How many 5 year olds ask for a "tissue"? How many more ask for a Kleenex?

Like the Hoover/vacuum thing, the tissue/kleenex thing has become part of the language. I always call them kleenexes, but I don't think we ever had brand-name kleenex in our house. (They dissolve too easily.) Depending on the word, the brand name connection can eventually be lost, and then the word just means any of a group of similar products.

And I KNOW there's a word for this. We've done it on AWAD (the mailing list), too. Help!