Every so often, you come across a household product which is known specifically by one
brand name.
This is usually because the brand in question is the most popular version of that product.
Take, for example:
- Hoover: Imagine how irritated James Dyson must feel when someone asks him if they can buy one of his lovely cyclone vacuum cleaners. "It's NOT a HOOVER, It's a DYSON!"
- Sellotape: Ask for some clear sticky tape to wrap a gift. I bet you don't ask for sticky tape. No sir, you'll be wanting some Sellotape if you live in the UK, or Scotch Tape if you live in the US.
- This may be a UK thing, but where I come from, sticky stretchy soft adhesive is always called Blu-Tack, regardless of it's colour.
- Coke (or, In some places, Pepsi) is the default term for brown fizzy stuff. As in, "Would you like a Coke?".
- Esp. in the US, to photostatically reproduce an image is (usually?) to Xerox it
- Q-tips are the generic American cotton swabs for ear-fiddling.
- After a period of one handed surfing, you may want to clean up using a Kleenex