# Why does Britain call so many items after their people while Americans favor descriptive names? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 13, 2017, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-britain-call-so-many-items-after-their-people-while-americans-favor-descriptive-names/798764 "2017-10-13T23:49:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Okrahoma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/90db22/32.png) [@Okrahoma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Okrahoma)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2017, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-britain-call-so-many-items-after-their-people-while-americans-favor-descriptive-names/798764/21 "2017-10-14T21:44:29Z")
> [@markn\_1](#): > > It seems to me that there are plenty of words common in American English that are named after people. Do you have some evidence that this is more common in British English? > > Botts’ dots, Bowie knife, Braille, cardigan, Colt revolver, Dewar flask, diesel engine, doppler radar, Ferris wheel, Franklin stove, fresnel lens, Gallup poll, gatling gun, geiger counter, graham cracker, guillotine, Hammond organ, Heimlich maneuver, jacuzzi, Josephson junction, leotard, Mason jar, Melba toast, Molotov cocktail, Moog synthesizer, morse code, petri dish, phillips screwdriver, Sam Browne belt, saxophone, shrapnel, Stirling engine, Tesla coil, theremin, Uzi, vernier scale, Wankel engine. Woulda been nice to finish that list with Zamboni. For completeness’ sake. ---
**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2017, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-britain-call-so-many-items-after-their-people-while-americans-favor-descriptive-names/798764/22 "2017-10-14T23:01:49Z")
> [@dstarfire](#): > > Can you point me to some more info about that, please? I’m always curious to see how common practices (i.e. the stuff that just works, somehow) get encoded into law. > **[Generic Trademark: Everything You Need To Know](https://www.upcounsel.com/generic-trademark)** > > Generic trademarks are common terms used to name products or services, for example, a brand of shoes called "shoes." These marks don't qualify for protection. > **[Generic trademark | Trademark erosion](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Generic_trademark#Trademark_erosion)** > > Trademark erosion, or genericization, is a special case of antonomasia related to trademarks. It happens when a trademark becomes so common that it starts being used as a common name and the original company has failed to prevent such use. Once it has become an appellative, the word cannot be registered any more; this is why companies try hard not to let their trademark become too common, a phenomenon that could otherwise be considered a successful move since it would mean that Nintendo is an exa... ---
**Author:** ![Melbourne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5e925/32.png) [@Melbourne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Melbourne)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2017, 8:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-britain-call-so-many-items-after-their-people-while-americans-favor-descriptive-names/798764/23 "2017-10-15T08:04:07Z")
When I was involved with Medical Education (in the 80’s) , Americans were much more likely to use terms like “Lou Gehrigs Disease” for Motor-Neuron disease / ALS. At that time, Australians and the English were dropping existing medical eponyms, and were not creating any new ones. Americans at that time were still creating new ones. ---
**Author:** ![Filbert](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/filbert/32/3433_2.png) [@Filbert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Filbert)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2017, 8:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-britain-call-so-many-items-after-their-people-while-americans-favor-descriptive-names/798764/24 "2017-10-15T08:32:06Z")
> [@dstarfire](#): > > We could be getting close to root of my confusion here. Technically/legally, a “band aid” is called an “adhesive bandage” (unless it’s made by a the company that owns the trademark on the term “band aid”). However, as you’ve noted the general public doesn’t always respect trademarks. So, are ‘wellies’ and ‘macs’ technically called something else (that most people know but don’t use in everyday conversation), in that same manner? For those particular cases, Wellington is generic; there was never a ‘Wellington’ boot company that I’ve ever heard of (wasn’t around in the 1800s), just a style known as ‘Wellington boot’. Mackintosh is a trademark, and an extant company, though ‘mac’, the short version most often used, is generic. The Mackintosh name, and the company, has been around since the 1800s, and presumably they either didn’t try or didn’t succeed in claiming the rights to ‘mac’. ---
**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:** [October 15, 2017, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-britain-call-so-many-items-after-their-people-while-americans-favor-descriptive-names/798764/25 "2017-10-15T13:51:32Z")
Naming things after people, places, etc. is normal. What I am amazed by are things the Brits do like naming both trilby and fedora hats after the titles of plays! I guess the producers hat never caught on in America. ---
**Author:** ![dstarfire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dstarfire/32/5762_2.png) [@dstarfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dstarfire)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2017, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-britain-call-so-many-items-after-their-people-while-americans-favor-descriptive-names/798764/26 "2017-10-15T15:17:24Z")
> [@ftg](#): > > Naming things after people, places, etc. is normal. Yes, technically, ALL names are made up (and many reference the it’s origin), but that rabbit hole is best left for the historical linguists. ---
**Author:** ![janeslogin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/df788c/32.png) [@janeslogin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/janeslogin)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2017, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-britain-call-so-many-items-after-their-people-while-americans-favor-descriptive-names/798764/27 "2017-10-15T22:36:41Z")
> [@Baron\_Greenback](#): > > What on Earth do Americans call sandwiches? The best are called Rubin’s, named after some dude. ETA; Over the years several towns have claimed it was their very own dude. ---
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2017, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-britain-call-so-many-items-after-their-people-while-americans-favor-descriptive-names/798764/28 "2017-10-15T22:54:50Z")
> [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > My thought on seeing the thread title was to think of warships. The British use descriptive (if somewhat aggrandizing) names like _HMS Daring_, _HMS Dauntless_, and _HMS Vigilant_; some front-line American ships are the _USS Abraham Lincoln_, _USS Carl Vinson_, and _USS John C. Stennis_. Yeah. All of the US ballistic missile subs were named after people (in one case, a pair of people) up until the 1980s, when a new class was commissioned, all (but one - another exception) named after states. So people who were accustomed to referring to a generic missile sub as “The USS _Famous Name_” switched to saying “The USS _Famous State_.” The UK ballistic missile subs were named for concepts (four starting with “R” and four starting with "V). ---
**Author:** ![Ispolkom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e47774/32.png) [@Ispolkom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ispolkom)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2017, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-britain-call-so-many-items-after-their-people-while-americans-favor-descriptive-names/798764/29 "2017-10-16T02:28:59Z")
> [@Ms\_Boods](#): > > It’s high time another HMS Cockchafer gets commissioned. I see your HMS Cockchafer and raise you an HMS Gay Viking. ---
**Author:** ![mbh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@mbh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mbh)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2017, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-britain-call-so-many-items-after-their-people-while-americans-favor-descriptive-names/798764/30 "2017-10-16T02:57:30Z")
> [@Ms\_Boods](#): > > It’s high time another HMS Cockchafer gets commissioned. > [@Ispolkom](#): > > I see your HMS Cockchafer and raise you an HMS Gay Viking. > [@](#): > > from [MV Gay Viking - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gay_Viking) > > it gave the boats names: 504 became _Hopewell_, 505 became _Nonsuch_, 506 became _Gay Viking_, 507 became _Gay Corsai_r and 508 became _Master Standfast_. Gotta love the RN ---
**Author:** ![Rick\_Kitchen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rick_kitchen/32/522_2.png) [@Rick\_Kitchen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick_Kitchen)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2017, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-britain-call-so-many-items-after-their-people-while-americans-favor-descriptive-names/798764/31 "2017-10-16T03:01:23Z")
> [@Baron\_Greenback](#): > > What on Earth do Americans call sandwiches? subs ---
**Author:** ![chappachula](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d2c977/32.png) [@chappachula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chappachula)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2017, 8:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-britain-call-so-many-items-after-their-people-while-americans-favor-descriptive-names/798764/32 "2017-10-16T08:46:19Z")
> [@janeslogin](#): > > The best are called Rubin’s, named after some dude. sorry----ya got it all wrong. The sandwich is called a _Reuben_ . ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2017, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-britain-call-so-many-items-after-their-people-while-americans-favor-descriptive-names/798764/33 "2017-10-16T16:36:17Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > Popkins, before the world moved on. I do not see what you did there with my eye. I see what you did there with my mind. ---
**Author:** ![G0sp3l](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c68b51/32.png) [@G0sp3l](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/G0sp3l)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2017, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-britain-call-so-many-items-after-their-people-while-americans-favor-descriptive-names/798764/34 "2017-10-17T02:29:54Z")
> [@Rick\_Kitchen](#): > > subs Do you mean hoagies? ---
**Author:** ![Rick\_Kitchen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rick_kitchen/32/522_2.png) [@Rick\_Kitchen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick_Kitchen)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2017, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-britain-call-so-many-items-after-their-people-while-americans-favor-descriptive-names/798764/35 "2017-10-17T03:08:53Z")
> [@G0sp3l](#): > > Do you mean hoagies? No, grinders. ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2017, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-britain-call-so-many-items-after-their-people-while-americans-favor-descriptive-names/798764/36 "2017-10-17T03:35:16Z")
> [@Rick\_Kitchen](#): > > No, grinders. How DARE you disrespect our nation’s ‘heros’! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-britain-call-so-many-items-after-their-people-while-americans-favor-descriptive-names/798764.md?page=1)