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Onesie -

Now used to describe an infant bodysuit, onesie is a trademark still owned by Gerber Childrenswear, the same Gerber that makes baby food.

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Thermos -

Thermos is in fact a trademark held by the German company Thermos, founded in 1904. The correct term is vacuum insulated flask. However, beginning in 1962 other brands were allowed to market bottles with the lower case "thermos."

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Jet ski -

Go to any sunny resort and you'll be offered jet ski tours. It may be on an actual Kawasaki Jet Ski, but more likely you'll ride around in another personal watercraft.

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Kiwi -

Also known as a Chinese gooseberry, the word kiwi has been owned by Zespri since 1997. However, the name had been in use since 1962 when New Zealand growers wanted to increase the fruit’s market appeal.

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Zipper -

The word zipper was originally created and trademarked by the B.F. Goodrich Company for use in rubber boots.

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Chapstick -

A generic word now for lip balm, the correct usage is ChapStick. And it was originally produced by GlaxoSmithKline.

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Popsicles -

The name of this popular summer treat was first trademarked in 1905 by Frank Epperson. Today, the rights are owned by Unilever.

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Kleenex -

In the US, kleenex is used to refer to facial tissues. However, it's just one product offered under the Kleenex brand.

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Tupperware -

Found in every household, today any air-proof container is called a tupperware. However, it was first introduced to the public in 1946, and as a brand Tupperware got its name from its creator, Earl Silas Tupper.

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Windbreaker -

Windbreaker is a trademarked word for lightweight jackets. It was originally owned by the John Rissman company in Chicago.

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Hula-hoop -

The hula-hoop is a simple plastic toy marketed by Wham-O since 1958. The toy company still owns the rights to the name, despite this coming into question in 2009.

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Velcro -

Invented by Swiss electrical engineer George de Mestral in 1941 during a walk in the woods with his pet dog, Velcro was officially patented in 1958.

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Crock-pot -

Introduced in 1971 by the Naxon Utilities Corporation of Chicago, the crock-pot grew in home popularity as more and more women entered the workforce. Today, the Crockpot brand stresses that if it doesn't say "Crockpot," then it's not an original.

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Laundromat -

The term laundromat was originally trademarked to refer to the first wall-mounted automatic washing machine by Westinghouse in 1940.

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Whiteout -

Originally patented and trademarked in 1971, the BIC Corporation bought the rights to the name in 1992. But while Wite-Out is the brand name, whiteout is more popular in usage.

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Band-aid -

Invented in 1920 and trademarked by Johnson & Johnson as Band-Aid, it still stands today. Do you know an "adhesive bandage" by any other name?

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Ping-pong -

Coined in 1901, Ping-Pong is a brand of table tennis products owned by Parker Bros. The founders thought the ball sounded like "ping-pong" when struck across the table.

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Super glue -

Used informally, Super Glue is actually a trademarked product of Super Glue Corporation. It’s a brand of cyanoacrylate adhesive, which is super sticky.

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Dumpster -

Dumpster was actually the trademarked name for standardized containers, which could be loaded onto garbage trucks in the Dempster-Dumpster system.

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Scotch tape -

The clear adhesive tape that we call scotch tape is actually a registered trademark of 3M.

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Trampoline -

The first modern trampoline was built by George Nissen and Larry Griswold in 1936, and trademarked in 1942. The name came from the Spanish word trampolín, meaning a diving board.

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Yo-yo -

This term was introduced and trademarked by the company Duncan in 1929 to refer to its now iconic toy. However, today it's also the generic name for it.

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Bubble wrap -

Bubble Wrap is a genius packing material and an immensely fun noisemaker. It was originally trademarked by the Sealed Air Corporation in 1960.

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Frisbee -

Originally trademarked by Wham-O in 1957, the company still owns the rights for the name of this type of flying disc.

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Jacuzzi -

In 1956, the Jacuzzi brothers set out to help ease a relative’s arthritis symptoms with a normal tub equipped with a hydrotherapy pump. Since then, the name has become synonymous with the luxury product.

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Granola -

In 1921, Sanitarium Foods trademarked the word to describe foods made of whole-grain products crumbled and baked to a crisp. The rights were officially lost due to generalization in 2012.

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Realtor -

We often call real estate agents "realtors," but the term is a trademark of the National Association of Realtors. The terms actually refers to members of the association, and not real estate agents.

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Rollerblade -

Though a common name for inline skates, Rollerblade is a trademark owned by Nordica.

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Auto-tune -

Created in 1997, Auto-Tune is actually the name of a popular audio processor made by Antares Audio Technologies.

Sources: (Sticky Branding)

See also: The quirky stories behind famous company names

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