Trademarked Words

Trademarked Words Trademarked Words Trademarked Words By Maeve Maddox In a recent post, Dont Do Due Diligence, I used the word Realtor as if it were a generic word for real estate agent: Not so very long ago, the only people I heard talk about â€Å"due diligence† were realtors. I should have caught myself on that. Realtor–with a capital–is the legally recognized trademark of the National Association of Realtors. The correct use of the word is to refer to members of the Association and not to real estate agents in general. As tends to happen with clever commercial coinages, Realtor is being pulled toward generic use because it strikes speakers as an apt and concise substitute for the longer term, real estate agent. I have a feeling that general usage will eventually claim Realtor as it has so many similar inventions, but as a professional writer, I can be expected to observe the conventions. Apologies for my lapse, therefore, are due the NAR. Here is a list of other trademarked words that many English speakers use generically. Each term is followed by a suggested alternative and the name of the trademarks owner. The list is by no means exhaustive. AstroTurf (artificial turf) Monsanto Band-Aid (adhesive bandage) Johnson Johnson Bubble Wrap (inflated cushioning for packaging) Sealed Air ChapStick (lip balm) Wyeth Consumer Healthcare Clorox (bleach) Clorox Company Coke (soft drink) Coca-Cola Company Crayola (crayon) Binney Smith Company Crescent Wrench (adjustable wrench) Crescent Tool Company Crock-Pot (slow cooker) Sunbeam Products Cuisinart (food processor) Conair Dumpster (front loader waste container) Dempster Brothers, Inc. Fiberglas (glass wool) Owens Corning Formica (wood or plastic laminate) Formica Corporation/Fletcher Building Freon (refrigerant) Dupont Frisbee (flying disk) Wham-O Google (Web search engine) Google Inc. Jacuzzi (hot tub/whirlpool bath) Jacuzzi Jeep (compact sport utility vehicle) Chrysler Kitty Litter (litter box filler) Ralston Purina Kleenex (facial tissue) Kimberly-Clark Memory Stick (flash memory storage device) Sony Ping Pong (table tennis) Parker Brothers Popsicle (flavored ice treat) Good Humor-Breyers Post-it (sticky note) 3M Q-Tips (cotton swabs) Unilever Scotch tape (clear adhesive tape) 3M Sharpie (permanent marker) Newell Rubbermaid Styrofoam (extruded polystyrene foam) Dow Chemical Company Super Glue (Cyanoacrylate adhesive) Super Glue Corporation Tarmack (asphalt road surface) Tarmac Taser (stun gun) Taser International Teflon (non-stick coating) Dupont The purpose in trademarking a name is to prevent it from being used to describe a similar product made by another manufacturer. If a permanent marker is a Sharpie, call it that; otherwise, call it a permanent marker. And when you use any of these terms, be sure to capitalize them and use hyphens or camel case as appropriate. Note: Camel case is the practice of writing compound words or phrases in a combination of capital and lowercase letters. For example: AstroTurf, ChapStick, iPhone, PowerPoint. Related post: Factoid and Tabloid Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Expressions category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:100 Idioms About Numbers50 Diminutive Suffixes (and a Cute Little Prefix)What Is the Meaning of "Hack?"

Llama Facts

Llama Facts The llama (Lama glama) is a large, furry mammal that was domesticated in South America thousands of years ago for meat, fur, and as pack animal. Although related to camels, llamas dont have humps. Llamas are close relatives of alpacas, vicuà ±as, and guanacos. Although they are all different species, a group of llamas, alpacas, guanacos, and vicuà ±as may be called lamoids or simply llamas. Fast Facts: Llama Scientific Name: Lama glamaCommon Name: LlamaBasic Animal Group: MammalSize: 5 feet 7 inches - 5 feet 11 inchesWeight: 290-440 poundsLifespan: 15-25 yearsDiet: HerbivoreHabitat: From the Andes Mountains of South AmericaPopulation: MillionsConservation Status: Not evaluated (domestic animal) Description Llamas and other lamoids have cloven feet, short tails, and long necks. A llama has long banana-shaped ears and a cleft upper lip. Mature llamas have modified canine and incisor teeth called fighting teeth or fangs. Generally, these teeth are removed from intact males, as they can injure other males during fights for dominance. Llamas occur in many colors, including white, black, brown, tan, gray, and piebald. The fur may be short-coated (Ccara) or medium-coated (Curaca). Adults range from 5 feet 7 inches to 5 feet 11 inches in height and weigh between 290 and 440 pounds. Habitat and Distribution Llamas were domesticated in Peru around 4,000 to 5,000 years ago from wild guanacos. However, the animals actually came from North America and moved to South America following the Ice Age. Today, llamas are raised all over the world. Several million live in the Americas, Europe, and Australia. Llamas and alpacas resulted from domestication of guanacos and vicunas in the Andes. Diet Llamas are herbivores that graze on a wide variety of plants. They typically eat corn, alfalfa, and grass. Although llamas regurgitate and re-chew food like sheep and cattle, they have a three-compartment stomach and are not ruminants. The llama has a very long large intestine that allows it to digest cellulose-rich plants and also survive on much less water than most mammals. Behavior Llamas are herd animals. Except for dominance disputes, they dont usually bite. They spit, wrestle, and kick to establish social rank and fight off predators. Llamas are intelligent and easily halter-trained. They can carry between 25% and 30% of their weight for a distance of 5 to 8 miles. Reproduction and Offspring Unlike most large animals, llamas are induced ovulators. That is, they ovulate as a result of mating rather than going into estrus or heat. Llamas mate lying down. Gestation lasts 350 days (11.5 months) and results in a single newborn, which is called a cria. Crias stand, walk, and nurse within an hour after birth. Llama tongues dont reach far enough outside their mouths for the mother to lick her young dry, so llamas have evolved to give birth in warm daylight hours. Female llamas become sexually mature at one year of age. Males mature later, around three years of age. Llamas usually live 15 to 25 years, but some live 30 years. A male dromedary camel and female llama can produce a hybrid known as a cama. Due to the size difference between camels and llamas, camas only result from artificial insemination. A llama and her cria. Jonne Seijdel, Getty Images Conservation Status Because they are domesticated animals, llamas do not have a conservation status. The wild ancestor of the llama, the guanaco (Lama guanicoe), is classified as least concern by the IUCN. There are over a million guanacos and their population size is increasing. Llamas and Humans In the pre-Incan and Incan cultures, llamas were used as pack animals, for meat, and for fiber. Their fur is soft, warm, and lanolin-free. Llama dung was an important fertilizer. In modern society, llamas are still raised for all of these reasons, plus they are valuable guard animals for sheep and goats. Llamas bond with livestock and help protect lambs from coyotes, feral dogs, and other predators. How to Tell Llamas and Alpacas Apart While both llamas and alpacas may be grouped as llamas, they are separate camelid species. Llamas are larger than alpacas and occur in more colors. A llamas face is more elongated and its ears are larger and banana-shaped. Alpacas have flatter faces and smaller, straight ears. Sources Birutta, Gale. A Guide to Raising Llamas. 1997. ISBN 0-88266-954-0.Kurtà ©n, Bjà ¶rn and Elaine Anderson. Pleistocene Mammals of North America. New York: Columbia University Press. p. 307, 1980. ISBN 0231037333.Perry, Roger. Wonders of Llamas. Dodd, Mead Company. p. 7, 1977. ISBN 0-396-07460-X.Walker, Cameron. Guard Llamas Keep Sheep Safe From Coyotes. National Geographic. June 10, 2003.Wheeler, Dr Jane; Miranda Kadwell; Matilde Fernandez; Helen F. Stanley; Ricardo Baldi; Raul Rosadio; Michael W. Bruford. Genetic analysis reveals the wild ancestors of the llama and the alpaca. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences. 268 (1485): 2575–2584, 2001. doi:10.1098/rspb.2001.1774