Brand Names That Became Words
Instructions: Many everyday words started as brand names. Can you tell which common words were once trademarked products?
- 1.
The word 'aspirin' was originally a trademarked brand name belonging to which company?
ABayerBMerckCPfizerDJohnson & Johnson - 2.
Which of these is still technically a registered trademark, though widely used as a generic term?
AAspirinBEscalatorCJacuzziDZipper - 3.
'Escalator' was originally a brand name. What was the generic term for it before the trademark was lost?
AClimbing beltBMoving staircaseCPower stepsDAutomatic stairs - 4.
The word 'thermos' was originally a brand name. What is the generic term for this product?
AInsulated containerBHeat bottleCVacuum flaskDTemperature keeper - 5.
Which of these words was NOT originally a brand name?
ATelescopeBBubble WrapCTrampolineDDumpster - 6.
The word 'heroin' was once a trademarked name by Bayer. What was it originally marketed as?
AA painkillerBA cough suppressantCAn appetite stimulantDA sleeping aid - 7.
In which country is 'Velcro' a brand name that the company actively fights to protect?
AIn most countries worldwideBOnly in EuropeCOnly in the USADIt has lost trademark protection everywhere - 8.
The word 'zipper' was trademarked by which company?
AB.F. GoodrichBSingerCLevi StraussDTalon - 9.
Which process describes a brand name becoming a common generic word?
ATrademark erosionBBrandificationCLexical absorptionDGenericization - 10.
The word 'trampoline' was originally a trademark registered by which person?
AThomas EdisonBAlexander Graham BellCHenry FordDGeorge Nissen - 11.
'Dumpster' was originally a brand name for a specific type of what?
ALandfill compactorBRecycling binCGarbage truckDWaste container - 12.
Which of these words was originally a DuPont trademark?
ARubberBNylonCVinylDPlastic - 13.
In many countries, people say 'Hoover' when they mean what?
AWashing machineBVacuum cleanerCDishwasherDRefrigerator - 14.
The word 'kerosene' was originally a brand name registered by which inventor?
ANikola TeslaBRobert BunsenCAbraham GesnerDThomas Edison - 15.
Which of these everyday items gets its name from a brand?
AAll of theseBDry iceCBubble wrapDAdhesive tape