# Troubles with Brand Names



## meili

I was pouring over the threads this afternoon when I found out that not only once but twice, thrice... some posted troubles about brand names in his or her community or country.
I'll start with one:
Some of those I know will say 'colgate' when they mean toothpaste and when you give them colgate, they will say 'no' and will tell you that they would want 'close-up' (type of "colgate").
My Grandmother alone will say 'royco' when she meant noodles, and when we will buy her royco she will say that it's wrong and will ask for Maggi (type of "royco").
How many can you add?


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## Kansas Girl

some people use "Coke" to mean any brand of pop.  And when I give them a Coke they will say, "no I wanted Pepsi!"

I am from Kansas (middle of USA) and we say "pop", but I noticed that people from the East Coast either call it "Coke" or "soda" for any brand.


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## GenJen54

I think Google is a really good modern example. Most people now say "Google" to look something up on the web even though they might not  actually go to the Google website. 

Xerox is not as popular now (at least in the US) as it was in the 1980s, when it's brand dominance pushed its brand name into a common usage name. Today, at least in my experience, most people have reverted to "copy" or "photocopy." This is partly due to the ever-expanding world of document reproduction technology, and partly because Xerox has lost its share in the market place. 

Coke, as Kansas Girl referred to, is more regional, I think. I know in the Mid-Southern states (Kansas, OK, TX, etc.), we say "Coke" as the generic term for "soda pop." However, I believe in the Midwest (Chicago area), they use "soda," and in the Northeast, they use "pop." (I welcome corrections on this one!)


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## meili

Kansas Girl said:
			
		

> some people use "Coke" to mean any brand of pop. And when I give them a Coke they will say, "no I wanted Pepsi!"


Philippines, too, is guilty with this.  Coke refers to 'all' softdrinks 


			
				GenJen54 said:
			
		

> I think Google is a really good modern example. Most people now say "Google" to look something up on the web even though they might not actually go to the Google website.


I have not heard of people using 'google' to mean to search here.  Most of those I know still say 'search'.

Another example is Shell.  I overheard someone once said 'Let's stop by Shell' when the only available gasoline station is Petron!!


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## VenusEnvy

_Kleenex _ and _Tampex _ are also common brand names turned into product names.

Although a tissue is what we want, sometimes we call it a _Kleenex_. _Kleenex _ is simply a popular brand name of tissue. 
The same applies to _Tampex _ tampons.


Related thread.


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## Helicopta

As I mentioned in the other thread, vacuum cleaners are almost always called Hoovers in the UK. Also, a bit obscure, but the poor relation of the vacuum cleaner, the carpet sweeper, I seem to recall from my childhood was always referred to as the Ewbank.
A few other examples that come to mind are Biro for a ball point pen, JCB for a mechanical digger, Tannoy for a public address system and Walkman (a Sony trademark) for a… well, for a walkman.


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## Merlin

meili said:
			
		

> I was pouring over the threads this afternoon when I found out that not only once but twice, thrice... some posted troubles about brand names in his or her community or country.
> I'll start with one:
> Some of those I know will say 'colgate' when they mean toothpaste and when you give them colgate, they will say 'no' and will tell you that they would want 'close-up' (type of "colgate").
> My Grandmother alone will say 'royco' when she meant noodles, and when we will buy her royco she will say that it's wrong and will ask for Maggi (type of "royco").
> How many can you add?


We remember brand names/company names better than the specific product.
Bus: Five Star/Phiippine Rabbit (Bith bus company)
Softdrink/Soda: Coke (Dominant soda brand)
Sanitary napkin: Modess (brand name)
Coffee: Nescafe' (brand name)
Milk: Nido/Bearbrand/Alaska (brand names)
Motorcycle: Honda (brand used by most tricycle drivers)
Jeep: Sarao (Leading manufacturer of jeepney)


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## Mita

Hi! 
I'm from Chile and I can think of:
Liquid (Liquid Paper)/ Tipp-Ex = when they mean 'corrector líquido' (liquid white out).
Scotch = when we mean 'cinta adhesiva' (adhesive tape).
Coca-Cola (Coke)= when they mean Pepsi or other imitations.
Fanta = when they mean Orange Crush or other imitations.
Pringles =  when they mean potato crisps in a pot, like Kryzpo (another brand).

Greetings!


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## Merlin

Another issue concerning brand names is that sometimes people use it to set ones status in the society. I remember back in high school, If you have the latest signature clothes, shoes and other accessories, you're in. Meaning you're cool. People will look up to you. Most people will boast these things and think that they're elite. The funny side is, they will spend enourmous amount of money on those "Branded" or "signatured" things and end up with empty stomach. They don't care about the price as long as they're in. What can you say about this notion about Signatured items? Do you have this kind of thing in your respedtive countries?


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## mplsray

Helicopta said:


> As I mentioned in the other thread, vacuum cleaners are almost always called Hoovers in the UK. Also, a bit obscure, but the poor relation of the vacuum cleaner, the carpet sweeper, I seem to recall from my childhood was always referred to as the Ewbank.
> A few other examples that come to mind are Biro for a ball point pen, JCB for a mechanical digger, Tannoy for a public address system and Walkman (a Sony trademark) for a… well, for a walkman.


 
Since the French use _Bic__®_ as the generic term for a ballpoint pen, this results in _The Oxford-Hachette French Dictionary_ having the following entries: 

In the French-to-English section: 

"*bic*® [...] _nm_ biro®.

In the English-to-French section:

"*biro*® [...] _n _GB (_pl_ *~s*) stylo-bille _m_, bic®; *in ~* au stylo-bille."


Note that the terms in generic use are not capitalized. Even though Bic's and Biro's lawyers would probably prefer that they be capitalized, I would consider that inaccurate, since the words are not being used to refer to a particular product, but instead are being used generically for a type of product, in the same way that _aspirin_ and _cellophane_ are used in the US for a type of product, not a particular brand as they once were (and still may be in some parts of the world). If someone in the southern US wrote about a _diet coke,_ he should spell it _Diet Coke_ only if he is specifically referring to that brand of drink made by the Coca-Cola Company, rather than, say, a diet orange soda or root beer.

(Unless, that is, he is writing advertising copy for a company selling diet orange soda or root beer! Then, arguably, Coca-Cola's lawyers would have a valid infringement-of-trademark case.)


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## whattheflock

In some parts of Mexico (even within the self same Mexico City) some people say "coca (Coke)" to mean any soft drink, "Kotex" to mean any female sanitary napkin, "curita (Band-aid)" to mean any self-adhesive bandage, "Kola-Loca (Crazy Glue)" to mean any super-glue, "combi (VW Vanagon)" to mean any kind of passanger van (but, in their defense, most vans in Mexico are actually Vanagons), and many others which I can't recall right now.


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## Etcetera

In Russia, when people say "Cola", they can mean either Coca-Cola or Pepsi. 
Some 10 years ago, when there appeared some private transport firms, the largest of them in Moscow was called _Autoline _(pronounced as Avtolain). It's still a major company, and there are also a wealth of other companies, but minibuses are still called "autolines" by most people.


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## lampiao

In Portugal 4WD vehicles are called "Jipe" (portuguese spelling for Jeep), no matter if it's a Chrysler or an Opel, or whatever.

Note: When I say 4WD, I mean vehicles like Chrysler's Jeep


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## Lykurg

In German "Jeep" is used regardless of brand, too. Other brand names which became standard names for products are "Selters" (for every kind of soda), "Tempo" (tissue), "Tesa" / "Tesafilm" (Scotch tape/"Sellotape") and the old-fashioned "Weckglas" (canning jar). Recently, the verb "googeln" entered our dictionaries.


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## lsp

There's also Podcast, Tivo, Photoshop, FedEx, Krazy glue, Jello, Vaseline, Post-It Notes, Windex, Sharpie and Blackberry ... at least in AE


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## lampiao

In Brazil (at least some parts) the word "Durex" is for (glue) tape.
Imagine when a brazilian friend of mine went to a store, asked for _durex_, and the clerk thought she wanted condoms!


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## moura

Also in Portugal, when speaking about those plastic boxes for the refrigerator, peolple only say Tupperware. And most of the peolple really don't use tupperwares for they are more expensive. I don't even know the correct name for them 

I don't recall if someone already mentioned the "collants"? It is one of those marks, meaning for ever the product itself.


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## Daddyo

lampiao said:


> In Brazil (at least some parts) the word "Durex" is for (glue) tape.
> Imagine when a brazilian friend of mine went to a store, asked for _durex_, and the clerk thought she wanted condoms!



In some parts of Mexico City people (we) would mispronounce the word "Durex" for "yurex". How silly of us to think that it was the generic name for clear adhesive tape, when everyone knows that all tapes are Scotch Tape.


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## Victoria32

Kansas Girl said:


> some people use "Coke" to mean any brand of pop.  And when I give them a Coke they will say, "no I wanted Pepsi!"
> 
> I am from Kansas (middle of USA) and we say "pop", but I noticed that people from the East Coast either call it "Coke" or "soda" for any brand.


My son and I call it "lolly water" as we get any brand that's cheap... 


Helicopta said:


> As I mentioned in the other thread, vacuum cleaners are almost always called Hoovers in the UK. Also, a bit obscure, but the poor relation of the vacuum cleaner, the carpet sweeper, I seem to recall from my childhood was always referred to as the Ewbank.
> A few other examples that come to mind are Biro for a ball point pen, JCB for a mechanical digger, Tannoy for a public address system and Walkman (a Sony trademark) for a… well, for a walkman.


Oh yes, I remember Biro and JCB. My father was a mechanic and worked for Shell, so we thought of Shelll as "the" petrol station, and Hino as a large lorry... (A type of one he worked on)


Merlin said:


> Another issue concerning brand names is that sometimes people use it to set ones status in the society. I remember back in high school, If you have the latest signature clothes, shoes and other accessories, you're in. Meaning you're cool. People will look up to you. Most people will boast these things and think that they're elite. The funny side is, they will spend enourmous amount of money on those "Branded" or "signatured" things and end up with empty stomach. They don't care about the price as long as they're in. What can you say about this notion about Signatured items? Do you have this kind of thing in your respedtive countries?


Oh definitely! My son is not label-conscious (I just asked him) so I don't know what teens currently like - it was adidas when I was younger...


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## Brioche

lampiao said:


> In Brazil (at least some parts) the word "Durex" is for (glue) tape.
> Imagine when a brazilian friend of mine went to a store, asked for _durex_, and the clerk thought she wanted condoms!


 
Once upon a time, we had durex brand self-adhesive tape in Australia, and people said _durex,_ or  _durex tape_ the way _scotch tape_ is used in the US.

However, durex tape has been off the market here for many years, and the only durex products we have now are condoms.


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## zerduja

hi, having lived past 5 years in argentina have noticed people used " coca" for coke, "papa fritas" for both potatoe chips and french fries, for cheetos, they prefer to say it like (chay-toes) and for lux soap(loosh)


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## Stefanie1976

Lykurg said:


> In German "Jeep" is used regardless of brand, too. Other brand names which became standard names for products are "Selters" (for every kind of soda), "Tempo" (tissue), "Tesa" / "Tesafilm" (Scotch tape/"Sellotape") and the old-fashioned "Weckglas" (canning jar). Recently, the verb "googeln" entered our dictionaries.


 
I would like to add UHU for any kind of glue and ZEWA for paper towels.


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## curly

Escalator was once a trademark as was Band-aid, Frisbee and  Jell-O


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## Thomas F. O'Gara

The examples are legion, and go back a long way. 

Any more corn mash whiskey can't be called "Bourbon" unless it comes from Bourbon County, Kentucky, USA. Likewise for Cognac and Armagnac, unless they come from the respective region in France.

Funny how the Russians still call their sparkling wine "Champagne" (шампанское). I can only assume that French marketers haven't taken the matter to task as of yet.


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## Alicky

zerduja said:


> hi, having lived past 5 years in argentina have noticed people used " coca" for coke, "papa fritas" for both potatoe chips and french fries, for cheetos, they prefer to say it like (chay-toes) and for lux soap(loosh)


 
I think we call it Coca bacause the brand's real name Coca-Cola. 
If so, why do english speaking people call it coke? Is it because it sounds more natural?
And you are right! Jaja! To us, any kind of fried potato is a papa frita. McDonald's have papas fritas, Pringles are papas fritas, Lay's are papas fritas.



> Also in Portugal, when speaking about those plastic boxes for the refrigerator, peolple only say Tupperware. And most of the peolple really don't use tupperwares for they are more expensive. I don't even know the correct name for them


Jaja! I laughed at this one. We called them tupper.



> Escalator was once a trademark as was Band-aid, Frisbee and Jell-O


You mean frisbee's is the brand?! I've been living a lie this whole time  
What's the frisbee real name?

Here in Argentina we use the exact same words other countries do: curitas; aspirina; cinta Scotch; Post-It; Carilinas (tissue); Jeep; no matter the brand, cacao is called nesquik. 
It's nice to see that multinationals rule everywhere.
All bow to Unilever.


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## mplsray

Etcetera said:


> In Russia, when people say "Cola", they can mean either Coca-Cola or Pepsi.


 
In English, the word _cola_ (uncapitalized) is the generic name for a cola-flavored soft drink. This name originally came from one of the ingredients, but early on, drinks were sold as cola which did not contain any ingredient made from the cola nut--when Pepsi-Cola came out, for example, it had no cola nut ingredients. If there were ever any trademark issues with the term _cola,_ they were decided long, long ago. 

Unfortunately, if you ask for a cola at a fast-food place nowadays, the clerk will usually ask you "Is Pepsi OK?" if the restaurant serves Pepsi-Cola, or "Is Coke OK?" if the restaurant serves Coca-Cola. Since using the generic term should have let the clerk know that any cola is OK, this is annoying.


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## mplsray

curly said:


> Escalator was once a trademark as was Band-aid, Frisbee and Jell-O


 
_Escalator_ lost its trademark status, but Band-Aid, Frisbee, and Jell-O, even though used generically, are still active trademarks.


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## mplsray

Alicky said:


> I think we call it Coca bacause the brand's real name Coca-Cola.
> If so, why do english speaking people call it coke? Is it because it sounds more natural?


 
Nowadays, we call it _Coke_ because that's what we hear a lot of people call it, and it's also one of the names listed the can! (The term _coke_ as used in parts of the South as a generic term for carbonated soft drinks, is the one I wouldn't capitalize.)

Why _Coca-Cola_ was originally shortened to _Coke_ instead of _Coca,_ I couldn't say.



> You mean frisbee's is the brand?! I've been living a lie this whole time
> What's the frisbee real name?


 
The generic term used by the Wham-O corporation, owners of the Frisbee trademark, is simply _disc,_ so that it's a Frisbee® disc.


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## mplsray

Thomas F. O'Gara said:


> The examples are legion, and go back a long way.
> 
> Any more corn mash whiskey can't be called "Bourbon" unless it comes from Bourbon County, Kentucky, USA. Likewise for Cognac and Armagnac, unless they come from the respective region in France.
> 
> Funny how the Russians still call their sparkling wine "Champagne" (шампанское). I can only assume that French marketers haven't taken the matter to task as of yet.


 
Americans still call their sparkling wine _champagne_ (uncapitalized) as well.

According to Wikipedia, "Bourbon can legally be made anywhere in the United States where it is legal to distill spirits." Has the law been changed?


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## Maja

mplsray said:


> Why _Coca-Cola_ was originally shortened to _Coke_ instead of *Coca*_,_ I couldn't say.


Coca (spelt koka)  is Serbian slang for cocaine!!! 

The ones I can think of are: 
Labello (labelo) - for any  kind of lip balm;
Kalladont (kaladont) - it was used for all tooth pastes,  but not so much nowadays;
And we also say Frisbee (frizbi) (I didn't even  know it was a brand name )!


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## Cath.S.

Along with many other French people, I tend to say Sopalin to designate any brand of kitchen roll.


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## Alicky

mplsray said:


> Nowadays, we call it _Coke_ because that's what we hear a lot of people call it, and it's also one of the names listed the can! (The term _coke_ as used in parts of the South as a generic term for carbonated soft drinks, is the one I wouldn't capitalize.)
> 
> Why _Coca-Cola_ was originally shortened to _Coke_ instead of _Coca,_ I couldn't say.
> 
> 
> 
> The generic term used by the Wham-O corporation, owners of the Frisbee trademark, is simply _disc,_ so that it's a Frisbee® disc.


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## LouisaB

'Trouble' is right!

I used to make a drama series for the BBC, and the rule there is that characters must never, ever use brand names in their speech. This is because either it could be 'advertising' (which the BBC isn't allowed to do) or there's a potential to be sued, if we imply a particular product isn't very good.

It makes for some hideously unreal dialogue. We had characters with blood pouring out of them saying 'Does anyone have any sticking plaster?' People had to 'vacuum' their homes - which in the UK, they simply don't do, they 'hoover' them. 'Sellotape' had to be 'sticky tape', which made our adults sound like six year olds. As for Coca Cola, or anything like that - it was impossible! We either had to make up our own fictional brands, or characters had to ask for 'a cola', or 'a whiskey', or 'a beer', which very few people do in a real pub...

The worst problem we had was with 'Portacabin', because no-one could think of a remotely colloquial synonym. 'Pre-fab' sounds awful, and it just isn't what you'd say in real life. So for years we had one of these things on the show, but people were never allowed actually to refer to it at all.....

But it does illustrate just how strong a hold these brand names have taken on our lives, when trying to manage without them proves so difficult....

LouisaB


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## JamesM

Just out of curiosity, what is a "Portacabin"?  I don't think I've ever heard that brand name before.


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## LouisaB

JamesM said:


> Just out of curiosity, what is a "Portacabin"? I don't think I've ever heard that brand name before.


 
It's a small pre-fabricated building, which is transported on a truck and lowered by crane to a new site. Here you see them most often used as workman's huts during roadworks, but in some places they're almost permanent constructions. I just don't know any other quick and simple term for them in common use!


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## Tolovaj_Mataj

Daddyo said:


> ... when everyone knows that all tapes are Scotch Tape.


Do not even try to ask for this here in Slovenia. You would receive blank looks. I haven't heard this before I started to read this topic. This thing is known as "selotejp" (cellotape) here. 
Of course we also know "celofan" (cellophane) and "neostik" (a glue) and "vazelin" (vaseline - I didn't know this is a brand name!!) and "kombi" and "žiletka" (a razor blade) plus aspirin.

Here are a few local brand names which have become general terms:
alpsko mleko = UHT milk (a brand name of Ljubljanske mlekarne)
radenska = mineral water (a brand name of Radenska which bottles the natural mineral water in Radenci)
mobitel = a mobile phone (named after the local mobile telephony operator Mobitel)
lučka (sladoled) = an ice-cream on a stick (a brand name of Ljubljanske mlekarne; Lučka is a form of the name Lucija)


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## invictaspirit

The British are terrible about this.  

All vaccuum cleaners are Hoovers.  You'll say you bought a 'new hoover' even if it is an Electrolux, AEG, Dyson, Hotpoint etc.  (Ours actually *is* a Hoover.)

All adhesive tape is Sellotape (by far the biggest UK brand) even if it is Scotch or any other.

SUVs/4WDs always used to be called Jeeps unless they were Range Rovers or Land Rovers.  (No patriotic Brit would ever *think* of calling a Range Rover a Jeep!)  But all the others, such as Landcruisers, Shoguns etc were generically called Jeeps.  This seems to have changed in the last 5 years or so.  They are all called 4WDs or SUVs (the AE term is becoming very commonly heard here now).

'Coke' is universally used here to mean any cola.  Pepsico must hate the UK.  No-one ever uses the word, although it is shifted in tens of millions!  If you asked for a Pepsi in a UK pub people would turn their heads in interest and amusement.  That's even if you want Pepsi.    You'd say 'Can I get a Coke pelase...Pepsi if you have it.'


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## Bettie

In the part of Mexico I am from people say cinta scotch and pyrex instead of refractario, which would be the word in Spanish, and the ones somebody said before like kotex and curita.
Oohh and chicle instead of goma de mascar, because the brand was chiclets.


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## Daddyo

Sorry, Bettie, but "chicle" is the right honest word for chewing gum. Even in English! Take a look: Chicle, from answers.com
So that the name brand "chiclets" it's a word play on the righteous word.


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## moura

In a book I've just translated it was mentioned lots of time the "Zodiac" (as a boat). In my boats ignorance, I pick up the Portuguese name for that: _Zodíaco_, trying to give it a more familiar Portuguese term.
Then the little translator angel whispered at my hears that perhaps it was something different. Just in time. _Zodiac _is just a name often used for insuflables (pneumatic boats) 
Also for helicopters, sometimes is used the mark "Squirrel".


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## Etcetera

invictaspirit said:


> SUVs/4WDs always used to be called Jeeps unless they were Range Rovers or Land Rovers. (No patriotic Brit would ever *think* of calling a Range Rover a Jeep!) But all the others, such as Landcruisers, Shoguns etc were generically called Jeeps.


Quite the same in Russia: all 4WDs are called Jeeps, no matter if they're actually Toyotas, or Opels, or whatever. Seems to be the same with Range Rovers and Land Rovers (but they're fewer in Russia than Toyotas).


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## Bettie

Daddyo said:


> Sorry, Bettie, but "chicle" is the right honest word for chewing gum. Even in English! Take a look: Chicle, from answers.com
> So that the name brand "chiclets" it's a word play on the righteous word.


 

Yeah, you are right, I was thinking about that later.


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## badgrammar

whattheflock said:


> In some parts of Mexico (even within the self same Mexico City) some people say "coca (Coke)" to mean any soft drink, "Kotex" to mean any female sanitary napkin, "curita (Band-aid)" to mean any self-adhesive bandage, "Kola-Loca (Crazy Glue)" to mean any super-glue, "combi (VW Vanagon)" to mean any kind of passanger van (but, in their defense, most vans in Mexico are actually Vanagons), and many others which I can't recall right now.



I think in France we've got

Coca - to mean any softdrink
Tampax - to refer to any brand of tampons
Superglue - to refer to any strong glue (funny, they didn't translate the brand name to Colle-Folle (like "Kola-Loca") when marketing!)
Monospace - refers to any modern van-type vehicle
Tupperware - plastic containers
Post-it- for little notepads that stick
Typex - for liquid corrector
Scotch - for adhesive tapes


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## Sorcha

In Ireland we have quite a few i think, we have hoover like the UK, we have sello tape (scotch is a drink to me!), some people say tayto (an irish brand of potato crisp) to mean all crisps. I thouhgt a jeep was a jeep , biro is still quite common. And what is the right word for walkman anyway? In my family we call all butter stlye products 'dairygold'-brand name. I have also heard the provisional IRA (or similar breakaway groups) referred to as 'I can't believe its not IRA', this will probably only make sense to UK readers, there is a brand of buttery-like spread thats called 'I cant believe its not butter'.....chuckle chuckle.....


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## badgrammar

Sorcha said:


> I have also heard the provisional IRA (or similar breakaway groups) referred to as 'I can't believe its not IRA', this will probably only make sense to UK readers, there is a brand of buttery-like spread thats called 'I cant believe its not butter'.....chuckle chuckle.....



In the US we have the same thing for the butter spread, but maybe it was made more popular by the "I can't believe it's (frozen) yoghurt" shops.  Now the phrase can be used tongue in cheek to refer to other things.


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## Lavinia.dNP

badgrammar said:


> I think in France we've got
> 
> Coca - to mean any softdrink
> Tampax - to refer to any brand of tampons
> Superglue - to refer to any strong glue (funny, they didn't translate the brand name to Colle-Folle (like "Kola-Loca") when marketing!)
> Monospace - refers to any modern van-type vehicle
> Tupperware - plastic containers
> Post-it- for little notepads that stick
> Typex - for liquid corrector
> Scotch - for adhesive tapes


 
A little correction :

Coca in France usually means coca cola, and sometimes it can mean the same drink of another brand (like Pepsi, or like other cheaper colas you find in supermarkets), but it will never be used to refer to other sodas like orange, tonic, or else.

Another brand name used in France is Schweppes, which means any kind of tonic water, and if you say "tonic" they don't understand you, you have to say "Schweppes"


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## badgrammar

Hmm, again in disagreement , this time about your little correction.

I often hear coca used as a generic term in French.

"Il y a du coca dans le frigo" 
"Tu veux aller boire un coca?" 
"On va boire un coca" 

These are all terms you would hear to mean that 
"There are carbonated beverages in the fridge", 
"would you like to drink a carbonated beverage/wanna' get something (non-alcoholic) to drink?"
"We're going to get something to drink".  

The only other way I hear this said is "un soda", but it seems to me that I hear "Coca" more often than "soda".  

Perhaps in those examples the person is specifically talking about coca, especially if they are about to serve you and are asking specifically what you want in your glass.  Otherwise, it's a generic suggestion that does not exclude the possibility that you will opt for juice, water, or something else.

As per tonic, they do call it a "gin tonic", but Lavinia is right , the tonic alone is called a Schweppes. 



Lavinia.dNP said:


> A little correction :
> 
> Coca in France usually means coca cola, and sometimes it can mean the same drink of another brand (like Pepsi, or like other cheaper colas you find in supermarkets), but it will never be used to refer to other sodas like orange, tonic, or else.
> 
> Another brand name used in France is Schweppes, which means any kind of tonic water, and if you say "tonic" they don't understand you, you have to say "Schweppes"


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## Lavinia.dNP

badgrammar said:


> Hmm, again in disagreement , this time about your little correction.
> 
> I often hear coca used as a generic term in French.
> 
> "Il y a du coca dans le frigo"
> "Tu veux aller boire un coca?"
> "On va boire un coca"
> 
> These are all terms you would hear to mean that
> "There are carbonated beverages in the fridge",
> "would you like to drink a carbonated beverage/wanna' get something (non-alcoholic) to drink?"
> "We're going to get something to drink".
> 
> The only other way I hear this said is "un soda", but it seems to me that I hear "Coca" more often than "soda".
> 
> Perhaps in those examples the person is specifically talking about coca, especially if they are about to serve you and are asking specifically what you want in your glass. Otherwise, it's a generic suggestion that does not exclude the possibility that you will opt for juice, water, or something else.
> 
> As per tonic, they do call it a "gin tonic", but Lavinia is right , the tonic alone is called a Schweppes.


 
I still think that those sentences about coca are referring to coca cola or similar drinks, and not to any soda.
The fact that people automatically say coca depends on the fact that it's the most widespread soft drink in France.
Therefore it means that they suggest a coke, which is the most likely possibility, but you can also have something else instead.
For instance, if somebody asks you "il y a du coca dans le frigo?", and you see that there is no coke, but there's orange juce you'll answer "non, mais il y a du jus d'orange" and you'll certainly not answer "oui, il y a du jus d'orange". Same thing if they ask you "tu veux un coca?" if you don't want a coke but an Orangina, you'll answer "tu n'aurais pas plutôt un orangina?" and you won't say "oui, je veux bien un Orangina", because with this last answer, the other person would ask "mais enfin! tu veux un coca ou un Orangina?"

Therefore, this means that "un coca" doesn't mean any kind of soda.

PS : I never heard "un soda" in France, except in movies where they cannot mention any brand name.
Usually when they want to say something to drink in general they say "un truc à boire"


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## badgrammar

In that case the French usage of "un coca" corresponds to the US English use of it.  If I prefer a Sprite, I'll ask for it in particular when it comes down to making my actual choice, but I'll understand "coke" to mean a carbonated beverage if used in a general way.  There's another thread that dicusses this in detail, so it is maybe not a good idea to get into this here.  



Lavinia.dNP said:


> I still think that those sentences about coca are referring to coca cola or similar drinks, and not to any soda.
> The fact that people automatically say coca depends on the fact that it's the most widespread soft drink in France.
> Therefore it means that they suggest a coke, which is the most likely possibility, but you can also have something else instead.
> For instance, if somebody asks you "il y a du coca dans le frigo?", and you see that there is no coke, but there's orange juce you'll answer "non, mais il y a du jus d'orange" and you'll certainly not answer "oui, il y a du jus d'orange". Same thing if they ask you "tu veux un coca?" if you don't want a coke but an Orangina, you'll answer "tu n'aurais pas plutôt un orangina?" and you won't say "oui, je veux bien un Orangina", because with this last answer, the other person would ask "mais enfin! tu veux un coca ou un Orangina?"
> 
> Therefore, this means that "un coca" doesn't mean any kind of soda.
> 
> PS : I never heard "un soda" in France, except in movies where they cannot mention any brand name.
> Usually when they want to say something to drink in general they say "un truc à boire"


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