Monday, November 30, 2015

Kleenex versus Tissue

Do you know the difference between Kleenex® and tissue. And don't say "tissue is the cheaper one." 

Kleenex® is the registered trademarked brand, while tissue is the generic term. Our everyday language is peppered with brand names used as regular verbs and common nouns. 

Ever hear someone say "hoover the rug" to mean vacuum? Of course, that came from the Hoover® vacuum company. 

To "google" something is becoming synonymous with to search for something online. Actually, Google® is a trademark owned by Google Inc., which registered it on Jan. 20, 2004. 

Here are some other trademarked names that have fallen into generic usage. 



  • Bubble Wrap® was trademarked on Aug. 2, 1983 by the Sealed Air Corporation. 
  • Crock-Pot® was trademarked on Feb. 8, 1972 by the Sunbeam Corporation.
  • Taser® was trademarked by Taser® International, Inc. on April 1, 2008. 
  • Vaseline® was trademarked on November 13, 1934 by CONOPCO, Inc. 
  • Velcro® was trademarked on December 16, 1975 by Velcro Industries. 
Other terms include Jet Ski®, ChapStick®, Realtor®, and Band-Aid®. I'm sure you can think of some, too.