but the darling Cassel Dictionary of Slang (Green), offers these options:
skivvies, pl. n. 1. men's underwear, esp. underpants 2. a vest, esp. in the forn of a skivvy shirt 3. a pair of light slippers [ety. unknown (3) ? link to skivvy, n, i.e. typical Japanese footwear]
skivvy, n. [late 19th cent.] a derog. term for a Japanese person [presumably var. on skibby, n., although citations put dates at variance]
skivvy n., [20th cent.] maid of all work [? slavey, see also ety. for skibby]
So there you have it. Well, more of it, anyway.
Xerox would NOT be happy to hear you claiming they've been genericized.
I know they fight vigorously to maintain their trademark, but in practice, a helluva lot of people have used their name generically for a long time.
Well, we have a Sharp copier, but I "xerox" on it, not "sharp"
And in England, mostly we 'photocopy'. Which sounds much less exciting.
I know they fight vigorously to maintain their trademark, but in practice, a helluva lot of people have used their name generically for a long time.
I suspect their lawyers hate it, but their management loves it. I mean, no one say "Ricoh me a copy"
Xerox needs to hold onto the mass copier position, since all of their attempts to branch out have not done well.
Xerox needs to hold onto the mass copier position, since all of their attempts to branch out have not done well.
Hee. Must drive 'em nuts, finding it so hard to replicate their successes. Oh, the irony.
I suspect their lawyers hate it, but their management loves it. I mean, no one say "Ricoh me a copy"
Right, but the lawyers have to defend it as vigorously as possible, because if they don't, and it officially becomes generic, then Ricoh could start calling their copiers 'xerox machines', which Xerox would hate.
It's like how people who work for Velco aren't allowed to call it velcro.
Right, but the lawyers have to defend it as vigorously as possible, because if they don't, and it officially becomes generic, then Ricoh could start calling their copiers 'xerox machines', which Xerox would hate.
My dad once heard a case about a washing machine repairman who had his name changed by deed poll to append 'Approved Repairer', so he could put it in his Yellow Pages ad. (I know another guy who did the same thing with 'PhD'.)
