# Trademark product names that became VERBS **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 13, 2008, 12:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trademark-product-names-that-became-verbs/449157 "2008-05-13T12:51:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Brown\_Eyed\_Girl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/brown_eyed_girl/32/3574_2.png) [@Brown\_Eyed\_Girl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brown_Eyed_Girl)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2008, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trademark-product-names-that-became-verbs/449157/63 "2008-05-19T20:02:13Z")
Related to googling, I’ve had people tell me to MapQuest directions. Frankly, I much prefer to GoogleMap my directions, but to each his own, eh? ---
**Author:** ![It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/it_s_not_rocket_surgery/32/312_2.png) [@It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/It_s_Not_Rocket_Surgery)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2008, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trademark-product-names-that-became-verbs/449157/64 "2008-05-19T20:11:46Z")
No one else has mentioned “to spam”? ---
**Author:** ![Merhouse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5a626/32.png) [@Merhouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merhouse)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2008, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trademark-product-names-that-became-verbs/449157/65 "2008-05-19T20:21:50Z")
[QUOTE=missred] For those of us old enough to recall its distinctive odor in school hallways, mimeograph. > **[Mimeograph](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mimeograph)** > > A mimeograph machine (the term often being abbreviated to mimeo), sometimes called a stencil duplicator or stencil machine, is a low-cost duplicating machine that works by forcing ink through a stencil onto paper. The process is called mimeography, and a copy made by the process is a mimeograph. > Mimeographs, along with spirit duplicators and hectographs, were common technologies for printing small quantities of a document, as in office work, classroom materials, and church bulletins. For even ... [/QUOTE] OMG, I used to LOVE the smell of freshly made “dittos” 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Washoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ecae2f/32.png) [@Washoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Washoe)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2008, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trademark-product-names-that-became-verbs/449157/66 "2008-05-19T20:39:01Z")
PayPal. ---
**Author:** ![Sigmagirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c89c15/32.png) [@Sigmagirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigmagirl)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2008, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trademark-product-names-that-became-verbs/449157/67 "2008-05-19T20:42:38Z")
There is a dog grooming tool called a Furminator; a lot of corgi owners say they “furminate” their dogs. ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2008, 9:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trademark-product-names-that-became-verbs/449157/68 "2008-05-20T09:27:19Z")
As I understand it, Xerox doesn’t even make photocopiers anymore. There are a number of others like this, where the genericked trademark refers to something no longer made by the company that owns the trademark. But what about those (not just verbs, but any genericked trademark) that never had a relation at all to the product with that trademark? Spam (which was mentioned somewhere on the first page of this thread) is one, of course. Another is Oreo, a rather dated term once used by blacks to disparage other blacks for being “too white”, is another. Can anyone think of any others? ---
**Author:** ![essell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/34f0e0/32.png) [@essell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/essell)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2008, 11:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trademark-product-names-that-became-verbs/449157/69 "2008-05-20T11:23:24Z")
[QUOTE=Washoe] PayPal. [/QUOTE] And of course eBay. “What should I do with my old phone?” “Just eBay it. You should get £20 for it.” As a side issue, at College with used to “C-O” things. Someone created a program called C0 that performed a common function, which became a verb. ---
**Author:** ![Miscue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8491ac/32.png) [@Miscue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miscue)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2008, 12:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trademark-product-names-that-became-verbs/449157/70 "2008-05-20T12:30:02Z")
I know I’ve ‘_duct taped_’ things before. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2008, 12:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trademark-product-names-that-became-verbs/449157/71 "2008-05-20T12:42:49Z")
[QUOTE=dtilque] As I understand it, Xerox doesn’t even make photocopiers anymore. [/QUOTE] Your understanding is incorrect. See this [page](http://www.office.xerox.com/copiers/enus.html) for information on Xerox copiers. (Now I don’t think anyone makes traditional copiers anymore. The new ones are basically a scanner strapped to a laser printer, while the old ones charged the drum directly from the original document.) ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2008, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trademark-product-names-that-became-verbs/449157/72 "2008-05-20T18:48:23Z")
[QUOTE=Miscue] I know I’ve ‘_duct taped_’ things before. [/QUOTE] There is a brand called Duck® Tape. I don’t know if “duct tape” was a trademark. The promotion spots for the Duct Tape Council on \*Prairie Home Companion \* are fictional. “Duct Tape. It’s almost all you’ll ever need.” ---
**Author:** ![Miscue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8491ac/32.png) [@Miscue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miscue)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2008, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trademark-product-names-that-became-verbs/449157/73 "2008-05-21T00:52:41Z")
[QUOTE=AskNott] “duct tape” was a trademark. [/QUOTE] To be honest I’d never recalled that it was, either; just had the thought floating around in my head. But a look on Google shows that 3M/Scotch has no problem calling their product that: [http://www.3m.com/intl/ca/english/centres/home\_leisure/duct\_tape/index.html](http://www.3m.com/intl/ca/english/centres/home_leisure/duct_tape/index.html) ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2008, 12:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trademark-product-names-that-became-verbs/449157/74 "2008-05-22T12:40:56Z")
I started this thread, and finally I think of the lyrics to “Rainbow High” from Evita I came from the people, they need to adore me So Christian Dior me * * * I’m their product, it’s vital you sell me So Machiavell me * * * I’m their savior, that’s what they call me So Lauren Bacall me [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trademark-product-names-that-became-verbs/449157.md?page=3)