# Why does Charlaine Harris always capitalize "Dumpster"  ...?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-charlaine-harris-always-capitalize-dumpster/559427>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [November 4, 2010, 5:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-charlaine-harris-always-capitalize-dumpster/559427 "2010-11-04T05:22:44Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![OpalCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8edcca/32.png) [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)\
**Post date:** [November 4, 2010, 5:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-charlaine-harris-always-capitalize-dumpster/559427/1 "2010-11-04T05:22:44Z")

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In reading the Sookie Stackhouse novels I notice that whenever the word “dumpster” appears, it’s capitalized. It’s always the Dumpster. And it’s not always the same one, like it’s THE Dumpster.

Is this a proper noun that I was never aware of?

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**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\
**Post date:** [November 4, 2010, 5:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-charlaine-harris-always-capitalize-dumpster/559427/2 "2010-11-04T05:26:28Z")

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It’s a [brand name](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dumpster); originally a Dempster-Dumpster. Like kleenex and jello, it often gets genericized by not being capitalized.

From the Simpsons:

> [@](#):
>
> An episode of The Simpsons (“The Otto Show”) satirizes the genericized trademark issue when Bart Simpson finds school bus driver Otto homeless:[7]  
> Bart: Otto-Man? You’re living in a dumpster?  
> Otto: Ho, man, I wish. Dumpster-brand trash bins are top-of-the-line. This is just a Trash-Co waste disposal unit.

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**Author:** ![Sam\_A.Robrin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sam_a.robrin/32/14497_2.png) [@Sam\_A.Robrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_A.Robrin)\
**Post date:** [November 6, 2010, 5:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-charlaine-harris-always-capitalize-dumpster/559427/3 "2010-11-06T05:19:19Z")

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Along with Thermos, Ping-Pong, Laundromat, Styrofoam, Peg-Board, Plexiglas, Day-Glo, Kitty Litter… I worked as a copy-editor, and needed to know these things!

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**Author:** ![OpalCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8edcca/32.png) [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)\
**Post date:** [November 6, 2010, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-charlaine-harris-always-capitalize-dumpster/559427/4 "2010-11-06T18:57:21Z")

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Thanks! I was wondering if it was something like that.

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**Author:** ![tr0psn4j](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/958977/32.png) [@tr0psn4j](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tr0psn4j)\
**Post date:** [November 7, 2010, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-charlaine-harris-always-capitalize-dumpster/559427/5 "2010-11-07T20:17:48Z")

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I did not know that!