Does anyone know the word that describes the practice of using a BRAND name to refer to a product even if it is another brand? E.g. we call any facial tissue "a Kleenex" (even it is a Scottie) or we call any clear plastic film wrap "Saran Wrap".

We had a brief conversation about this quite recently, I think last week. I forget what thread it was on.

I don't know that there is a name for this; the closest I can come is "synecdoche". [There's glory for you, as Humpty-Dumpty said.]

There are plenty of other examples, like "vaseline", "Coke", in the UK "hoover".

I've been told that, in Business Law, this is called generification.

-joe bfstplk

the closest I can come is "synecdoche"

I think synecdoche means calling a whole for one of its parts, like "greasy spoon" for a diner, or "gumshoe" for a detective....

And it's the only one of its tribe I remember, because of the kid who pronounced "cynic duck."

We had a brief conversation about this quite recently, I think last week. I forget what thread it was on.

'Twas in Mangled English for Corporate Identity.

There are plenty of other examples, like "vaseline", "Coke", in the UK "hoover".

Ironic that the Spanish word for grease should become an English language brand name. The name very honestly just tells us what it is! I have a really funny one, however, along these lines: An industrial lubricant company in the USofA produces a spray can of penetrating lubricant that they call "Pene-Grease." "Pene" is the Spanish word for "penis"

Coke originally referred to the cocaine in it, and, of course, continues to this day to mean cocaine in street terms.

Hoover, even here in the USA, still equates with vacuum cleaner to many of a certain age.

Hoover
Yes, Geoff, "hoover" is often used for "vacuum cleaner", but we only use it as a noun. In the UK, it's also a verb, as in, to hoover the carpet. I can't think of any instance offhand in U.S. usage where a brand name has become a verb, with the possible exception of "Brillo"; my wife used to say that she would need to brillo a frying pan.
(In case outlanders don't have this, "Brillo" is the brand name of a metal-fiber scouring pad.)

I too have heard a word used to describe the use of a brand name in this way. In fact, I heard it several years ago, and recall being pleased to have learned it. Maddeningly, I forgot it a bit after learning it, and its absence returns (if that can happen) to haunt me periodically.

So - can we come up with it here, or will this annoying lacuna in my vocabulary continue to be a little, tiny thorn in my side?

Tsuwm suggested "generification" which sounds good to me.

I am sorry for busting in on this thread, but I need help and I don't know where to turn. Perhaps someone here can direct me to the proper place. I need a word:

Prediction implies the future. Is there a word to describe a theory (scientific) that makes predictions about the past. If I have a set of observations, my theory can't be said to "predict" these past observations, even though it does explain them. Postdict?
Thank you in advance.

Dear jpsharber: try a private message to tsuwm. He is unchallenged expert on such problems.

Welcome to you, jpsharber (I worked with Det. Louis Sharber here some time ago--a fine officer), and also rkerstie of a previous thread, as well as Casey-Canada and BlanchePatch.

I don't think it matters which time, past, present, or future, you're referring to: it's still a theory. Whether it's a prediction or not, I can't say--it depends on what you're positing, I suppose. I don't think you'd call it a prediction, if, for ex., you said you expected to learn that the Allies lost WWII. But if you say you are attempting to verify certain data that shows the Allies won for some specified reason, you could predict that the data would prove your theory. Or am I way off course?

For you, and all other newcomers, my friend:
to make a new post, go to the index page for whatever category you want to make the post in--in this case, Q & A. This is the page that lists all the current threads. At the top right-hand side of the list, you'll
see a few golden icons. Click on the one furthest to the
left, that looks like it has light rays in it, and voilá.

"Frigidaire" was,some years ago, almost generic for "refrigerator" as was "Post Toasties" for dry breakfast cereal. Both have now faded into relative obscurity. Generally, of course, manufacturers/producers are pleased when their products are so widely known, but when the trademark, e.g. "Kleenex", appears, in common public use, to be substituted for the type of product it identifies "tissue", it may threaten the trademark and may cause problems for the IP lawyers of the trademark holder. However, one never hears of any such complaints from the the Sales/ Marketing Departments of those companies.

Since this hasn't really become a different approach to the same issue that it looked like from the beginning, I offer this link:

http://wordsmith.org/board/showflat.pl?Cat=&Board=words&Number=17038

This is also a test to check URL posting protocol.

('took me long enough)

to make that a link, you should've typed this:

[.url.]wordsmith.org/board/showflat.pl?Cat=&Board=words&Number=17038[./url.]

(but don't include the periods around the url and /url; i only did that to avoid actually creating a link.)

you'll note that the typing of "http://" is obviated by the link process, which automatically includes it. you do, however, need to type the "www" if it is part of the original address (which, in this case, it is not).

hope that makes sense =)

http://wordsmith.org/board/showflat.pl?Cat=&Board=words&Number=17038