Trademark product names that became VERBS

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?

No one else has mentioned “to spam”?

OMG, I used to LOVE the smell of freshly made “dittos” :smiley:

PayPal.

There is a dog grooming tool called a Furminator; a lot of corgi owners say they “furminate” their dogs.

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?

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.

I know I’ve ‘duct taped’ things before.

Your understanding is incorrect. See this page 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.)

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.”

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

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