# What do YOU call this stuff? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 28, 2009, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-this-stuff/483389 "2009-01-28T16:08:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Alienhand](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8edcca/32.png) [@Alienhand](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alienhand)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2009, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-this-stuff/483389/41 "2009-01-28T19:50:09Z")
I call it: 2901114 - Tape, cellophane film, pressure sensitive adh, .5W 2901115 - Tape, cellophane film, pressure sensitive adh, .75W 2901116 - Tape, cellophane film, pressure sensitive adh, 1W 2901117 - Tape, cellophane film, pressure sensitive adh, 1.5W Scotch tape 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2009, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-this-stuff/483389/42 "2009-01-28T19:50:26Z")
> [@emilyforce](#): > > I think [Scotch](http://solutions.3m.com/wps/portal/3M/en_US/home_office/home/product_information/transparent_tapes/) sells cheaper yellowish (acetate) tape too; the non-yellow, invisible type sold in a green tartan package is their “[Magic Tape](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magic_Tape)”. Yes they do. It’s not that dark of a yellow though. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2009, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-this-stuff/483389/43 "2009-01-28T19:53:02Z")
It’s a Unidirectional Bonding Strip. ---
**Author:** ![melodyharmonius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/melodyharmonius/32/21310_2.png) [@melodyharmonius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/melodyharmonius)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2009, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-this-stuff/483389/44 "2009-01-28T19:54:34Z")
Usually I say, “Hey can you hand me the stuff in that thingy over there? I gotta fix this so I can hand it to the dude for that guy.” ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2009, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-this-stuff/483389/45 "2009-01-28T19:57:32Z")
> [@emilyforce](#): > > “[Elastoplast](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elastoplast)” is the brand name and “sticking plaster” the generic term for what Americans usually call a “[Band-Aid](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Band-Aid)” or “[bandage](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sticking_plaster)”. Ah, they **did** say Elastoplast! I thought it was a great name for it. ---
**Author:** ![Girl\_From\_Mars](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3da27b/32.png) [@Girl\_From\_Mars](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Girl_From_Mars)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2009, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-this-stuff/483389/46 "2009-01-28T20:16:44Z")
Sticky tape. ---
**Author:** ![WotNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e19b73/32.png) [@WotNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WotNot)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2009, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-this-stuff/483389/47 "2009-01-28T20:26:52Z")
> [@Dead\_Cat](#): > > Sellotape, which I am aware is a brand name but for me has the same status as “Hoover” or “Xerox”. I would be quite prepared to believe that programmes on the BBC (such as _Blue Peter_) used “sticky-backed plastic” as an alternative, to avoid mentioning the brand name (the BBC has, or perhaps had, very strict rules on advertising), but for the fact that I thought “sticky-backed plastic” was that clear stuff with paper backing that has gridlines on it, and when you peel the paper backing off you can stick it to something - like a cheap laminate. Am I making sense? Well, it’s not necessarily clear (it comes in all sorts of colours and patterns), but that is what it is, yes – self-adhesive vinyl. To be precise, what they used on Blue Peter was [Fablon brand,](http://ukwallpaper.co.uk/products/fablon-sticky-back-plastic.htm) which these days is marketed as “The sticky back plastic”. ---
**Author:** ![Sonnenstrahl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/82dd89/32.png) [@Sonnenstrahl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sonnenstrahl)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2009, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-this-stuff/483389/48 "2009-01-28T22:47:24Z")
Scotch tape or just tape, though having a British mother, cellotape sounds fine as well. According to wikipedia, there’s a pejorative origin of the term Scotch tape - I figured that, but have never really thought about it before. Not pejorative in modern usage, I assume. Though I take it it might cause confusion to use the term in the UK? I first read one of the Harry Potter books aloud to a kid I was babysitting, and there was a mention of Spellotape. I do know the word Cellotape and I have a low humour threshold so I found it hilarious. The kid just looked at me blankly. So clearly the term is unfamiliar here. ---
**Author:** ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2009, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-this-stuff/483389/49 "2009-01-28T22:50:37Z")
Tape or box tape. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2009, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-this-stuff/483389/50 "2009-01-28T22:50:50Z")
Tape. The stuff in the picture doesn’t look like scotch tape to me, because it’s so big. I’ve never seen scotch tape that was a roll of more than a couple inches in diameter. It’s not postal tape either, because it’s too narrow. I guess it could be packing tape, not that I’ve heard people say that often. ---
**Author:** ![Labrador\_Deceiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7c8e57/32.png) [@Labrador\_Deceiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labrador_Deceiver)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2009, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-this-stuff/483389/51 "2009-01-28T23:35:40Z")
> [@elfkin477](#): > > Tape. The stuff in the picture doesn’t look like scotch tape to me, because it’s so big. I’ve never seen scotch tape that was a roll of more than a couple inches in diameter. It’s not postal tape either, because it’s too narrow. I guess it could be packing tape, not that I’ve heard people say that often. Yeah, that doesn’t look like scotch tape to me. [This](http://lh6.ggpht.com/markjmwilson/R5PY9gGEDBI/AAAAAAAAAbI/weQlrLVdOE0/s800/Scotch-Tape-Roll) is scotch tape. ---
**Author:** ![Springtime\_for\_Spacers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Springtime\_for\_Spacers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Springtime_for_Spacers)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2009, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-this-stuff/483389/52 "2009-01-28T23:57:29Z")
> [@Dead\_Cat](#): > > Sellotape, which I am aware is a brand name but for me has the same status as “Hoover” or “Xerox”. I would be quite prepared to believe that programmes on the BBC (such as _Blue Peter_) used “sticky-backed plastic” as an alternative, to avoid mentioning the brand name (the BBC has, or perhaps had, very strict rules on advertising), but for the fact that I thought “sticky-backed plastic” was that clear stuff with paper backing that has gridlines on it, and when you peel the paper backing off you can stick it to something - like a cheap laminate. Am I making sense? OMG I’m not the only one then. I always thought it was that Fablon stuff too and my Mum said it was too expensive – which if it was just sellotape doesn’t make sense. So where does this idea that thye meant sellotape come from? ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2009, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-this-stuff/483389/53 "2009-01-29T01:20:34Z")
If it’s small and colorless (either clear or matte), Scotch tape. If it’s large and brown, packing tape. ---
**Author:** ![Mudshark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f04885/32.png) [@Mudshark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mudshark)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2009, 9:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-this-stuff/483389/54 "2009-01-29T09:04:17Z")
Tape or packing tape. Am I the only one who prefers the cheaper looking shiny “acetate” tape? ---
**Author:** ![guizot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guizot/32/3636_2.png) [@guizot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guizot)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2009, 9:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-this-stuff/483389/55 "2009-01-29T09:40:46Z")
The OP makes me want to start a thread like this: “What side of the road do YOU drive on?” and then wait for the dozens of posts with their surprising answers. ---
**Author:** ![CairoCarol](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cairocarol/32/3825_2.png) [@CairoCarol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CairoCarol)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2009, 10:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-this-stuff/483389/56 "2009-01-29T10:33:05Z")
Used to call it “Scotch tape” but years of living abroad have converted me to “sellotape.” ---
**Author:** ![Mudshark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f04885/32.png) [@Mudshark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mudshark)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2009, 10:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-this-stuff/483389/57 "2009-01-29T10:54:43Z")
Watching AbFab got me to start calling shopping carts trolleys. ---
**Author:** ![SanVito](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sanvito/32/2805_2.png) [@SanVito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanVito)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2009, 11:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-this-stuff/483389/58 "2009-01-29T11:01:37Z")
> [@Small\_Clanger](#): > > \*unless they were obliged to call it _sticky back plastic_. Point of order for the Blue Peter watchers here, you’re getting confused. ‘Sticky back plastic’ was the large sheets of clear sticky stuff they’d use to cover things with. What we (UK) call Sellotape (brand name), Blue Peter would call ‘sticky tape’ (can’t mention brands on the BBC, oh no). ---
**Author:** ![jabiru](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/bbce88/32.png) [@jabiru](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jabiru)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2009, 11:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-this-stuff/483389/59 "2009-01-29T11:27:14Z")
Sticky tape. ---
**Author:** ![kambuckta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/53a042/32.png) [@kambuckta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kambuckta)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2009, 11:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-this-stuff/483389/60 "2009-01-29T11:32:34Z")
Sticky tape. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-this-stuff/483389.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-this-stuff/483389.md?page=4)