Masking tape is the easy-to-remove paper tape you use for decorating, rather than the clear cellophane stuff. I've always known Scotch Tape to refer to Scotch

Masking tape is the easy-to-remove paper tape you use for decorating, rather than the clear cellophane stuff. I've always known Scotch Tape to refer to Scotch Magic Tape, the slightly opaque, better-quality sellotape, rather than just generic sellotape. More expensive as well, so I always got told to use it carefully & in moderation when I was a kid. It has a little tartan-pattern strip of paper at the end of the roll so you can find it, I never really thought about why it was named beyond that.