What's in a Name

Do you have a vacuum flask in your house?  How about spring stilts or a hopping vehicle?  Have you ever played with a toy on a string or a flying disc?  Have you ever used a separable fastener?

These things sound absurd!  But they are actually common items.  A vacuum flask?  It's more commonly referred to as a thermos.  Spring stilts, aka. a hopping vehicle?  A pogo-stick.  A toy on a string?  A yo-yo, of course.  Perhaps a flying disc is a bit easier to guess:  frisbee.  But what about a separable fastener?  It's most commonly referred to as a zipper.

Several weeks ago we came across this article talking about trademarked brands that everyone uses as generic names.  We had a lot of laughs as we tried to come up with our own names for various household items.

"What if you had to really talk like this?" we laughed.

Then we stopped.  "Oh, we do."

We often feel like we're playing a never-ending game of Catch Phrase or Taboo, but this brought things to a whole new light.  If we're looking for a Kleenex, in French, we may actually ask for a disposable handkerchief or towel. If we're searching for the word velcro, we may actually describe it as tiny hooks that attach to loops and stick together.  Looking for a tasty summer treat?  How about a frozen ice treat on a stick?  You may call it a popsicle, but what's a popsicle in French?  Giving directions to someone in an airport or train station?  Direct them to the moving stairs.

It would be interesting to find an article like this in French.  Maybe we use the official names for things after all.

Or maybe not.


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