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As for naming, this has happened many times, you can see examples like Xerox, Kleenex, etc. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Generic_trademark https://en.wikipedi

As for naming, this has happened many times, you can see examples like Xerox, Kleenex, etc. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Generic_trademark https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Generic_trademark I noticed in the UK it is much more common. You can see it in terms like hoovering, sellotape, tipex, and biro. Never thought I'd see the day I post a quora but here we are! https://www.quora.com/Why-do-the-British-use-the-word-hoover-instead-of-vacuum https://www.quora.com/Why-do-the-British-use-the-word-hoover...

kingcharles 5y ago
What's odd is that, being a Brit in the UK I often use these generic trademarks out of habit. But, sometimes when I say Hoover here in the USA people get what I mean. So it must have had an effect over here, but smaller?
- jacobr1 5y ago
  Hoover was a dominant brand in the US, but never fully generalized. So when you say hoover, many people in the US (especially when used in context, like "I need to hoover the carpet") will probably get what you are saying. My wife refers to "Lysoling" the counters, which isn't standard usage (and we usually use generic target brands anyway) but plenty of people we know get what she means.
  - ghaff 5y ago
    Generic verb "hoover" is probably used more in the US as a deliberately informal/colloquial synonym to ingest or something like that. e.g. hoover up all your data.
    - dotancohen 5y ago
      That probably has as much to do with J Edgar Hoover as it does with the Hoover vacuum cleaner company. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J._Edgar_Hoover https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J._Edgar_Hoover
WalterBright 5y ago
It's not just in the UK. I heard an obstetrician refer to the "hoover maneuver" whereby suction was used to help deliver the baby.
Accacin 5y ago
But there are more in the US section than in the UK. I also noticed that in America you use brand names for a lot of medicines rather than the 'real' names. Just a cultural thing I guess.

kingcharles 5y ago

What's odd is that, being a Brit in the UK I often use these generic trademarks out of habit. But, sometimes when I say Hoover here in the USA people get what I mean. So it must have had an effect over here, but smaller?

jacobr1 5y ago
Hoover was a dominant brand in the US, but never fully generalized. So when you say hoover, many people in the US (especially when used in context, like "I need to hoover the carpet") will probably get what you are saying. My wife refers to "Lysoling" the counters, which isn't standard usage (and we usually use generic target brands anyway) but plenty of people we know get what she means.
- ghaff 5y ago
  Generic verb "hoover" is probably used more in the US as a deliberately informal/colloquial synonym to ingest or something like that. e.g. hoover up all your data.
  - dotancohen 5y ago
    That probably has as much to do with J Edgar Hoover as it does with the Hoover vacuum cleaner company. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J._Edgar_Hoover https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J._Edgar_Hoover

WalterBright 5y ago

It's not just in the UK. I heard an obstetrician refer to the "hoover maneuver" whereby suction was used to help deliver the baby.

Accacin 5y ago

But there are more in the US section than in the UK. I also noticed that in America you use brand names for a lot of medicines rather than the 'real' names. Just a cultural thing I guess.