brand names becoming names of items or even jobs?

[joko]

what other names do people adopt?

Name like hoover, biro and to some extent breville - all brand names that have become the name of the item regardless of actual brand

thanks

[Stu in USA]

My wife just asked for a "kleenex"

[Shire]

What about when we Hoover up?

[Stu in USA]

Check the original question!

[brachiopod]

Mmm....I prefer to call them rubber gloves.

(Pass the Kleenex please! )

[rojash]

Not sure if it's quite the same but here in Greece, if you want instant coffee you order "ena nes" or "ena nes kafe". If you just order coffee they will ask if you want Elliniko (Greek) or nes (instant). If you order nes, It doesn't necessarily follow that you'll get Nescafe.

[LeoMunro]

There are men who philishave with a Remington. When I was a canteen manager in WW2 I was often asked, "What kind of Rinso have you got?" And I would say, "I'm sorry, there's only Persil rinso but if you wait til next week, I 'll have som Rinso rinso."

And here's one you won't beleive: there are razor blades in the States with the trade name of Durex! Ouch!

[Stu in USA]

Actually I don't believe it, cos I've never seen 'em

[flashpig]

One that shocked me was portaloo. It just has a colloquial sound to it.

[joko]

do people say "i'm just going for a philishave"?

or "i'm just having a remington"?

is nes greek for instant? perhaps thats where nescafe got their name

[Stu in USA]

its the other way round, joko, or were you joking? But I do agree that blokes don't use the word "philishave" or "remington" to describe an electric shave.

[Ouisch]

Kitty Litter is actually a trademarked name - the generic term we should be using is "cat box filler."

Band-Aid (instead of "bandage," or "plaster" in the UK)

[tigga]

bic - people desribe me as having a bic'ed head when its actually mach3'ed !.