# 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:** 4
**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, 11:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-this-stuff/483389/61 "2009-01-29T11:35:04Z")
> [@SanVito](#): > > ‘Sticky back plastic’ was the large sheets of clear sticky stuff they’d use to cover things with. And in Aus we call that **Contact**..used primarily to cover school books and other miscellany of somewhat more importance than your average Mills’n’Boon novella. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2009, 12:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-this-stuff/483389/62 "2009-01-29T12:06:26Z")
> [@guizot](#): > > 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. Well there is more than _two_ answers in the thread and I honestly didn’t know what a Yank would call it. There’s also the revelation that “sticky back plastic” isn’t in fact sellotape! ---
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2009, 12:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-this-stuff/483389/63 "2009-01-29T12:07:32Z")
> [@kambuckta](#): > > And in Aus we call that **Contact**..used primarily to cover school books and other miscellany of somewhat more importance than your average Mills’n’Boon novella. > > 😛 It’s called contact here too. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2009, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-this-stuff/483389/64 "2009-01-29T15:31:29Z")
> [@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. It’s made to fit on a larger dispenser > **[WaresDirect.com is for sale | HugeDomains](https://www.hugedomains.com/domain_profile.cfm?d=waresdirect.com)** > > Secure the right domain name for your business or website today. Custom tailored payment plans available to fit any budget. and then proportionally, it looks like Scotch tape. [http://www.instawares.com/magic-tape-with-3in-core-1-2in-x-2-592in-8101225921-2-x-2592-3m-invisible-invisible-magic-mag.mmm810122592.0.7.htm](http://www.instawares.com/magic-tape-with-3in-core-1-2in-x-2-592in-8101225921-2-x-2592-3m-invisible-invisible-magic-mag.mmm810122592.0.7.htm) ---
**Author:** ![bluecanary](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bluecanary/32/3614_2.png) [@bluecanary](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bluecanary)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2009, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-this-stuff/483389/65 "2009-01-29T15:33:13Z")
It’s a roll of sellotape ---
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2009, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-this-stuff/483389/66 "2009-01-29T15:37:04Z")
Ok next question 🙂 Do you say aitch or haitch for H? ---
**Author:** ![zweisamkeit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zweisamkeit/32/4360_2.png) [@zweisamkeit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zweisamkeit)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2009, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-this-stuff/483389/67 "2009-01-29T15:57:19Z")
I’d probably just call that “tape” because, like a couple others have said, it’s yellow tinged. I usually say “scotch tape” but that’s only for the clear/whitish tape. Yellow isn’t scotch tape. And I say aitch. ---
**Author:** ![bluecanary](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bluecanary/32/3614_2.png) [@bluecanary](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bluecanary)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2009, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-this-stuff/483389/68 "2009-01-29T16:09:07Z")
aitch ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2009, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-this-stuff/483389/69 "2009-01-29T18:19:34Z")
South African - _sellotape_ if it’s that yellowish colour, otherwise _magic tape_ if it’s the totally transparent kind. I also think of _magic tape_ as usually coming on those snail-shaped plastic holder/cutter things (so, “scotch tape” by other definitions), whereas _sellotape_ is in the big, cheap rolls. > [@An\_Gadai](#): > > It’s called contact here too. Here too ---
**Author:** ![Hockey\_Monkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a183cd/32.png) [@Hockey\_Monkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hockey_Monkey)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2009, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-this-stuff/483389/70 "2009-01-29T18:23:16Z")
Canine Follicle Cast-off Remover. Or just tape. ---
**Author:** ![constanze](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f9ae1b/32.png) [@constanze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/constanze)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2009, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-this-stuff/483389/71 "2009-01-29T20:07:05Z")
I’d call it Tesa (or [Tesafilm](http://www.tesa.de/)), and translate to English as Scotch tape, because that’s what I read most. ---
**Author:** ![TroubleAgain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e480ec/32.png) [@TroubleAgain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroubleAgain)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2009, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-this-stuff/483389/72 "2009-01-29T21:57:53Z")
> [@Acid\_Lamp](#): > > Tape or Scotch tape. > > Other types of tape are referred to by brand or usage: Masking tape, painter’s tape, duct tape, electrical tape, etc… Same. ---
**Author:** ![jali](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ecae2f/32.png) [@jali](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jali)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2009, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-this-stuff/483389/73 "2009-01-30T01:34:20Z")
If I’m wrapping gifts, I call it, “where did I put it?” Tape. ---
**Author:** ![glee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b5a626/32.png) [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2009, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-this-stuff/483389/74 "2009-01-30T01:47:43Z")
I’ve been calling it Sellotape (not cellotape :smack: ) for 50 years. Mind you I still use ‘Marathon’ for ‘Snickers’ and ‘Opal Fruit’ for ‘Starburst’… ---
**Author:** ![madrabbitwoman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c37758/32.png) [@madrabbitwoman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madrabbitwoman)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2009, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-this-stuff/483389/75 "2009-01-30T04:02:44Z")
Sticky tape or youstupidsonofamotherlessgoat if I cannot find the end. The sticky is looking like an Aussieism at the moment. ---
**Author:** ![Cazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cazzle/32/75_2.png) [@Cazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cazzle)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2009, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-this-stuff/483389/76 "2009-01-30T05:02:01Z")
Sticky tape, but the s/cellotape thing must have some sort of presence here because I knew that term too. I remember smiling at the Spellotape from the first Harry Potter book. ---
**Author:** ![El\_DeLuxo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_deluxo/32/9043_2.png) [@El\_DeLuxo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_DeLuxo)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2009, 5:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-this-stuff/483389/77 "2009-01-30T05:06:01Z")
Strapping tape. ---
**Author:** ![Nametag](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nametag/32/406_2.png) [@Nametag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nametag)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2009, 8:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-this-stuff/483389/78 "2009-01-30T08:21:59Z")
I’m not entirely consistent; mostly I’ll just say “tape,” sometimes “scotch tape.” I rarely see anything but 3M’s Scotch brand Magic Tape, or some other brand of the same thing, so I will occasionally refer to this as “invisible tape,” especially if I particularly need invisible tape for the job. Otherwise, I don’t distinguish between them (I have yet to see a job for which basic glossy plastic tape is actually better, unless it’s a thicker tape). The wider, thicker tape is packing tape. If someone asked me for strapping tape, I’d probably offer some reinforced packing tape [like this](http://pakage.com.au/aus/images/Filament%20Tape.jpg). Adhesive bandages are “Bandaids,” I say “aitch,” and sticky-back plastic I’d call – if I ever had a reason – self-laminating film, I guess. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2009, 8:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-this-stuff/483389/79 "2009-01-30T08:40:16Z")
The rolls looked large so I would call it clear packing tape. ---
**Author:** ![AppallingGael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b9bd4f/32.png) [@AppallingGael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AppallingGael)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2009, 9:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-this-stuff/483389/80 "2009-01-30T09:58:01Z")
> [@gigi](#): > > I was watching an As Time Goes By and they were referring to what I would call a Band-Aid but they used some complicated term\* to avoid a brand name Was the awkward synonym an intended joke? Because “bandage” seems simple and obvious to me. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-this-stuff/483389.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-this-stuff/483389.md?page=5)