The best brand names are the ones that find themselves interwoven into our vocabularies and sound good in any language. So, it shouldn’t come as a shock that we’re all guilty of addressing at least a few of these generic products by the brand names that made them famous! Blame it on good advertising, excellent marketing or simply, just being the first of its kind, but these are surprising. I bet there are some in here you had no idea about!
Read on to discover the actual names of widely used items that you come across every day, and refer to by the brand. Guaranteed there’s a handful that will throw you for a loop, just like they did for me!
Brand Name: Crock Pot, Actual Name: Slow Cooker
I love my Crock Pot. This old bean cooker was the best habit I created as a student that’s followed me into my adult years! I’ll be the first to admit that I call every slow cooker a Crock Pot. But, while every Crock Pot is a slow cooker, not every slow cooker is a Crock Pot. Things that make you go hmmmmm!
Brand Name: Jet Ski, Actual Name: Personal Watercraft
I don’t think I’ve ever heard someone refer to a personal watercraft as a personal watercraft! That’s a mouthful if you ask me, and really good marketing on the brand’s behalf! I mean, it’s super literal and paints a really good picture.
Brand Name: DustBuster, Actual Name: Cordless Vacuum Cleaner
Originally meant to be a self-contained power drill for use on the Apollo moon landings, this thing sure is a game changer! So much so, it’s found its way into our everyday vocabulary replacing every mention of Cordless Vacuum Cleaner with DustBuster. It’s a pretty cool, action-oriented name, it’s no wonder it stuck around for so long!
Brand Name: BAND-AID, Actual Name: Adhesive Bandage
Instead of first aid, it’s bandage aid, like a bandage that comes to your first aid when you need it! Brilliant! To date, over one hundred billion BAND-AIDS Brand Adhesive Bandages have been made and used around the world.
Brand Name: Popsicle, Actual Name: Ice Pop
Guilty as charged. I always refer to anything frozen on a stick as a popsicle, and anything chocolatey that’s frozen on a stick as a fudgsicle. Such a great name, Popsicle is a portmanteau of pop and icicle. This word is so embedded into everyday use, it’s become decades-old slang, like, “Let’s blow this popsicle stand..” meaning, let’s leave this unexciting place.
Brand Name: Velcro, Actual Name: Hook And Loop Fastener
If I said that my child wore hook-and-loop-fastener shoes, you’d probably look at me like I had three heads. But, if I said my child wears velcro shoes, you’d probably nod your head and say, “Mine too.” Velcro is another portmanteau of the French words velour (velvet) and crochet (hook). Mind. Blown.
Brand Name: Yo-Yo, Actual Name: Toy on a String
Known as one of the oldest toys in humanity, the toy on a string dates back to Greece, 500 BC, as seen on the side of ancient Greek pottery. It was also used as a weapon in the Philippines for years, and the term likely came from the northern Philippine Ilocano language, “yóyo.”
Brand Name: Frisbee, Actual Name: Flying Disc
So, it’s more like ultimate flying disc unless you’re actually using a Frisbee? Oops. How was I supposed to know? Apparently, Frisbee was named after the Frisbie bakery in Bridgeport, Connecticut, USA. It was their empty foil pie tins that inspired the beloved flying disc.
Brand Name: Wite-out, Actual Name: Correction Fluid
Maybe because the name is so literal and does what it says it’s going to do, but when correction fluid was used a lot (pre-computer and Internet, circa 2000 and before), everyone called it Wite-Out! Didn’t you?
Brand Name: Q-Tip, Actual Name: Cotton Swab
Q-Tips stands for “quality tips,” and was invented in the 1920s when the inventor watched his wife attach bits of cotton to the end of toothpicks! I don’t know about you, but this one has definitely crept its way into my everyday language!
Brand Name: Thermos, Actual Name: Vacuum Insulated Bottle
This brand has been around for over 110 years, keeping kids’ hot lunches hot, and cold lunches cold! But seriously, vacuum insulated bottle? I think any brand name would fare better than having to sit that a few times a day.
Brand Name: Bubble Wrap, Actual Name: Inflated Cushioning
Originally meant to be three-dimensional wallpaper, the original Bubble Wrap epically failed as such and became the well-loved packaging we all love to pop! For those of you who really love to pop, January 29th is National Bubble Wrap Appreciation Day. Just make sure you pop Bubble Wrap, not inflated cushioning.
Brand Name: Kleenex, Actual Name: F****l Tissue
These disposable handkerchiefs came out after Kotex feminine products. The “Kleen” coming from “clean,” as this was designed to remove makeup, and “ex” from Kotex (“ko” from cotton and “tex” from texture), to start the beginning of a line of products. Both names were designed to be short, easy to remember, easy to say, and easy to explain.
Brand Name: Jacuzzi, Actual Name: Whirlpool Bath
I always thought jacuzzi was a strange name for a hot tub with jets. It sounds more like an Italian family’s last name. But, as a kid, when adults used the word, how was I to know? While a hydrotherapy bath is not a jacuzzi, it seems like everyone still calls it that! They are, however, the first brand behind affordable hydro massage. And it turns out, even as a kid, I was right!
Brand Name: Walkman, Actual Name: Personal Stereo
As one of Sony’s most successful brands of all time, the original portable cassette player sold over 200 million units and has since been adapted to more modern ways of listening to music on the go. But, at the time, it was a trailblazer, and every personal stereo got lumped into this category.
Brand Name: Speedo, Actual Name: Swim Briefs
It’s actually the company name. Speedo designs all sorts of swimming products including goggles and accessories like bathing caps, backpacks, and more. But, why do we call itty, bitty teeny tiny swim briefs, Speedos? It’s a mystery.
Brand Name: Lava Lamp, Actual Name: Liquid Motion Lamp
Even my grandparents call it a Lava Lamp. It’s too late to tell them otherwise.
Did you find these interesting? Can you think of other household items we’ve been calling by the wrong name this whole time? Share them in the comments, we’d love to add to this list!
(Feature image photo credit: https://www.williams-sonoma.com/wsimgs/rk/images/dp/wcm/201824/0216/all-clad-deluxe-slow-cooker-with-cast-aluminum-insert-7-qt-c.jpg)
