english to english dictionary

[kloos78]

You're right about some of these, but. . .

Mack trucks--is a maker of trucks and there are a lot of them (like Dodge, BMW, and Ford are makes for cars).
McNuggets--every fast food chain has them and I wouldn't say they're "off" brands
Sharpie and Hi-Liter--um, they're markers. Every office supply company makes markers
Brillo--S.O.S. is one example
Saran wrap--Reynolds wrap, Glad wrap, Ziploc wrap . . .
Tupperware--Rubbermaid, Glad, and Ziploc all make similar containers
Levis--um, they're jeans. Lots of designer brands makes jeans
Tylenol--Aleve, Motrin, Advil, Bayer (speaking in terms of brand-name pain relievers)
Kool-aid--Hawaiian punch, Country Time, Lipton, Crystal light
Chapstick--Burt's Bees, Carmex, Balmex, Vaseline, Blistex

[jwester]

Originally Posted by kloos78

You're right about some of these, but. . .

Mack trucks--is a maker of trucks and there are a lot of them (like Dodge, BMW, and Ford are makes for cars).
McNuggets--every fast food chain has them and I wouldn't say they're "off" brands
Sharpie and Hi-Liter--um, they're markers. Every office supply company makes markers
Brillo--S.O.S. is one example
Saran wrap--Reynolds wrap, Glad wrap, Ziploc wrap . . .
Tupperware--Rubbermaid, Glad, and Ziploc all make similar containers
Levis--um, they're jeans. Lots of designer brands makes jeans
Tylenol--Aleve, Motrin, Advil, Bayer (speaking in terms of brand-name pain relievers)
Kool-aid--Hawaiian punch, Country Time, Lipton, Crystal light
Chapstick--Burt's Bees, Carmex, Balmex, Vaseline, Blistex

Thanks for the examples. I've never used most of those (I don't call anything Mack trucks, I call them chicken nuggets, I've only ever used Sharpie sharpies, don't really know about Brillo, I don't call jeans Levis, I only call Tylenol Tylenol if it is Tylenol, same thing with Kool-aid). Saran wrap and Chapstick are good ones, though I've only heard of a few of the competitors.

Regarding Saran wrap, it has lost its trademark in many jurisdictions and has become a generic term for polymers made from vinylidene chloride. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saran_wrap)

And regarding Chapstick, "Due to ChapStick's popularity, the term has become a genericized trademark." (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chapstick)

I just think it is odd that Coke refers to all pop. Coke is pretty specific and definitely different from every other kind of pop. Most other instances where a product is referred to by a brand is because it is the de facto representation when one thinks of that product.

[kloos78]

I agree that the Coke thing is bizarre. My husband is from the South and he says soda but he tells me that the Coke thing is true. I also have a friend from Minneapolis and she says Coke is the generic term in her town as well. Weird.

[jwester]

Originally Posted by kloos78

I agree that the Coke thing is bizarre. My husband is from the South and he says soda but he tells me that the Coke thing is true. I also have a friend from Minneapolis and she says Coke is the generic term in her town as well. Weird.

Very true. I have also heard it to be true and don't doubt that people do in fact call pop/soda Coke. I will clearly never understand it

[pilarandmike]

I live in TX, but am from AZ and have family from MS....
It's been my experience that they (southerners) use "Coke" in refrence to any "cola".

[professor]

Originally Posted by jwester

That is one thing I will truly never understand...Coke is a brand. I can't think of anything else that is referred to by a brand, except maybe Kleenex.

Rollerblades and Jacuzzi

[kloos78]

Now, about my coconut radio. . .

[professor]

This is the answer to much of the slang I am no longer cool enough to keep up with. Some of my students told me about it when I asked them the meaning of a word they were uncomfortable explaining . Now I read and laugh so hard at some of the stuff on there.

[xmozzazx]

Ok where to start?
Canadian English:

5 point 0: Average beer alcohol level
Two-Four: A case of beer
Box uh beer: 28 pack
Mickey: 13-ounce bottles of booze that winos carry
26er: 26-ounce bottles of booze
40 pounder: 40-ounce bottles of booze
A bottle: 60-ounce bottle of booze
Pogey: employment insurance payments
Soda vs. pop vs. coke: Up here we drink pop. Ask for a soda and you'll get soda water. Avoid referring to coke unless you mean a product made by Coca-Cola or the drug that was once added to it.
DICK: Means nothing, nada, etc. as in 'Last night I did dick' kinda like diddly
Sticks/da bush: middle of nowhere, or the side of the road when people crash their car
Giv'n'r : used to describe any act carried out with extreme exhuberance or to its fullest potential. "We were just Giv'n'r last night til we hit da bush eh."
Click: a kilometre, unit of measurement. In the north, distance is measured in time, hours.
Toast: dead, not gonna make it, etc. 'If you hit the sticks we are toast!'
Scoobie Snack: smoked, not eaten

And just so you get a laugh outta this, our money is dollars, yes no surprise but, our one dollar coin is a 'loonie' and the two dollar coin, go figure 'toonie' And thats not slang!

[ChloeX]

Originally Posted by xmozzazx

Ok where to start?
Canadian English:

Scoobie Snack: smoked, not eaten

And just so you get a laugh outta this, our money is dollars, yes no surprise but, our one dollar coin is a 'loonie' and the two dollar coin, go figure 'toonie' And thats not slang!

Ha, Scoobie Snack is also a term for something that is smoked and not eaten down here in Houston. (at least in my group of friends.)

And the money thing, that's just plain silly and strange.