-28T18:52:50Z")
That’s funny! There was a marketing campaign where some 7-11’s briefly changed their name to Kwik E Mart. Now I’m waiting to see if they actually change the signs on Japanese McDonald’s to WcDonald’s. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2024, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brand-names-that-changed-in-everyday-usage/998123/74 "2024-02-28T19:19:25Z")
> [@Ike\_Witt](#): > > How about Datsun turning into Nissan? Datsun was a brand used by Nissan for exports to certain markets. The US was the main one but that brand was discontinued in 1986. (We had a car bought around that time that had both labels on it.) It was used again for some other export markets but is now officially dead. Nissan has always been Nissan. This thread made me look up two companies to see if they fit. But no in both cases. Sears used to be known as Sears-Roebuck. The Roebuck got dropped on signage some time ago. Strangely, the company still goes by the full name. (They are down to 13 stores. So it will apparently officially end it’s life as Sears-Roebuck.) I thought United Parcel Service officially changed it’s name to UPS. Again, no. Do they use the full name in any consumer oriented signage or ads? ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2024, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brand-names-that-changed-in-everyday-usage/998123/75 "2024-02-28T19:32:38Z")
Note that “Datsun” refers to an older car brand in Japan, the DAT. They changed their name with a new model that was the son of DAT – DATson. It later changed to Datsun. ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2024, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brand-names-that-changed-in-everyday-usage/998123/76 "2024-02-28T19:55:47Z")
> [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](#): > > (There’s also “KFC” for Kentucky Fried Chicken, but they officially rebranded as “KFC”…) In the Palms neighborhood of L.A. there used to be a marijuana dispensary using the name Kindness For Cures, which had taken over a former KFC location. They kept some of the letters, which must have inspired the name to begin with. They’re still around, but now in a completely different neighborhood. ---
**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2024, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brand-names-that-changed-in-everyday-usage/998123/77 "2024-02-28T20:01:30Z")
> [@hibernicus](#): > > > [@DPRK](#): > > > > Isn’t it officially “Harrod’s Stores, Limited”? > > Maybe long ago, but not now. It’s Harrods Ltd, and the shop is called Harrods, with no apostrophe. > > Wm Morrison Supermarkets Ltd trades as Morrisons (sans apostrophe); J Sainsbury plc trades as Sainsbury’s (with apostrophe). We might parse that as “Harrod’s Stores” → “Harrods” for short. Same with “Morrison Supermarkets” → “Morrisons”. No idea what the official explanation is; what do they have to say about it? ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2024, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brand-names-that-changed-in-everyday-usage/998123/78 "2024-02-28T20:09:39Z")
Vons, a large grocery store chain, was originally Von’s. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2024, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brand-names-that-changed-in-everyday-usage/998123/79 "2024-02-28T20:20:57Z")
Back in college I knew the family that started Von’s. Mongo rich but nice folks. That was the first word in their multi-word Dutch surname. So named not so differently that e.g. Smith’s Plumbing. Once the family sold out the name was de-personalized. ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2024, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brand-names-that-changed-in-everyday-usage/998123/80 "2024-02-28T20:46:57Z")
> [@74westy](#): > > Volkswagen sedans were commonly called Beetles long before Volkswagen broke down and changed the name. I don’t recall calling VWs Beetles before the official name change, but I remember calling them _Bugs_. As in Slug Bug, the punching game (although for some reason, in my family, it was Bug Slug). Another one: Freddies for Fred Meyer. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2024, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brand-names-that-changed-in-everyday-usage/998123/81 "2024-02-28T20:50:22Z")
Not sure if this one really qualifies, but Lidl (pronounced something like lee-dl in Germany, where it was founded) was commonly prounouced ‘liddl’ in the UK when it came here; instead of trying to ‘correct’ this, they accepted it and ran with it - to the extent that their advertising uses the phrase ‘big on value, Lidl on price’ which sounds a bit like ‘Little on price’; they also named the homewares section of the store ‘The Middle of Lidl’ (which only works if it rhymes). UK Retail chain Wilkinson rebranded themselves Wilko, after this name was already common usage. Marks & Spencer was commonly called ‘Marks & Sparks’, and although they did not adopt this for their primary branding, they did name their loyalty card ‘Sparks’. ---
**Author:** ![FlikTheBlue](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fliktheblue/32/10972_2.png) [@FlikTheBlue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlikTheBlue)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2024, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brand-names-that-changed-in-everyday-usage/998123/82 "2024-02-28T20:57:58Z")
> [@AHunter3](#): > > When I was a kid in the 1960s it was referred to as “Six Flags Over Georgia”. I never heard anybody call it “Great Adventure” and the “Over Georgia” part was nearly always included. There was an even older one in Texas but those were the only two, I believe. Later, they opened one in Indiana or Illinois or thereabouts and it had the awkward title “Six Flags Over Mid-America”. > > The gimmick was that there really had been six flags that had officially flown there (definitely in Texas: Spain, Mexico, independent Texas, Britain, United States, and the Confederacy; it was more of a stretch to come up with six flags for Georgia — I think they counted France and the Georgia state flag which is kind of cheating) and I have no idea what they did for Mid-America. After that, when they added additional sites, there was no pretense or claim about six flags having flown there. The original was in Dallas. The competitor park in Houston was Astroworld, which if IIRC was bought out by Six Flags during the ‘90s. It was definitely still Astroworld when I went as a kid in the late ‘80s. And the six flags didn’t include Great Britain. It was France, in addition to the others you mentioned. Texas was never a part of the British Empire. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brand-names-that-changed-in-everyday-usage/998123.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brand-names-that-changed-in-everyday-usage/998123.md?page=5)