When’s the last time you heard someone say, “let’s Skype”? Skype used to be a verb, but now it’s not. Instead, we talk about Zooming one another, having replaced one semi-popular platform with an incredibly well-known new paradigm. Skype is a trademark owned by Microsoft. When a trademark makes the leap from being the specific name of one particular product to a more general term for every similar product, that’s called a
Spending my teen years in Indiana, all sodas, including sprite and 7-Up, were called Coke. So yeah, people would go into a diner and order a Coke only to be asked “what kind?” and then would possibly respond with “Mountain Dew”.
Yeah, here is what I wrote about this word: "Xerox as a verb was around for a very long time, having even more staying power than the term Walkman during the 80s. “Hang on, I’ll Xerox that” was much more common than “I’ll make you a photocopy of that.” Like the Walkman, it wasn’t replaced by a better version of itself, but instead by a different type of technology; today, people just copy things with their ubiquitous smartphones or with scanners. We do things more with ones and zeroes than we do with paper or physical media these days."
Google search has degraded significantly in the last few years (perplexity.ai seems to be a better tool), and Google search with AI is telling people to use glue to stick the cheese to the pizza. And today, I saw we can even defy gravity if we do not look down while jumping from a cliff and keep running.
Growing pain or hallucination is hard to overcome with the current approach? I believe the large amount of quality data and compute are critical. However, we lack a large amount of quality data. Still, somewhere, the thought process is that if we keep increasing the compute, even with bad quality data, some form of AGI will come, but only time will tell.
Not all that general, I'm guessing, although it could've been....we're talking '50s and '60s here! I was 10 in 1965, and growing up, I only ever heard my dad (the one with the 20,000 LPs and 78s, mostly jazz) refer to his stereo/phonograph as "the vic." I don't think he even owned an RCA Victor Victrola, but I grew up thinking those machines that played LPs and 45s were vics! As in, "Son, did you turn off the vic?"
So, if that managed to make it outside the door of 5231 Beechnut St. in Houston, I wouldn't be all that surprised ('cause at that point, it would be like calling any soda pop a "Coke"), because RCA was a leading "vic" producer back in the day!
In many areas of SouthAmerica Kolynos is syonymous for toothpaste.
And in most of SouthAmerica we dont have refigerators (refrigeradores) but a made up word "frigideres" (from Frigidaire), the words are very similar and most people dont know they regularly or exclusively use a word which is not in the Spanish dictionary!
Unbelievable, but in Thailand they say "tupperware" for any plastic container for leftover food in the fridg. Mr. Tupper must have traveled the world. There are also 1,000's of 7/11's instead of convenience stores.
I'm thinking about the old concept of the "Tupperware party", and now I'm wondering if there was maybe an international diplomacy component I missed within the pyramid scheme!
Hi Andrew. Even today, i play music with friends, and some of the older dudes will ask me if i "taped" the song we just played. Like you, Andrew, i used to make cassette and even 8 track variety tapes. Music recording went digital in the late 80s, and my variety tapes became variety cds. And still, my wife will ask me if i taped the Jeopardy Championships. :-)
In Japan, they say “hotchkiss” for a stapler because it was the name of the company that produced them way back, sort of like Xerox (and instead of “a photocopy/handout” it’s “Professor, can I have a print?”).
I’d say yes if you’re speaking to being less high profile but still relatively successful commercially. I like regular RC but RC Draft was a special product that came in 4-packs. Marketed as artisan soda.
The most obvious for me is Kleenex, a brand name universally used in place of the name of the product it is, facial tissues.
Good one. How universal is Kleenex? It's obviously ubiquitious in the US and Canada... is it so in, say, Brazil?
This one is well known especially to Canadians, though invented by an American: Zamboni, a genericized name for ice resurfacing machines.
Zamboni! Great example, and what a fantastic word.
Spending my teen years in Indiana, all sodas, including sprite and 7-Up, were called Coke. So yeah, people would go into a diner and order a Coke only to be asked “what kind?” and then would possibly respond with “Mountain Dew”.
This was common in the south too, but you could also ask for "soda" or "cola" and people would know what you meant.
Don't say "pop", though!
For me, you could say cola but you’d still get some funny looks.
I know we've talked about regional generic sodas, but did we discuss IBC root beer?
I think so. The one I’m chasing is RC Draft. I think it’s not made anymore and I only had it once. But I remember it being soooooo good.
Are Shasta and Fanta in the RC type classification?
How about frisbee and scotch tape?
Yes to both! Frisbee especially, but Scotch tape reminds me of another good one: Post-It notes!
Post-it notes are one of my favorite things. Once you get over 50 CRS kicks in. (Can’t Remember Shit)
I've been choked a lot and hit on the head, so I might have arrived at CRS City a bit early!
Can't think of any, but I'm sure I can Yahoo it for you, as all the cool kids do these days!
Remember the one-word jingle they had? Yah-HOOOOOOO!!!!!!
Wait, I thought that was Goofy's!
Goofy was, by far, my favorite Disney character.
I loved his "sports" series!
Not used much anymore. Xerox. To Xerox (ZEE-rocks) something was to make a paper copy from a copy machine. Do people still Xerox?
Yeah, here is what I wrote about this word: "Xerox as a verb was around for a very long time, having even more staying power than the term Walkman during the 80s. “Hang on, I’ll Xerox that” was much more common than “I’ll make you a photocopy of that.” Like the Walkman, it wasn’t replaced by a better version of itself, but instead by a different type of technology; today, people just copy things with their ubiquitous smartphones or with scanners. We do things more with ones and zeroes than we do with paper or physical media these days."
It made me wonder how long before googling becomes chatgpting (or something ai specific for search).
It might remain Google, if Alphabet plays their cards right! It's very uncertain at the moment.
Google search has degraded significantly in the last few years (perplexity.ai seems to be a better tool), and Google search with AI is telling people to use glue to stick the cheese to the pizza. And today, I saw we can even defy gravity if we do not look down while jumping from a cliff and keep running.
Growing pain or hallucination is hard to overcome with the current approach? I believe the large amount of quality data and compute are critical. However, we lack a large amount of quality data. Still, somewhere, the thought process is that if we keep increasing the compute, even with bad quality data, some form of AGI will come, but only time will tell.
Very possibly.
Yes! I definitely taped some shows with VHS when I wasn’t home. But it took a while to figure it out!
Not all that general, I'm guessing, although it could've been....we're talking '50s and '60s here! I was 10 in 1965, and growing up, I only ever heard my dad (the one with the 20,000 LPs and 78s, mostly jazz) refer to his stereo/phonograph as "the vic." I don't think he even owned an RCA Victor Victrola, but I grew up thinking those machines that played LPs and 45s were vics! As in, "Son, did you turn off the vic?"
So, if that managed to make it outside the door of 5231 Beechnut St. in Houston, I wouldn't be all that surprised ('cause at that point, it would be like calling any soda pop a "Coke"), because RCA was a leading "vic" producer back in the day!
My folks grew up calling their parents' generation of record players "Edisons." I wonder if it's a regional thing!
That's funny......I bet regionalism is part of it, as well as which brand of a new innovation someone grew up in or grew into.
In many areas of SouthAmerica Kolynos is syonymous for toothpaste.
And in most of SouthAmerica we dont have refigerators (refrigeradores) but a made up word "frigideres" (from Frigidaire), the words are very similar and most people dont know they regularly or exclusively use a word which is not in the Spanish dictionary!
I've heard "Frigideres" many times! Looks like Colgate owns Kolynos now, which makes sense.
Unbelievable, but in Thailand they say "tupperware" for any plastic container for leftover food in the fridg. Mr. Tupper must have traveled the world. There are also 1,000's of 7/11's instead of convenience stores.
Mmm.... I am from Peru and not sure how to call leftover food containers. They are tuppers.... "tapers" in spanish
I'm thinking about the old concept of the "Tupperware party", and now I'm wondering if there was maybe an international diplomacy component I missed within the pyramid scheme!
Hi Andrew. Even today, i play music with friends, and some of the older dudes will ask me if i "taped" the song we just played. Like you, Andrew, i used to make cassette and even 8 track variety tapes. Music recording went digital in the late 80s, and my variety tapes became variety cds. And still, my wife will ask me if i taped the Jeopardy Championships. :-)
Vince, do you remember trying to set a time for something to record while you were away? That was revolutionary for me, but also very complicated.
Yes I remember the horrible time it took to figure the VHS timing system out!
In Japan, they say “hotchkiss” for a stapler because it was the name of the company that produced them way back, sort of like Xerox (and instead of “a photocopy/handout” it’s “Professor, can I have a print?”).
Apparently, Hotchkiss goes way back. Wonder why it never took in the US!
I’d say yes if you’re speaking to being less high profile but still relatively successful commercially. I like regular RC but RC Draft was a special product that came in 4-packs. Marketed as artisan soda.
What about Nehi? Did they have some fancy stuff too? I forgot about them until just now.
Radar on M*A*S*H drank grape Nehi.
Oh wow, you're right! Great show, too.
One of the best shows ever made! We rewatch it about once a year.
Never had it but hope to someday.
We should never be afraid to dream big. Diet Cheerwine, I'm looking at you.
Being that we all are shackled to our smartphones, one thing I hear is , “Let me get my cell…”
But no one particular brand name, right?
Yes, they can all be cells…